Well-meaning managers can create a host of problems by implementing changes that have not been thought through.Getty Images/iStockphoto
The more you can anticipate the possibilities of unintended consequences of change, and be ready to deal with them, the greater your chances of success, says Harvard Business Review.
Unintended consequences are common in business. Well-meaning managers often implement new policies only to find that in addition to what they envisioned, they've also created problems.
You can't predict the future, but you can help mitigate the negative with these two steps:
1. Plan ahead as much as you can. Gather the people that the change will affect and plan the scenarios to see what might happen, keeping in mind that there will always be something that surprises you later.
2. Test the waters. Conduct short, focused experiments to see how various parties will react, and use the results to revamp your plan. You can't eliminate all negative possibilities but you can get ready to deal with them.
Today's management tip was adapted from "Be Prepared for What You Don't See Coming" by Ron Ashkenas.