Enterprise Design Patterns | Practice Patterns
#27: Unintended Consequences
"Ask about the impact of the system. Who is affected by it? What other systems are affected? What are the indirect long-term effects? Who gets left behind?"
- Alan Cooper
Related Patterns:
#9: Foundation of Change Portfolio, #10: Shepherded Realisation, #14: Powerful Questions, #21: Hypotheses and Validation, #25: Focus, Shift, Refocus
Your primary co-creators ask you to solve a problem and already have a specific solution in mind.
In this context:
The solution you are asked to create may lead to unintended consequences for co-creators that were not considered. Co-creators often have a limited view of the problem and how best to solve it, shaped by inherent interests. Not considering the context of the requested solution can have costly long-term consequences. You run the risk of solving the wrong problem; solving the right problem in the wrong way or only partially; causing new problems for other parts of the enterprise.
Therefore:
While designing a solution, you explore the wider context of your co-creators’ request. You make sure you:
- Identify who else might be affected by this solution;
- Consider both positive and negative consequences for those co-creators;
- Identify and assess forces outside your scope of influence that may negatively impact the results of the solution.
You explore this until you know whether you need to redefine your assignment or not. When necessary, you work with a broader group of co-creators to:
- Explore ways to get your co-creators’ support for a reframing;
- Broaden the scope beyond the initially formulated need;
- Finalise a new scope definition.
Consequently:
Your co-creators and you have an increased understanding of the problem space. You avoid creating negative outcomes for co-creators that weren’t originally heard or considered. You have the support of your co-creators to move beyond the original scope.