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Minimizing unintended consequences

Unintended Consequences are unforeseen or unintended results that can result from an action or decision. Unintended consequences can occur when insufficient consideration is given to the second and third-order potential outcomes of even the best-intended initiatives and decisions. There are many examples of good intentions gone wrong yielding unintended consequences such as:

• The SS Eastland, a badly-designed, ungainly vessel, was intended to be made safer by adding several lifeboats. Unfortunately, the extra weight of the lifeboats caused the ship to capsize, trapping and killing 800 passengers below the decks.
• The Treaty of Versailles dictated surrender terms to Germany to end World War I. Unfortunately, the terms empowered Adolf Hitler and his followers, leading to World War II.
• The Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign created decades of highly successful fire prevention. Unfortunately, this disrupted normal fire processes vital to the...