A Study in Unintended Consequences

Photo: www.news-record.com

When considering change, it is always a good idea to think ahead and properly game plan for any unintended consequences.

I noticed an interesting article in the local newspaper this morning. The Greensboro City Council is considering a plan to rename a long section of highway, changing what is now High Point Road and Lee Street to the more uniform Gate City Boulevard. Council voted 5-3 for the change, though another vote is scheduled for next week.

At first look, it seems to make sense because the corridor unexpectedly changes names near the Greensboro Coliseum. One minute you are driving on High Point Road and then, boom, you suddenly find yourself on Lee Street. The corridor also has a long history of impoverishment and crime. For instance, the city worked hard for years to remove the less than reputable 'saunas and spas' that were dotted along Lee Street just outside of downtown.

But the proposed named change will reportedly cost taxpayers $130,000, which is basically the expected cost that the city and state would incur to change street signs in the area. That issue alone is sure to rankle folks who advocate fiscal responsibility from government officials.

The unintended consequence involves business owners with stores and shops along the corridor. According to the article, more than 2,000 people signed a petition fighting the proposed name change. Their argument: it could cost individual business owners thousands of dollars to change their own signs, business cards and other location markers. Good point.

City council, I believe, failed to appropriately anticipate this backlash. But what they have done differently?

A decision tree would have been a good place to start. The city manager should have sat down with city council and mapped out the groups that would have been impacted by the proposal, branch out various reactions, and developed a proactive strategy for addressing each outcome. Perhaps city officials could have met with those 2,000 petitioners, or set up a meeting with the man behind the petition, to discuss risks and returns.

Maybe this actually took place ... the article makes no mention of outreach. But it is an excellent cautionary tale for people who are running businesses, planning new ventures or just want to relate better to others. Game plan. Look at possible outcomes. Prepare accordingly.