Unintended Consequences
by John G. Agno
Published on this site: April 20th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month...
You know about Newton's third law of motion: that any action causes
an equal and opposite reaction. The force of an individual action
can also cause a number of reactions.
Many of these reactions appear as unintended consequences of the
event or action. Our world is driven by technological innovation
that allows local and regional markets to be merged into a global
economy causing unintended structural shifts that resonate in the
way we live our lives.
When I started to carry my cell phone with me, I found there was
little need to wear my wristwatch. I am not the only person in the
world that discovered this duality. Our discovery has reduced the
sales of jewelers around the globe.
Today, we learn of news events, find new jobs & cars, and communicate
with each other via the Internet. This causes readership of traditional
newspapers to decline while classified and display ads shrink. And
since advertisers are what supports the newspaper business, media
companies are creating or converting regional newspapers into free
publications in an attempt to shore up circulation.
As automobile manufacturers shrink in the United States, so does
their automobile advertising which is a major source of funding
for domestic newspapers, magazines and broadcasting. Fifty years
ago, the CEO of General Motors said, "What's good for General
Motors is good for the USA." The same is true today.
As the unintended consequences continue to emerge from structural
shifts in our world, it is important to be aware that this is not
your father's economy. Protect your prosperity during this transitional
time by developing new mental models to become an economic survivor.
For more on unintended economic consequences, go to: http://home.att.net/~coachthee/whats_new/index.html
John G. Agno, certified executive & business coach
Signature, Inc., PO Box 2086, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Telephone: 734.426.2000
(US Eastern Time Zone) Email: mailto:[email protected]
The most critical knowledge is self-knowledge. http://www.MentoringandCoaching.com
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