Intent vs. Impact

In the course of our work in leadership development we are asked to develop programs for our clients. One of the most popular development areas focuses on communication. While there are a variety of topic areas and assessments we cover, a common kick-off point for our introduction is the difference between impact and intent.

In a group setting we ask participants to name the communication-related behaviors they perceive as problematic or annoying in their workplaces. Most lists include behaviors like: “don’t share their opinions,” “dominate conversations,” “whine,” “don’t ask questions”, “don’t want to hear varying viewpoints.” These would be our examples of impact – how others’ communication style impacts us.

Next we ask the group to assume those individuals that exhibit the behaviors just listed, don’t get up in the morning looking to annoy them and make their lives difficult. Assume they want to be productive employees and want to work in a positive work environment – what is the intent of their behavior. Taking the list of behaviors they just created, how would the people these participants just described characterize their own behaviors? Participants assume the best intentions of others and quickly reclassify the behaviors they listed. Behaviors once viewed as negative (i.e., “don’t want to hear varying viewpoints” or “whining”) are viewed from a new positive vantage point (i.e, “being decisive” or “drawing attention to an issue”).

This exercise helps individuals see the negative impact communication can have on another person even though the intent of the behavior may be positive. We often focus on the intent of our own communication (what we want to communicate) without thinking about the impact it may have on others (how the communication is perceived). This is often a key ‘aha’ moment for participants and leads people on the path of viewing behaviors through the lens of ‘assuming good intent.’

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