This week’s tip: Don’t forget that getting better results in the long-run matters more than short-term gains.
I spent years engineering better outcomes – but it was a total mistake.
About a decade ago, I led a coalition of about a dozen foundations.
Our goal was clear: reduce unemployment by improving job training programs.
Over several years, we invested in innovative education models, supported struggling nonprofits running training programs, and lobbied for increased public investments.
However, we failed to recognize that, in pursuit of better short-term outcomes, we were inadvertently neglecting the intricacies of long-term consequences.
Innovate → Better Results → Scale → Fail
One striking example that encapsulates this oversight occurred with an innovative job training program.
Its focus was on helping low-income adults double their income in just 9 months – an outcome significantly better than other similar programs.
We decided to scale the program.
Promoting the program everywhere, lobbying for it, and making sure every nonprofit was adopting it (even if they weren’t really capable of implementing it) seemed justified in pursuit of immediate success.
The outcome was remarkable – the number of graduates soared, job placements similarly rose, and the outcome report card was filled with impressive results.
However, the consequences of our actions began to unfold gradually over time.
Graduates of the program, once renowned for their education and skills, were now a mixed bunch.
Some clearly weren’t qualified to be hired as a result of poor preparation and training.
Complaints from employers about graduate quality surged, and the program’s reputation started to erode.
What seemed like a triumph in the short-term led to a catastrophic decline in the long-run.
The initial gains were overshadowed by the long-lasting impact on employer trust, program integrity, and the overall health of the nonprofit training system.
Focus on long-term consequences
This experience served as a profound lesson, highlighting the critical need to balance short-term gains with a strategic perspective that encompasses long-term consequences.
It reinforced the notion that engineering better outputs isn’t solely about maximizing immediate results; it’s about crafting solutions that stand the test of time.
In the complex interplay of cause and effect, the true measure of success lies not just in the outputs we engineer today, but in the sustainable and positive outcomes we create for the future.
Because the challenges we face won’t end this year, but will likely unfold over decades, here are are 3 practical tips for achieving long-term positive impact:
#1. Appreciate the Limits of the Existing System
- Tip: Understand and appreciate the inherent limitations of the existing system, and realistically assess how quickly it can improve.
- Explanation: Acknowledge that systemic change is a gradual process. Realistic expectations about the speed of improvement can help avoid the pitfalls of pushing for rapid advancements that might compromise the quality and long-term impact of your initiatives. Embrace a patient approach, recognizing that sustainable change often requires time.
#2. Build Failure into the Change Approach
- Tip: Integrate a mindset that allows for failure as evidence of what doesn’t work, rather than expecting everything to succeed.
- Explanation: Recognize that failure is a natural part of the innovation process. Instead of fearing failure, leverage it as a valuable learning tool. Allow some nonprofits the space to experiment and, if necessary, fail. By doing so, you create an environment that encourages risk-taking, innovation, and a better understanding of what strategies are most effective in the long term.
#3. Avoid Overhyping Results
- Tip: Resist the temptation to overhype immediate successes and outcomes.
- Explanation: While celebrating achievements is essential, be cautious about inflating the impact of short-term gains. Overhyping results can create unrealistic expectations, leading to disappointment when the long-term consequences start to unfold. Transparent and honest communication about both successes and challenges fosters trust among stakeholders and sets the foundation for sustainable, long-lasting change.
To recap:
Appreciate limits.
Embrace failure.
Stop the hype.
Or, as Navy SEAL teams say,
“Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.”
It’s counterintuitive, but slower, more strategic change can be faster in the long-run.
You can do it.
See you again next week.
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→ I’m a strategic advisor for the toughest societal problems like poverty, crime and homelessness. People come to me when they want to stop spinning their wheels and get transformative, systems-level change.
→ I’m a coach for emerging and executive leaders in the social and public sectors who want to make progress on their biggest goals and challenges.
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