Collateral effect

A collateral effect is an effect a system produces alongside its intended outcome.

It may not be the main goal of the system, but it still matters.

Collateral effects can show up as emotional residue, shifted burden, reduced trust, quiet exhaustion, learned helplessness, increased cynicism, hidden work, damaged relationships, or changes in how people see themselves and others.

A collateral effect is not always accidental.

Sometimes the system treats it as acceptable because the primary metric, target, or outcome still looks successful.

Collateral effects matter because they reveal what else the system is producing while it produces the thing it was designed to produce.

The question is not only:

Did the system get the result?

The better question is:

What else did the system produce while getting it?