Why good intentions are not always enough: Understanding intent vs impact at work

We’ve all been there: we say something with the best of intentions, only to realize later that someone was hurt or offended. It’s an uncomfortable moment, and often our first reaction is to explain what we meant. But here’s the thing: our intent doesn’t always match our impact. And in the workplace, this mismatch can affect trust, collaboration, and psychological safety.

So, what exactly is the difference between intent and impact?

Intent lives in your head. Impact lives in someone else’s experience.

In other words, it’s not enough to know what you meant. We also need to understand how our words and actions are received by others.

Let’s take a common example:

Someone says to a colleague, “Wow, you speak such good Finnish!”

That might be intended as a compliment.

But to the person hearing it, especially if they grew up here or have lived here most of their life, it can feel like a reminder that they’re still seen as an outsider. Even if that wasn’t the intention.

This doesn’t mean the speaker is a bad person. It simply means that even well-meaning actions can land in ways we don’t expect. And when we’re working in diverse teams, where people bring different histories, identities and lived experiences, how we are understood matters just as much as what we meant.

When our words or actions cause harm, even the best of intentions are not Monopoly’s Get out of jail for free -card: we have to be accountable also for the impact.

So what can we do about it?

We can start by becoming more aware of how our actions might be perceived. We can ask questions, stay open to feedback, and when we misstep, we can acknowledge the impact without rushing to defend our intent. We apologise when we cause harm, even when we didn’t mean that to happen, and then we learn to be better. That’s how trust is built.

Because great teamwork isn’t just about collaboration. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels seen, respected and safe to contribute regardless of background, role or perspective.

And that begins when we care about impact as much as we care about intention.