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The Explanatory Gaps: Between Intention, Action, and Outcome

Writer: Dr. Chris Fuzie
Dr. Chris Fuzie
4 days ago
3 min read
“I didn’t mean for that to happen...”

May be an honest statement, but it is an incomplete explanation. It tells us that someone’s stated intention differed from the result without explaining why. Understanding that difference requires examining three distinct questions: What did the person intend? What did they choose to do? What resulted? The unresolved connections between these questions create what this article calls an explanatory gaps, a practical description of what remains to be understood, rather than a separate psychological theory.


The Intention-Behavior Gap

Research supports distinguishing intention from behavior. Sheeran and Webb (2016) describe the intention–behavior gap, showing that people do not always carry out their intentions. Wanting to accomplish something does not guarantee the behavior necessary to achieve it. Consequently, a sincere intention and an inconsistent action can coexist. The important question becomes what prevented the intention from guiding behavior in that situation (Sheeran & Webb, 2016).


Consider a supervisor who intends to encourage honest communication but responds defensively when an employee challenges a decision. Several explanations deserve examination: The supervisor may lack the skills to handle disagreement, interpret the challenge as disrespect, or prioritize maintaining control in that moment. These are possible explanations, not conclusions that can be drawn from the behavior alone. Saying “I wanted people to speak openly” leaves the central question unanswered: Why did the supervisor respond in a way that discouraged openness?


The Second Gap

A second gap exists between the chosen action and its consequences. A person can deliberately choose an action without intending every result. For example, a supervisor might intentionally correct an employee in front of coworkers to reinforce a standard, while the employee experiences humiliation. The corrective purpose, the public delivery, and the resulting experience must each be examined. The absence of an intention to humiliate does not erase the choice of method or remove the need to consider its foreseeable effects.


Outcome May Not Reflect Intent

At the same time, an unfavorable outcome does not automatically prove that the original decision was unreasonable or the intention harmful. Baron and Hershey (1988) demonstrated outcome bias: Participants evaluated decision makers more favorably when outcomes were positive, even when the information available at the time of the decision was unchanged. Applied to leadership and followership, this finding supports examining what someone knew, what alternatives were available, and how they reasoned, alongside what ultimately happened (Baron & Hershey, 1988).



Two Types of Explanatory Gaps

  • Intention to action: Why did the person’s behavior differ from what they intended?

  • Action to outcome: Why did the chosen behavior produce a different result than expected?


Addressing the Explanatory Gaps

Addressing the explanatory gaps therefore requires both curiosity and accountability. We should ask what the person hoped to accomplish, why they selected that particular behavior, what consequences they anticipated, and what other conditions influenced the result. Their explanation provides evidence to consider; it does not settle the matter. Patterns of behavior and responses to feedback help us assess whether the stated intention is reflected in practice.


A Leader-Follower Practical Challenge

For leaders and followers, the practical challenge is to bring intention, behavior, and impact into closer alignment. Understanding why a mismatch occurred can guide a more appropriate response, whether that involves clarification, social signal modification, skill development, changed conditions, or accountability for a harmful choice. “That was not my intention” can begin a meaningful conversation.


The next question is: “Now that you understand what happened, what will you do differently?”

 

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