What's the difference between outputs and outcomes? Some think the question is merely semantic, or that the difference is simple: outputs are extrinsic and outcomes intrinsic. I think otherwise; the difference between outputs and outcomes is more fundamental and profound.
In the non-profit world, outputs are programs, training, and workshops; outcomes are knowledge transferred and behaviors changed. In the for-profit world, the distinctions are not always so clear. Let's define outputs as the stuff we produce, be it physical or virtual, for a specific type of customer—say, car seats for babies. And let's define outcomes as the difference our stuff makes—keeping your child safe in the car. Borrowing an example from the Innovation Network, a highway construction company's outputs are project design and the number of highway miles built and repaired. Outcomes are the difference made by the outputs: better traffic flow, shorter travel times, and fewer accidents.
To read the full, original article click on this link: It's Not Just Semantics: Managing Outcomes Vs. Outputs - Deborah Mills-Scofield - Harvard Business Review
