The “ability to anticipate” is one of the key factors separating the giants from the good and even the great.
Skate to where the puck is going, not where it is.” Hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky
If you watched the Stanley Cup Playoffs you saw this skill play out in real time. Though I’m still bummedthe Chicago Blackhawks got taken out by the LA Kings, I am fascinated by this skill, this art called anticipation. What exactly is it and how do you develop it?
Anticipation is the ability to SEE the future, the skill of considering multiple scenarios that might happen in the next few seconds, days, weeks, etc. — noticing little things that have a big impact on your security and your success. As an entrepreneur, the better you are at expecting the future the better you get at mitigating risk and maximizing opportunity. Fortunately, there is a process for growing this skill.
In HOG (Harley Owners Group) Magazine’s article: “The Art of Anticipation,” author Becky Tillman, shares 3 specific steps — based on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s safety program called “S.E.E.”: Search – Evaluate – Execute. Here’s how it applies to your business.
SEARCH: step 1
Look ahead, look all around and as when driving, briefly and regularly check your mirrors. What’s behind you, past experience, can provide relevant information to apply to the current situation. Tillman warns, the key is to continuously redirect your focus and not fixate on any one thing for too long. Your objective is to take in as much detail as you can, training yourself for heightened awareness. “Gather… clues as to what might be about to happen.” …where are things headed now? What could interfere to change things?
EVALUATE: step 2
Everything going on is a clue. What’s not going on can also be telling. Notice who’s present; who’s absent? What does that tell you? What’s the tone of the conversation? Is the environment formal or relaxed? Who are people looking too for approval? Note the pace of activity. How might these factors affect your business, this relationship or future negotiations? In this step, asking (yourself and others) the who, what, where, when and how questions is invaluable. The objective is to determine is there danger or upside potential, or both? Once you evaluate it’s time to Execute.
EXECUTE|: step 3
It’s your move! What best supports the results you want to achieve? Based on steps 1 & 2 you’ve played out several scenarios in your head and within seconds have mentally rehearsed your responses. If A happens you do.this; if B you do that. Your actions are deliberate, mindful and in accordance with your primary outcomes… avoid risk, seize opportunity or stay put.
Tillman points out that in Execution you are simultaneously employing Search and Evaluate. You need real time feedback to determine how things are changing, to know what to do next.
Thinking ahead, anticipating what might happen next based on the clues around you is an invaluable business and leadership skill — a skill that can be strengthened through conscious practice and strategic observation.
In business as in hockey, when you anticipate where the puck is going you get to dominate the game.
Your Maverick Move for the Week
Train for heightened awareness! Take quick mental notes/snapshots of what’s happening around you. The goal is to gather information. Notice pace, energy, body language, attitude and/or behavior. Just pay attention. Expanding awareness and attention to detail naturally leads to greater accuracy in predicting future impact and outcomes. Soon you’ll be saying. “I saw that coming.”
Campfire Chronicles
Have a few Maverick Moves of you own? How have you honed your anticipation skills? To share your discoveries and ask questions, comment below.
Defy ordinary; choose outstanding.
© Copyright Deb Battersby All Rights Reserved.
