Anticipating Solves Problems

So much of decision-making these days seems overly reactionary. We have a fire, and we react to it. We have another fire, and react to it. Reactionary management (business or personal) is always fighting fires and waiting for the next one. Much time and effort are wasted finding and testing solutions in a trial and error sequence. Reactionary management seems stuck cleaning up the past, while a proactive approach deals better with the present and future challenges.
Wise King Solomon wrote “there is nothing new under the sun.” Since every conceivable problem we might face has been faced before, we should become proactive rather than reactive in our decisions. Before problems come, we can use anticipation to have flexible solutions. We may be facing an issue for the first time, but we can be sure others have faced the same problem.

I have often heard complaints about history as a necessary study. Yet the person carefully watching the history of his or her business can avoid repeat mistakes. The Spanish writer Santayana wrote “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” By learning from decision history and that of past pitfalls, we can continuously form proactive solutions. People gain great levels of power when they can draw from their experiences and the experiences of others to formulate workable solutions.

When we have mastered the art of anticipation, we can even head off problems when they are lower in intensity. Having a historical perspective gives recognition of potential storms on the horizon. Personnel issues are especially critical ones to anticipate. When we know our people, we can often defuse a potentially serious problem before it explodes. One reason for reactionary decisions is the tendency to try to find someone to blame or a scapegoat for the problem. We may in reality have a solution but become more interested in looking good rather than solving the problem. The “it’s not my fault” syndrome sets in and overwhelms our ability to operate in a proactive fashion.

In the end, being proactive and learning to take initiative saves time and gets things done. Reactionary management often causes procrastination waiting for a perfect solution. A good example is in the area of recruiting. Recruiting should be a continuous process, and yet often we wait until we need someone before we start looking. If we anticipate and remain in a constant recruiting mode, we remove stress and the tendency to “settle” for less than the best potential recruit. Anticipation and being proactive help us recognize our responsibility to get things done and to get them done in a workable manner.