Anticipate Future Business Situations with a Little Mystery

During an online group chat, a side conversation developed over the challenges faced by individuals who can uncannily anticipate future business situations. One comment was watching people make mistakes which could clearly be anticipated is a source of great frustration.

My comment was the ability to anticipate the future allows you to help influence business situations for the positive instead of waiting for a train wreck to happen. Besides, I've seen people use the ability to accurately anticipate future business situations to add to their personal mystique and enhance perceptions about their contributions.

11 Ways to Be More Anticipatory

Here are 11 behaviors, qualities, skills, and talents you can work on to more effectively anticipate the future and use it to your advantage:

1. Perform rigorous homework on your situation without disclosing your effort or everything you've learned.
2. Hone your ability to analyze a situation and truly understand the real motivations of the individuals involved.
3. To better understand personal motivations, substitute other words for "money" in the old maxim, "Follow the money." Some good ones to use? Power, recognition, pride, or havoc, as appropriate.  Doing this will explain both historical and many future behaviors.
4. Make a quick mental calculation of any risk you're considering taking before you take it. Take ALL the smart risks and SOME of those not so smart which could lead to spectacular results.
5. Be a confidant. Always listen to people who like to share secrets, especially true secrets.
6. Cultivate a personal flair for the dramatic.
7. Improve your observation and insight skills. Share your observations and insights only when they'll have dramatic impact.
8. Don't speak immediately when asked a question. Long pauses and deliberation add mystique.
9. Use stories and examples which, on the surface, have little relevance to the matter at hand, but ultimately unveil themselves to be right on point.
10. Don't always follow the same physical interpersonal, mental, or virtual paths.  Be unexpected. Show up in surprising places.
11. It's more important to ACT on your insights than SHARE them.

1 Important Don't

There's one important "don't" as well: Don't say, "I told you so." Part of effectively using your strong understanding of the future is being subtle and not rubbing it in peoples' faces!

What things do you do to better anticipate the future in your business? - Mike Brown

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If you’re trying to figure out the future, The Brainzooming Group can deliver a process to couple current perspectives and forward thinking to develop breakthrough insights. Email us at info@brainzooming.com or call 816-509-5320 to learn how we can help you figure out how to get ready for all the possibilities the future holds.