Anticipate

The Anticipate stage helps a business prepare for what’s ahead—whether that means responding to risks, spotting emerging trends, or creating space for new opportunities. It’s not about predicting the future perfectly, but about building systems that stay ready for it.

Businesses that skip this stage often find themselves reacting too late. Those that embrace it gain clarity, flexibility, and strategic foresight.

The Role of Anticipate

In the Business Growth Assessment, Anticipate is where future-focused decisions take shape. It may include planning for staffing needs, preparing for upcoming market shifts, identifying operational risks, or building buffers for volatility.

This stage also introduces Opportunity Premonition—a design mindset that favors flexibility over over-optimization. Instead of locking systems into rigid configurations, businesses create pathways that allow them to shift quickly when conditions change.

Anticipate in Practice

When this stage is used well, the business doesn’t just respond faster—it absorbs disruption more easily. Teams plan with awareness. Growth becomes more resilient. Expansion doesn’t outpace readiness.

When Anticipate is ignored, strategic blind spots compound, and businesses are left scrambling to react after it’s already too late.

A well-balanced system ensures:

• Plans account for both current needs and future shifts.
• Risks are acknowledged and mitigated before they become disruptive.
• Opportunities are easier to pursue because flexibility is already built in.