Next week, Tuesday November 5, is the
formal book launch date for How Dare You
Manage? Seven Principles to Close the CEO Skill Gap. And while I’ve been
working on my presentation for the launch event, I have been reflecting on the
concept of “anticipation”.
We look forward to so many things: the
birth of a child, a wedding, a birthday, a special anniversary, the completion
of a long-term project. My book falls into the latter as I can scarcely
believe, as I stroll by the boxes of HDYM copies in the Forrest office, that
the day has finally arrived.
The word “anticipation” comes from the
Latin anticipare: to take care of
ahead of time. Management is all about anticipation. It’s about not leaving
things to chance, about planning ahead and taking into consideration all
eventualities. With good management in place, companies reap the rewards of
projects delivered on time and within budget. When managerial principles are
applied consistently, from the top down, and are espoused with vigor and
passion by all managers, organizations thrive. Employees look forward to coming
to work because they are confident in the abilities of their manager and know
what is expected of them.
Ask yourself: do you work under a manager
who does take care of things ahead of time? And if you are a CEO, what’s your
level of anticipation?
Nick Forrest
