A key tenet of my work is this idea that business is more predictable than we think. And when we start acting like that’s true, something shifts. We move from firefighting to foresight. From reacting to preparing. From feeling at the mercy of the week to feeling more in control of it. Not because everything becomes predictable, but because we learn to control the controllables. This week’s SNAP is about harnessing the power of anticipation, a powerful lever available to most of us, most of the time, that can help us sustainably deliver high performance.
Reactivity isn’t high performance
A lot of organisations reward the visible stuff; quick replies, rapid decisions, constant motion, coping under pressure, being “always on”, and label it “high performance”.
Of course, that matters. But when our default mode is reactivity, we pay for it in subtle ways:
- Decision fatigue creeps in
- Stress becomes normalised
- Mistakes increase under time pressure
- Teams become perpetually “on the back foot”
- Energy is spent managing urgency rather than building momentum
High performance isn’t just about managing reactivity. It’s about reducing the need for it. And that starts with getting better at seeing what’s coming.
Most businesses have predictable pressure points
Think about your organisation for a moment. The cycles. The rhythms. The Cadence. The moments that reliably create pressure.
If you work in retail, you’ll have predictable flashpoints like Christmas, Easter, seasonal promotions like Black Friday, collections or product launches.
If you work in software or technology, there are built-in peaks such as product updates and app launches.
In finance (and in many other sectors too), there might be platform releases, reporting periods, client review cycles, regulatory deadlines, year end. You get the picture.
There is predictability to the way we do business. And when we acknowledge that, we can do something important; we can prepare ourselves and our teams.
But many people aren’t doing that yet. Using data from the Cadence Scorecard, we asked whether people could identify predictable events in their personal and professional lives that would require sustained focus and energy. In 2025, only 50% said yes (down from 60% in 2024).
That matters. If half the workforce can’t clearly see the predictable pressure points, year-end, major launches, peak trading, it becomes much harder to pace effort, manage capacity and build in recovery. When known peaks aren’t planned for, overload becomes the default.
Predictable pressure shouldn’t create predictable burnout.
Predict creates capacity
Here’s the crucial difference:
When we predict, we create breathing room.
We make space to resource properly, plan and protect energy, plan recovery as well as delivery, and reduce unnecessary stress.
Predict isn’t about rigid planning or pretending we can forecast everything. It’s about recognising patterns and asking, “What’s likely?” then putting simple supports in place before we hit the busy period.
That’s how you sustain high performance, not just for a few weeks, months, or years but for your career.
A simple question that could change everything
Here’s the question I’ll leave you with (and it’s deceptively powerful):
If you think about the coming week and the coming month, the coming quarter, what are the absolute key events you want you (and your team) to be ready for?
Not everything. Just the key predictable events. The projects, launches, transitions, presentations, whatever it is that will demand extra focus and energy.
Control the controllables
Yes, unpredictability exists. Curveballs will happen. Plans will change. But the point here is not to predict the unpredictable. It’s to stop ignoring what’s already predictable.
Most of us are brilliant at planning the work: project plans, task lists, trackers. But for most, we rarely plan the energy it will take to deliver it.
How often do you plan your energy with the same intention as your to-do list?
Try this: the Predict Mini-Review (10 minutes)
Sit down with your calendar and map the predictable pressure points; these could be personal or professional. Look forward to the next week or next month, and list the big events coming up. Once you can see them, you can prepare.
For events in the near term:
- For each one, write: “To be ready, we need…”
- Identify one action you can take now (even a small one)
- Decide what you’ll de-prioritise to make space
That last step is crucial. Agency fuels high performance, and this is what it looks like in practice. Predict isn’t just adding more prep; it’s making smarter choices.
For events in the future:
Identify what you can do now to reduce avoidable stress later:
- Protect capacity, make sure to block time for rest and recovery before (and after) high-demand periods
- Align early with your team, communicate what’s coming, so priorities and effort match the moment
- Double down on small habits that keep energy steady, hydration, sleep, and daily movement
When pressure is predictable, preparation can be too. And when you do that, you give yourself (and your team) a gift, a calmer baseline, more capacity, and better performance when it counts.
When agency is high, performance is more sustainable, because you’re not just reacting, you’re choosing: what you focus on, what you pace, and what you let go. Effort is paced and priorities are intentional.
Build this capability in your organisation
If you’d like to build this capability across your organisation, my Cadence keynote shows leaders and teams how to anticipate predictable pressure, protect capacity, and sustain high performance. Sustain helps equip your teams to prioritise wellbeing and build the resilience, energy and motivation, so they’re fit for the rigours of working life.
