I’ve been back in California for over a month, preparing for jaw surgery, and I still don’t have a date on the calendar. Before leaving Maui, we were targeting the third week of October. That’s next week, and it’s clearly not happening.
Since arriving, two new requirements have surfaced: an updated sleep study and coordination with my dentist regarding restoration plans. Both seem reasonable. But could they have been identified and communicated months ago, when we had opportunities to discuss my surgery? I don’t know. Only my surgeon can answer that question.
As a management consultant, I’ve spent decades helping organizations navigate uncertainty. I understand that plans rarely unfold as expected. Some surprises genuinely cannot be anticipated. But others can. And here’s where communication matters. I didn’t know to ask about these requirements. My surgeon may have known they would be necessary. If so, the responsibility to raise them wasn’t mine.
Adaptability is not a substitute for preparation. Managers cannot eliminate uncertainty, but they have a responsibility to investigate, communicate, and reduce it wherever reasonably possible. The question isn’t whether every surprise can be avoided. It’s whether we did everything reasonable to anticipate it.