Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

Trying to predict the future is futile.

Instead, be ready to respond. When the unexpected arrives at your door, do these three things:

1. Stop. If you feel pressured to make a decision, stop what you’re doing. Give yourself a chance to think before acting.

2. Assess your options. Don’t waste time wishing things were different. Think about the best outcome in the given situation, the information you have at hand, and the available resources. Then lay out your options.

3. Move forward. Based on your new assessment, make a decision and commit. Even if the decision isn’t ideal, accept that it’s the best under the circumstances.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “Three Steps to Handling the Unexpected” by Peter Bregman.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.