lay groundwork
Set things up
To lay groundwork is to do the preliminary work necessary for something to succeed later.
The image is of preparing a foundation before building: She spent months laying the groundwork for the merger.
You lay groundwork through research, relationship-building, or establishing conditions that make future action possible.
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- prepareMake ready beforehand
- set the stagePrepare conditions for events
- establishCreate formally, permanently
- pave the wayPrepare conditions for advancement
scaffold · blueprint · seedbed · plant seeds · framework · pave · pioneer · roots · bedrock · setup · preliminary · footwork · spadework · plant · cultivate · build · architect · cornerstone
preparation vs. neglect
lay groundworkwing it
Act without preparation
improvise · leave to chance · fly by the seat of one's pants · drop the ball
ground, work, laying, layer, layers, layered, grounds, grounded, grounding