flat-footed

“Wall Street has learned layoffs can be very disruptive and if deal activity picks up, then you can be caught flat-footed.”

Another staffer tells me: "There is no fire, no passion, no vision – we are timid and flat-footed."

This left officials flat-footed when the numbers began to surge.

Reform UK sources admitted the party was caught a bit flat-footed here and elsewhere as many of its new councillors got the grips with their new jobs in the weeks following the local elections.

Democratic strategists have lamented that the last-minute handover left their campaign flat-footed, ultimately aiding Trump's path to the White House, even as Democrats held a financial advantage in the 2024 race.