The pre-mortem, in one minute, on one hand.
Imagine it’s the day after your project, and it went badly. What happened? That question, asked before you start, is a pre-mortem.
The 1-minute version
- Picture it: describe the plan and what done looks like.
- Map it: imagine it failed, and list every reason why.
- Try it: pick the two or three likeliest, and fix or test them.
- Launch it: give each fix an owner and a date. Say it back.
- Close it: afterwards, check which risks really happened.
- I · Thumb · Thumbs up
Picture it. Describe the plan and what done looks like.
- One or two sentences is enough. Everyone should agree on them before you go on.
- II · Pointer · Direction
Map it. Imagine it failed, and list why.
- Ask everyone: “It’s over and it went badly. What went wrong?”
- Write every answer down without arguing. Quiet people often see the real risks.
- III · Middle · Challenge
Try it. Pick the likeliest two or three, and fix or test them.
- You can’t fix everything. Choose the risks that are both likely and painful.
- Change the plan, or try a small test, while it’s still cheap to change.
- IV · Ring · Commitment
Launch it. Give each fix an owner and a date.
- One name per fix. Ask that person to say it back.
- V · Pinky promise
Close it. Afterwards, check which risks really happened.
- Which ones did you see coming? Which surprised you?
- Keep the list. Next time you can start from it.
Quick questions
What’s the difference between a pre-mortem and a post-mortem?
A post-mortem asks what went wrong after the project ends. A pre-mortem asks the same question before you start, while you can still change the plan. The idea is credited to the psychologist Gary Klein.
How long does a pre-mortem take?
Ten or twenty minutes is enough for most family or small-team plans. Bigger projects might take an hour.
Picture it · Map it · Try it · Launch it · Close it