Are you a project lead, product manager, or event organiser who wants to avoid hearing “I knew this would happen” after a project fails? If so, this post is for you! Let’s explore a technique that can transform your project planning and execution: the pre-mortem.
We’re all familiar with post-mortems – those sometimes uncomfortable meetings where teams dissect what went wrong after a project’s completion. But what if we could address potential issues before they arise? Enter the pre-mortem, a powerful tool I recently learned from Shreyas Doshi, a veteran of tech giants like Stripe, Twitter, Google, and Yahoo. Pre-mortems provide psychological safety to tackle the elephants and tigers in the room before they become real problems. As Doshi wisely puts it, “If you do a pre-mortem right, you won’t need a tough post-mortem.”
What is a Pre-Mortem?
Unlike a post-mortem, which analyzes a project’s failures after the fact, a pre-mortem is a proactive exercise. It involves imagining the project has already failed and brainstorming the potential reasons why. By identifying potential pitfalls upfront, teams can take steps to mitigate risks and increase the chances of success.
Companies like Amazon and Google have long used pre-mortems to great effect. For instance, when Amazon was planning to launch Amazon Go stores, they conducted extensive pre-mortems to identify potential issues with the “just walk out” technology. This allowed them to address concerns about theft, technical glitches, and customer adoption before the first store ever opened.
So, how does a pre-mortem work? Here’s a step-by-step guide:
1. Set the Stage: Imagine project failure: Tell your team to fast-forward to a future where the project has failed spectacularly and brainstorm potential reasons why. This mindset shift is crucial for honest reflection.
2. Categorise Concerns: Doshi’s approach to pre-mortems adds a layer of nuance by categorising the identified issues into three types: Tigers, Paper Tigers, and Elephants. This categorization encourages open and honest dialogue, fostering a culture of psychological safety where team members feel comfortable voicing their concerns without fear of judgement. Ask team members to list their concerns in three categories:
– 🐅 Tigers: Major threats that will hurt if not addressed. As an example, The marketing team is understaffed for the launch timeline
– 🐯 Paper Tigers: Apparent threats that some might worry about, but might not be as significant as they seem. E.g., Concerns about the product’s price point, which market research has already validated
– 🐘 Elephants: Unspoken issues that the team is avoiding. E.g., Doubts about the CEO’s public speaking skills for the launch event
3. Encourage openness: Create a safe space for team members to voice concerns without fear of judgement. Remember, the goal is to identify potential issues, not assign blame.
4. Document and analyse: Record all concerns raised and analyse them post-meeting to strengthen your project plan.
Tips for Effective Pre-Mortems
1. Timing is key: Conduct pre-mortems early enough to make meaningful changes, but late enough to have a solid project plan to discuss.
2. Involve all stakeholders: Include team members from various departments to get a comprehensive view of potential issues.
3. Follow through: The pre-mortem is only as good as the actions it inspires. Create a clear plan to address identified concerns.
4. Revisit and revise: As the project progresses, revisit your pre-mortem findings and adjust your strategies as needed.
To conclude, by incorporating pre-mortems into your project planning, you’re not just preventing failures – you’re setting your team up for success. You’re creating a culture of open communication, proactive problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
Remember, in the world of project management, foresight is 20/20. So, before your next big project, gather your team, imagine failure, and start taming those tigers and elephants 🙂