Do Pre-Mortems For Your Projects

When projects end poorly, some companies run a post-mortem process.

The post-mortem process usually goes through a root cause analysis exercise for why the project went poorly.

For example, maybe there was an issue integrating with another team or a third-party vendor that took longer than expected and jeopardized the timeline.

There’s usually also a section for what went well during the project.

Most teams don’t run a pre-mortem process before the project begins.

It’s the same thing as a post-mortem, but instead of being retrospective, it’s proactive.

At the beginning of a project, ask yourself and your team what could result in the project ending poorly.

Take action items to mitigate these risks.

Also, ask your team what must happen for the project to succeed.

This quick and inexpensive exercise can provide valuable insights early and align everybody on the desired outcomes.

---