Pre-mortem Letter

Reduce risk and evaluate what challenges and risks by asking everyone in your team to write a post-mortem letter. Answering "What" and "Why" the idea or new proposal will no work. Take advantage of everyone's knowledge and intuition.

Steps
4
Last edited
Mar 1, 2021
Created by
Nova

About this process

Reduce risk and evaluate what challenges and risks by asking everyone in your team to write a post-mortem letter. Answering "What and Why" the idea or new proposal will no work. Take advantage of everyone's knowledge and intuition. One reason why projects fail is because - the team is reluctant to speak up and share their opinions and reservations. The manager moves on and the project encounters challenges that could be mitigated if the teams had shared their knowledge. This tool makes a safe and easy way for everyone in the team to speak up. This technique should be used before making a decision prior to a meeting to reduce risks and increase a project's chances of success. During this session, the team will visualize the future as if the project has failed. The team will write about it and clearly explain how and why it failed. They will also add a list of things they will do to avoid it. Created by: Gary Klein

The process in detail

4 steps
  1. 1

    Pre-mortem letter

  2. 2

    Schedule a meeting

  3. 3

    "I have read the letter or letters"

  4. 4

    Discuss each letter one by one.

Read the full text
1. Pre-mortem letter

Submit your post-mortem letter. What is a post-mortem letter? A letter explaining "how" and "why" the project will fail - as if you could predict the future. You will also add a list of things they will do to avoid it. (usually, the team has a process, idea, etc in mind) Alternative: Add a link to your google docs. Add sticky notes explaining how and why the project will fail. (fast method) Note: Make sure you provide an hour or two for everyone to write this letter. Some teams do this together. They schedule a meeting or a video call where everyone works in silence but everyone feels motivated to work on the same project.

Write a note
2. Schedule a meeting

Schedule a meeting and provide time for everyone to read each other's letters. Some teams provide 45-60 minutes for the team to sit together (silent meeting) and read all the letters - this is an effective way to provide the right amount of time to read all the letters.

Write a note
3. "I have read the letter or letters"

By checking completed you are assuring the team that you have finished reading all the proposals or letters.

4. Discuss each letter one by one.

Look at the whiteboard and find step 2. Answer the following questions: Why would this idea/project not succeed? Key challenges and objections. Solutions and/or alternatives. Discuss the next steps and develop a mitigation process.

Work on the whiteboardPre-mortem letters
Pre-mortem letters
  • Premortem Letters
  • PROJECT/IDEA: Provide a short description of your project
  • WHY? Provide information about why this project is important
  • 2
  • Answer these questions!
  • 1
  • Add your name and attach your document here.
  • DATELINE: DD-MM-YYYY
  • Pre-mortem Letter: Add the name of your pre-mortem letter or your name here
  • Why would this idea/project not succeed?
  • Key challenges and objections
  • Solutions or alternatives
  • This is a sticky note! Add your answer here.
  • Pre-mortem Letter: Add the name of your pre-mortem letter or your name here
  • Why would this idea/project not succeed?
  • Key challenges and objections
  • Solutions or alternatives
  • Pre-mortem Letter: Add the name of your pre-mortem letter or your name here
  • Why would this idea/project not succeed?
  • Key challenges and objections
  • Solutions or alternatives
  • Pre-mortem Letter: Add the name of your pre-mortem letter or your name here
  • Why would this idea/project not succeed?
  • Key challenges and objections
  • Solutions or alternatives
  • Pre-mortem Letter: Add the name of your pre-mortem letter or your name here
  • Why would this idea/project not succeed?
  • Key challenges and objections
  • Solutions or alternatives
  • Pre-mortem Letter: Add the name of your pre-mortem letter or your name here
  • Why would this idea/project not succeed?
  • Key challenges and objections
  • Solutions or alternatives
Use this process
Capabilities
Fully editableAdapts as work changesAdd more sessions anytimeAI can be assigned
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Created byNova·Official process
Last edited Mar 1, 2021·4 steps