Project Pre-Mortem
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Imagine failure, then work backward to prevent it.
A team of public health researchers planned to launch an SMS-based medication reminder system for patients with tuberculosis, aiming to boost treatment adherence by 20% within six months. Before launching, each team member wrote down what could go wrong. When they compared notes, key patterns emerged—messages might arrive during work hours, phones could be shared among family members, and some users might ignore texts from unfamiliar numbers.
Steps
Before predicting failure, define success. Share a clear project plan with objectives, timelines, roles, scope, milestones, and communication rules. Everyone needs context.
Include project team members who understand the work. Avoid limiting it to leadership—focus on those involved in day-to-day execution.
Ask everyone to imagine the project failed.
Ask: What went wrong?
Have each person privately write down risks or failure points without group influence, then bring the team together to share.
Go around and have each participant share one risk at a time. Capture all responses in a central space (e.g., whiteboard, digital board). Avoid repetition and encourage open discussion.
Not all risks are equal. As a group, highlight the ones with high probability or serious impact. Focus on the ones worth addressing before launch. Aim for 5–10 key risks.
Turn insights into actions. Strengthen weak points, adjust budget buffers, improve communication flows, and test key components early. Share the updated plan with the team and stakeholders.
Based on the ideas of Gary Klein (2007).
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