Gary Klein

The premortem is designed to help you do better rather than to shut off innovation.

The premortem is designed to help you do better rather than to shut off innovation.

The premortem is designed to help you do better rather than to shut off innovation.

A wicked problem is one where there's not a clear right answer that people would generally agree upon.

A wicked problem is one where there's not a clear right answer that people would generally agree upon.

A wicked problem is one where there's not a clear right answer that people would generally agree upon.

Most of the major social problems we wrestle with are wicked problems. We have multiple stakeholders and there's no way to please all of them. And so there's all of this potential conflict and resource situations change or pandemics arise, wars arise, things that are unexpected that are going to upset what you're doing.

Most of the major social problems we wrestle with are wicked problems. We have multiple stakeholders and there's no way to please all of them. And so there's all of this potential conflict and resource situations change or pandemics arise, wars arise, things that are unexpected that are going to upset what you're doing.

Most of the major social problems we wrestle with are wicked problems. We have multiple stakeholders and there's no way to please all of them. And so there's all of this potential conflict and resource situations change or pandemics arise, wars arise, things that are unexpected that are going to upset what you're doing.

The premortem is designed to help people surface realistic possibilities and threats so that you can improve the plan, improve the product, and increase your chance of success.

The premortem is designed to help people surface realistic possibilities and threats so that you can improve the plan, improve the product, and increase your chance of success.

The premortem is designed to help people surface realistic possibilities and threats so that you can improve the plan, improve the product, and increase your chance of success.

You know, many of our projects succeeded, but not all of them. And we would occasionally have an after-action review. Those weren't exciting things to do because we were pretty disgruntled. At one point I said, why don't we do this at the very beginning? Why don't we imagine that it fails?

You know, many of our projects succeeded, but not all of them. And we would occasionally have an after-action review. Those weren't exciting things to do because we were pretty disgruntled. At one point I said, why don't we do this at the very beginning? Why don't we imagine that it fails?

You know, many of our projects succeeded, but not all of them. And we would occasionally have an after-action review. Those weren't exciting things to do because we were pretty disgruntled. At one point I said, why don't we do this at the very beginning? Why don't we imagine that it fails?

Often in organizations, if you have like a kickoff meeting, there'll be a part where they say, all right, now, does anybody have any concerns? Are there any critiques? Does anybody see any problems? And nobody says anything, either because they don't want to disrupt the harmony of the team or because they're not thinking that anything could go wrong because they're excited to get started.

Often in organizations, if you have like a kickoff meeting, there'll be a part where they say, all right, now, does anybody have any concerns? Are there any critiques? Does anybody see any problems? And nobody says anything, either because they don't want to disrupt the harmony of the team or because they're not thinking that anything could go wrong because they're excited to get started.

Often in organizations, if you have like a kickoff meeting, there'll be a part where they say, all right, now, does anybody have any concerns? Are there any critiques? Does anybody see any problems? And nobody says anything, either because they don't want to disrupt the harmony of the team or because they're not thinking that anything could go wrong because they're excited to get started.

So to break through that mindset, I developed this technique of a premortem, and at the end of a kickoff meeting, we say, all right, imagine that I'm looking at a crystal ball. I'm dialing forward six months, maybe a year, whatever the right time frame is, and oh, no. This project has failed. It's failed in a big way. We know that. There is no doubt. This crystal ball is infallible.

So to break through that mindset, I developed this technique of a premortem, and at the end of a kickoff meeting, we say, all right, imagine that I'm looking at a crystal ball. I'm dialing forward six months, maybe a year, whatever the right time frame is, and oh, no. This project has failed. It's failed in a big way. We know that. There is no doubt. This crystal ball is infallible.