What is the best way to conduct a premortem analysis for your project's launch (and Template) |

Premortem analyses for your event can allow you to plan and tackle future challenges. How to conduct an exercise to prepare for a premortem in just 3 steps (plus a template).

TL;DR

Use a premortem analysis to predict the worst possible outcome and make plans for the most successful

Doing a preliminary analysis on your project could help you find lapses in your launch plan prior to them causing real-world issues. Take these steps to test your own at it:

• Set aside time with your team or friends that are acquainted with the project. If you're a solo creator, you can also perform this task on your own.
• Imagine several worst-case scenarios where your project was a failure.
• Define each situation in terms of the things that went wrong.
• For each thing that could happen, list things you could do now to avoid it occurring.
• Use your premortem analysis to guide your decision-making process and adjust your project plan in line with your findings.

It was supposed to be exciting, but instead the chaos is total. If only you had a crystal ball to see into the future to ensure you could prevent these problems in the in the bud.

With a premortem analysis You can.

Premortems are tools that help you anticipate issues which could arise in the near future, allowing the time needed to address problems before they arise.

In this article we'll look at the concept of premortems and why it's beneficial, and also how to perform an analysis of a premortem in just three easy steps. Additionally, we've provided an example of a premortem that you can start immediately.

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What is a premortem?

A premortem is an approach used by project creators to discover the potential dangers and issues with projects before they begin. The framework for premortems is associated with the cognitive psychologist Gary Klein , and it uses a concept called prospective hindsight.

prospective Hindsight is the act of pretending that you're looking into the future and back at past events. It's a means of getting insights into your current situation through looking at the situation from a different perspective.

A study from 1989 revealed that when participants were able to predict events with confidence (i.e., "this thing occurred" as opposed to "this event could happen") It was much easier to develop explanations for what happened.

When you do a premortem, you'll imagine that it's the future, and your project has been a total flop. You think about specific things that went wrong, assuming there is a 100% certainty that the plan failed.

Then, you'll be able to create a strategy to deal with any issues that could arise prior to beginning your project.

It's simple to determine what went wrong after the fact, but this information isn't nearly as helpful. It's possible to blame it on a major technological glitch, schedule delays, or an insufficient budget once the project has been completed, but this doesn't change the final outcome.

Premortems, in contrast it gives you the chance to travel to the future to reflect on the issues you face, and then return to the present and then solve the issues.

Do you need to do a premortem analysis before launching your product?

In the past few years we, along with a colleague started an online podcast. We were bursting with excitement. We were enthralled by interviewing guests, and brainstorming ideas for fun ideas. We both thought that this would be our life's work.

However, we ended up only publishing a handful of episodes after the project had slowed. When you look back you can easily understand why.

None of us had done a podcast before and it took a considerable more time than we anticipated. Editing the episodes was a long process, and we didn't have enough time to spare.

If we'd done some pre-mortems, our podcast might have had a different fate.

If we had identified creation time as an obstacle at the outset, we could have preemptively solved this issue through recording shorter episodes, creating large quantities of content, locating more efficient editing tools and making the structure of episodes simpler.

In his Harvard Business Review article, Klein shares an example when, in a postmortem, a senior executive made the suggestion that a project failed because of time constraints. This led the company to examine the actual project timetable and implement changes.

That's the appeal of the premortem risk assessment tool: it allows you to slow down, examine your weak points and then address them prior to charging full steam ahead.

Here's why you should do the premortem before you launch your product

Your assumptions will be challenged and your perspectives

When you begin a new project, you're confident and excited. This is normal. In fact, you shouldn't start an endeavor if you are worried that it will fail.

However, sometimes passion may translate into overconfidence, that can cause us to miss red flags . Imagining the worst in the premortem helps us think through things using an objective lens.

As humans are, we often assume that our view is wider as it isn't.

If, for instance, I myself am a fan of courses on productivity, I might believe that my readers feel similarly. If I am on Facebook more frequently than Instagram I could assume that my friends behave in similarly.

This phenomenon is known by the false consensus effect  This phenomenon can cause chaos to product launches.

Doing a premortem analysis before you go on your first flight can assist in identifying potentially harmful assumptions and perspectives such as:

Since I believe there's a demand for this product, customers will line up around the block to buy the item.

I'm not one who enjoys using social media, so I'm not planning to share information about my new products once I launch them.

I'm really excited over this project that I'll be working at it all night and complete it by a tight deadline.

Assuming the worst forces you to set aside the assumptions that you have about yourself and your perspective. This will help you understand the real issues that might be preventing you from progressing. When you are aware of the root of these issues, you can take active measures to get rid of them.

It's fun and exciting brainstorming

It's not fun when you have to pour rain on the parade. Being positive and helpful of a task could cause your team members and loved relatives much less inclined to bring up difficulties that you have planned.

But in a premortem exercise it's a good idea to imagine the worst. It's enjoyable and can be constructive. If you're the team's leader the structure will allow members to offer valuable feedback without worrying about the negative feedback, hurt feelings, or being perceived as dull.

Similar to this, one study found that nearly half of employees have suggestions for how to make their work better. Yet the majority of workers feel that their suggestions aren't being considered.

Naturally, the majority of independent creators don't employ employees However, there's a possibility you know someone who could have some insights that they've not discussed with you.

And if you're doing the exercise by yourself You can be creative by playing the devil's advocate.

Premortem is a setting where everyone is invited to collaborate to solve issues in a way that feels positive, not a negative.

In simple terms, if you begin a new venture Your team members or supporters want you to succeed. They might not want to draw attention to potential disadvantages or shortcomings since this could be perceived as disrespectful.

But the premortem technique provides them with a platform to discuss these inconsistencies, which allows you to make better decisions.

Be prepared for any eventuality is empowering

If you're an individual designer or leader of a highly-powered team, you're bound to be anxious prior to an important product launch.

You've put your time and money in this endeavor. You believe wholeheartedly in what you're doing. You wish everything would go smoothly. But it's normal for those little doubts to sneak in. What happens if this was an enormous fail?

One benefit of a premortem is that you'll be more prepared since at the conclusion, you will have already sketched out a number of worst-case scenarios and made an outline of how to handle them should they come true.

Armed with this knowledge, you're less likely to be surprised on launch day. If anything unpleasant does occur, you'll know how to mitigate the damage without fear.

Up next, grab an espresso. This is where we'll discuss the specifics of what went wrong in your upcoming failed product launch, and we're even going to have fun doing it.

How do you perform the premortem exercise in just 3 steps

In this part we'll explore the steps to perform an exercise that will help you think about your premortem with three easy steps, so you're able to launch with success and help more people grow beautiful new plants.

Premortems should take place in the early stages of the process to create your product. This gives you more time to work on issues and helps you develop an effective launch strategy from the start.

However, if you've already begun developing your product, no worries. Make sure to conduct your premortem analysis within a minimum of a month prior launch, and you'll be ready to go.

If you'd like to go the process, we've included an exercise for premortem available for download . I'll show you exactly how to use it later in this section.

Step 1: Identify potential difficulties

To do a good postmortem, the first thing you'll need to accomplish is to reserve around 30 minutes of uninterrupted thinking time.

If you have a project team, gather your collaborators, employees, or stakeholders.

If you're a solo creator, you can do this work on your own, or bring in some friends, mentors, or loved ones who know what you've been creating.

Having a group is a great way to gain different perspectives. However, doing it independently can also provide great value.

First, review your ideal project plan. If you're working with a group, let them be aware of the actions you're preparing to follow and what the expected outcomes that would make the plan productive.

If you're going through your postmortem alone, you can review your big-picture launch goals and the steps you'll take to reach them.

Then, all involved must consider the possibility that the launch didn't go as planned. Imagine all of the worst-case scenarios in as much detail as you are able to.

Put a timer on for fifteen minutes. Then, write down any incident that comes to your mind. No need to self-edit in this instance. Let the ideas flow as they come up.

You can do this exercise on a whiteboard, in a notebook, or in a shared online document if you're in a team. It is best to think of at most five or ten situations that could arise and describe the problem in detail.

Here are some examples to assist you in getting started:

Your work was put off for months because things got busy at your full-time work. You never launched anything or even thought about it, so your enthusiasm about the project waned.

The day before the launch event the day before, you were logged off of your Instagram account because of suspicious activities which meant you weren't able to conduct one of your promotions.

The course was promoted, and not a single individual commented or liked your announcement. Crickets.

The first person who bought your course emailed you an angry email demanding the refund of their purchase, claiming it was the most awful course they've ever bought.

If you've come across some scary scenarios that could make your launch a disaster Let's break them down to what actually was wrong. These are the more common issues that could impact any project.

Things like delays, unreasonable scheduling, blowing the budget, not having enough external assistance, not completing crucial tasks, or technical problems are all aspects to take into consideration .

Below is a way to break into the above scenarios:

Your audience is unresponsive or not enthusiastic about your product.

Unsatisfied customers complain about the product

While it's not as gruesome as it could seem to be discussing your fascinating launch like this, I encourage you to enjoy it. Consider what crazy possibilities could cause your launch to go fully out of the park.

The more creative you get, the more you might be able to learn.

Step 2: Find ways to solve the problem

Next step is identify solutions. For each project risk you identified in step one consider the next actions you can take to stop it from occurring in the real world.

Of course, you can solve problems that appear unlikely. If the idea of a meteorite crashing through your office is a bit far-fetched, no need to make an answer for it at the present stage.

Here are some instances of the real problems you may encounter and solutions.

An uninterested public: The gathering of feedback from the audience in the planning phase of a product will result in enthusiastic customers afterward.

If you're aware of what problems you might have to face, you're now ready to fix them.

Step 3: Take preventative measures

It's been a while since you thought about all the possible issues and solutions. The last step of the premortem process is to adjust your strategy to incorporate these new details.

Here are some things you should think about:

Calendars: Look at your schedule and adjust to the timing of your launch if you're excessively optimistic. Be sure to account for the holidays and other vacations to ensure you don't have to launch in a day when many people are offline (i.e., Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Eve).

Technology: Do you have the appropriate tools to get work done within the timeline you desire? Do your tools work consistently?

Public: Revisit your plan to advertise your product to your target audience. Are you posting enough in the lead up to the time of your launch? It might be time to begin expanding your list of email subscribers or posting valuable blog content to build authority and trust.

Marketing: Think about expanding your strategies to look into new channels. If you're already a part of an existing audience and you want to know which platform they most frequently use could be a great place to begin.

In case you want to learn more about how to design a powerful launch strategy, join our email list to receive useful content straight to your inbox.

Premortem template

As as promised, here's your very own premortem exercise template which you can use for this exercise to be run prior to your new product goes on sale.

To use this template Begin by writing your dream project outline on column A. Determine what success for your project looks like and your proposed plan to achieve it.

In column B, suppose that the project has been unsuccessful. Note down a few scenarios that might have contributed to the failure.

Column C: break down each scenario into specific things that went wrong.

In column D, you should write the solution you think will prevent every possibility from occurring.

In column E, determine what actions you must do to avoid catastrophe and ensure a successful launch for your new product.

If you do your own premortem workout, you'll be prepared to face whatever launch day can throw at you.

Although it's not fun to think about a project failing Premortems can provide valuable information to realize flaws in your plan before it's late. Make use of this method to benefit yourself for a future of problem-free, glorious launches.

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