We all know about post-mortems; the project is done, the dust has settled, and it’s time to unpack what went wrong and what we’d do differently next time. But what if you flipped that script?
Enter the pre-mortem: a proactive, strategic exercise that helps teams identify risks before they become problems.
What is a Pre-Mortem?
A pre-mortem is a structured risk assessment session held just before a GoLive, product rollout, or major organizational change initiative. The idea is simple: Assume the project has failed and work backward to explore why. It invites your team (or cross-functional departments) to poke holes in the plan before reality does… leaving time to make changes.
Why It Matters
- Prevents avoidable failures. By asking, “What could go wrong?” you intentionally shift the team’s mindset from execution to critical foresight — fostering a culture of strategic thinking over blind optimism. Teams uncover blind spots they might have otherwise ignored.
- Surfaces quiet concerns. Some team members may hesitate to raise red flags during a fast-moving project. Pre-mortems democratize input, making it easier for every voice to contribute — especially from underrepresented roles like frontline implementers or support teams who often spot risk first.
- Aligns everyone on risk. It’s a rare chance to pause, zoom out, and recalibrate expectations around what may impede success.
- Builds team resilience. Discussing risks together builds psychological safety and primes the team to adapt quickly if issues do arise.
When to Do It
Conduct your pre-mortem once the launch or change management plan is 80–90% finalized — ideally 1–2 weeks before the GoLive. This ensures enough clarity to discuss risk realistically, but enough lead time to act.
Keep the session focused, cross-functional, and time-bound (60–90 minutes, max).
How to Run One
- Set the stage. “Imagine we’re 4 weeks post-launch, and the project has failed. What happened?”
- Brainstorm risks. Capture everything — technical issues, communication gaps, change management misses.
- Triage threats. Use voting or discussion to flag what’s most likely and most damaging.
- Create mitigation plans. Assign owners, document actions, and build risk responses into your GoLive plan.
- Document & revisit. Summarize key risks and mitigations in a shared document or risk register, and revisit it during and after the launch to reinforce accountability.
Bottom line
Pre-mortems aren’t about pessimism… they’re about preparation. If you want your team to be ready for the real world, give them time to imagine the worst, so you can build the best.
— Jeff(rey) Shapiro Vice President of Talent Strategy & Delivery
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Jeffrey Shapiro, Vice President of Talent Strategy & Delivery
Jeffrey Shapiro is an accomplished HR and Talent Acquisition leader with experience spanning hyper-growth startups, global corporations, agency recruiting, and consulting. He helps organizations design and scale talent strategies that attract, engage, and retain top talent. Known for a people-first, performance-minded approach, Jeff brings expertise in workforce planning, employer branding, and recruiting operations to innovative, high-performing organizations.