The terms "pre-mortem" and "post-mortem" are borrowed from the medical context (referring to before and after death, respectively) and applied to project management and other fields. In this context, a pre-mortem is a proactive risk assessment conducted before a project begins or reaches a crucial stage, while a post-mortem is a retrospective analysis performed after a project is completed to determine what went wrong (or right). They are distinctly different approaches to learning from potential or actual failures.
Pre-Mortem Analysis
A pre-mortem analysis is a strategic foresight exercise. It's a proactive attempt to identify potential problems before they occur. The team imagines that the project has already failed and then works backward to identify all the reasons why that failure might have happened.
- Purpose: To identify potential risks and weaknesses early in the project lifecycle.
- Timing: Conducted before the project starts or reaches a significant milestone.
- Focus: Proactive risk assessment and mitigation planning.
- Outcome: A list of potential problems and strategies to prevent them.
- Benefit: Reduces the likelihood of project failure by addressing potential issues in advance.
Example:
Imagine a software development project. A pre-mortem might reveal that key team members could be pulled onto other projects, the chosen technology might not scale as expected, or user adoption may be lower than anticipated. These potential problems can then be addressed before they derail the project.
Post-Mortem Analysis
A post-mortem analysis (also known as a retrospective) is a systematic examination of a completed project. It's a reactive approach to learn from both successes and failures. The team analyzes what went well, what went wrong, and identifies lessons learned to improve future projects.
- Purpose: To learn from past experiences, both positive and negative.
- Timing: Conducted after the project is completed (or after a significant incident).
- Focus: Retrospective analysis of successes, failures, and process improvements.
- Outcome: A list of lessons learned, action items for improvement, and best practices.
- Benefit: Enhances future project success by applying lessons learned from past experiences.
Example:
In the same software development project, a post-mortem might reveal that communication breakdowns led to delays, a particular technology choice proved to be a bottleneck, or a specific testing strategy was highly effective. These insights can then be used to improve processes for future projects.
Key Differences Summarized
| Feature | Pre-Mortem | Post-Mortem |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Before project start/significant milestone | After project completion/significant incident |
| Approach | Proactive | Reactive |
| Focus | Identifying potential problems and preventing them | Analyzing what went wrong (and right) & learning |
| Goal | Risk mitigation | Process improvement |
| Perspective | Imagining a future failure | Reflecting on a past project |
In essence, a pre-mortem anticipates potential problems, while a post-mortem analyzes actual ones. Both are valuable tools for improving project success, but they serve different purposes and are conducted at different stages.
