This week we’re considering rationales and strategies for reinvention. If you’re reinventing something, be sure to have pre-mortem.
Dr. Brené Brown has popularized the idea of a pre-mortem. She says, “A pre-mortem asks, ‘It’s a year from now and this project has gone to hell-what will we be talking about then and what’s keeping us from talking about that right now? Let’s dive in!'”
I love a good post-mortem after a big project. What went well? What could have gone better? Major growth in the future can’t happen without this reflection. But with a major reinvention, the post-mortem should be moved up front.
What will go well? What can fail? How will we measure success? What will it take for this reinvention to stick?
Taking the time for a pre-mortem will make your reinvention much more successful.