Gary Klein Project Premortem Review

A project premortem review uses prospective hindsight to identify hidden risks before a project begins. Designed by cognitive psychologist Gary Klein, this session guides teams to imagine failure and fix flaws early.

5 time blocks, 55 minutes in total.

Time blocks

Team Framing and Hypothetical Failure: 5 min
State that the project has failed spectacularly months in the future
Solitary Cause Generation: 10 min
Write down every possible reason for the hypothetical collapse
Round Robin Risk Harvest: 15 min
Go around the table sharing one distinct reason per person
Risk Clustering and Impact Analysis: 10 min
Group similar failure causes and identify critical vulnerabilities
Preventive Action Plan Draft: 15 min
Develop practical measures to update the project plan right now

About this routine

Cognitive psychologist Gary Klein developed the premortem technique as an alternative to traditional postmortems. While a postmortem examines why a project failed after the damage is done, a project premortem review takes place before launch. By telling team members that the initiative has already failed spectacularly in the future, the session breaks groupthink and encourages honest feedback.

Research in decision making shows that prospective hindsight increases the ability to identify causes of future outcomes by thirty percent. When people assume a project is already dead, they overcome the social pressure to stay silent about obvious flaws. Team members write down their concerns independently before sharing them round robin style.

The final phase converts imagined vulnerabilities into concrete preventative measures. Instead of dwelling on pessimism, the team uses the insights to strengthen project architecture, clear resource bottlenecks, and assign accountability before spending any budget.

Why this routine works

Uncovers hidden risks before project execution begins
Overcomes groupthink and team optimism bias
Encourages candid feedback without interpersonal friction
Provides actionable mitigations to update current project plans

FAQ

What is a Gary Klein premortem review?

A premortem review is a session developed by cognitive psychologist Gary Klein where team members assume a project has failed before it starts, allowing them to identify vulnerabilities early.

How does a premortem differ from a postmortem?

A postmortem analyzes mistakes after a project finishes, whereas a premortem imagines failure before launch so the team can prevent mistakes from happening.

How long does a Gary Klein premortem take?

A standard project premortem review takes 55 minutes, covering failure brainstorming, risk harvesting, and mitigation planning.

Sources

Performing a Project Premortem, Harvard Business Review (Gary Klein)