Pre-Mortem Workshop • WorkshopBank
Free WorkshopsNewsletterPricing Request DemoSign in Open Menu Close menu Free WorkshopsNewsletterPricing Request DemoSign in Pre-Mortem A Pre-Mortem is a structured exercise where you ask a group to imagine that a project, plan, or initiative has already failed, then work backwards to figure out what went wrong.
How to run it
- Step 1. Set The Scene And Create Safety (10 minutes)
- Free WorkshopsNewsletterPricing Request DemoSign in Open Menu Close menu Free WorkshopsNewsletterPricing Request DemoSign in Pre-Mortem A Pre-Mortem is a structured exercise where you ask a group to imagine that a project, plan, or initiative has already failed, then work backwards to figure out what went wrong.
- Instead of the usual optimism that surrounds planning, you flip the script and give people explicit permission to think about failure.
- 60 minutes 4-20 people intermediate Get Full AccessSee What's Included ✓ Created by former KPMG & McKinsey consultants !
- You treat the failure as if it has already happened and use the insights to improve the plan now.
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Prompts to use +
Step 1. Set The Scene And Create Safety (10 minutes)
Free WorkshopsNewsletterPricing Request DemoSign in Open Menu Close menu Free WorkshopsNewsletterPricing Request DemoSign in Pre-Mortem A Pre-Mortem is a structured exercise where you ask a group to imagine that a project, plan, or initiative has already failed, then work backwards to figure out what went wrong.
Instead of the usual optimism that surrounds planning, you flip the script and give people explicit permission to think about failure.
60 minutes 4-20 people intermediate Get Full AccessSee What's Included ✓ Created by former KPMG & McKinsey consultants !
You treat the failure as if it has already happened and use the insights to improve the plan now.
Run this with your AI assistant +
Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.
Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Pre-Mortem Workshop • WorkshopBank. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Step 1. Set The Scene And Create Safety (10 minutes); Free WorkshopsNewsletterPricing Request DemoSign in Open Menu Close menu Free WorkshopsNewsletterPricing Request DemoSign in Pre-Mortem A Pre-Mortem is a structured exercise where you ask a group to imagine that a project, plan, or initiative has already failed, then work backwards to figure out what went wrong.; Instead of the usual optimism that surrounds planning, you flip the script and give people explicit permission to think about failure.; 60 minutes 4-20 people intermediate Get Full AccessSee What's Included ✓ Created by former KPMG & McKinsey consultants !. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from WorkshopBank; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including WorkshopBank.)
- What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
- No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
- Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.