Prepare for your future!

The last blog I wrote was about learning and I mentioned about a tool I once learned and now use with my clients.

I learned something quite a while ago, now:  it’s called a pre-mortem or “prospective hindsight”.  The idea is to see something in the future, a project, a business idea, a transition, a new relationship, … and then think about think about two things. 

·      In two years’ time what might have caused the demise of the, let’s say business idea, to fail and

·      What might have cause it to succeed. 

If it is for work, and you have it, put a team on each question and let them brainstorm (or journal if you are alone, or talk with your coach, if you have one). 

You can then report back to the whole group (or your coach if you are journaling) and hopefully find even more reasons for demise and/or success of the idea. After all, two (pr more) heads are truly better than one!

What the experts say:  According to the Harvard Business Review, “Although many project teams engage in prelaunch risk analysis, the pre-mortem’s prospective hindsight approach offers benefits that other methods don’t. Indeed, the pre-mortem doesn’t just help teams to identify potential problems early on. It also reduces the kind of damn-the-torpedoes attitude often assumed by people who are overinvested in a project.” https://hbr.org/2007/09/performing-a-project-premortem

So how can you apply this in your life? 

Think of something new you want to begin - a hobby, a project, a new job, whatever. 

Then sit down with a coach or a trusted friend and think about all the things that might cause this thing to fail. 

Write it down. 

Then talk about all the things that might cause the thing to succeed and write that down, too. 

Then pick a few things on each list to work on that seem like deal breakers.

I have done this with clients and one comes to my memory immediately: a client was worried about an upcoming meeting so we did a premortem. She did the work and reported back that the meeting went the way she had hoped and now she employs this practice for almost everything new.

Let’s start with you:

So, you want to start a business (for example). 

You have all the finances in place, the idea and business plan down and you want “just do it”.  I suggest you do a pre-mortem first, and this time with a qualified (certified) coach, not your spouse or best friend.  You may find that it is too early to start, or you may find a serious flaw in your plan.  Or you may find two or three things to focus on that will prevent your start-up from failing, but keep on going forward.

Is there Something Else you want to do?

So, you don’t want to start a business?  You can still use this model for about anything new.  Why not try it out now?  I think I will do it myself with my upcoming transition(s).

Tell me if you tried it and tell me if it worked for you.

Have a great week!

Patricia Jehle               patricia@jehle-coaching.com