How To Conduct a Project Post Mortem

I got a bad haircut yesterday. As I am suffering through the after-effects, I find myself going through the same post mortem analysis that we use with our clients. Here’s an example of the steps I went through to try to learn from this experience.

Analysis: Project Haircut

Step 1) Identify real and hidden objectives for project, including all stakeholders in this investigation. Evaluate outcome against objectives.

Published Objective: shorter hair
Result: Success!

Stated Objective: Hair that is (1) shorter and (2) flattering, (3) in a short time and (4) at a low cost.
Result: 2 of 4 goals achieved. Marginal success.

Unstated Objective: Happy girl.
Result: Failure

Step 2) Admit failure.

Step 3) Review events and decisions.

Decision: go to cut-rate walk-in shop for haircut
Event: failure to clearly articulate desired hair style (due to insufficient prep)
Event: during haircut, constant oversight and revising of instructions in a desperate effort to undo the blunder of failing to provide good instructions in advance
Decision: not to state dissatisfaction with outcome

Step 4) Assess cost of failure: embarrassment and frustration (high cost)

Step 5) Identify lessons learned.

Time and cost are important, but when they become all-important, you get something much more costly.

Step 6) Communicate and apply lessons learned.

Train your managers to take their teams through these same steps at the end of every project. The team members will appreciate it, IF failure is viewed as a learning opportunity instead of a reason for punishment.

Too many project teams are praised for success when they know they failed to meet the objectives of the project. This insults their intelligence and eliminates their ability to take pride in their work when it is deserved. Praise should be given, but only for real accomplishment.

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