Usually they are half-day to day-long sessions, depending on the complexity of the project. And they are done after the decision is made to proceed with project. Premortems are not designed to change the decision about whether to do the project but to mitigate risk factors. That changes the incentives for people. The basic format is listing the... See more
"When I was a brand-new lieutenant, I asked my father, “How would I know if somebody that I worked for or worked for me was going to be a good commander in combat? ... How would you tell in peacetime?” He says, “You won’t. You won’t know because people have capabilities or coping mechanisms that in peacetime look fine, that doesn’t play well in... See more