Permission to be pessimistic

Most culture change initiatives are an exercise in optimism with people talking about ‘transformation’ and ‘what’s possible’. Nobody wants to be the person who says things won't work as we think, so nobody does.

This is why I like Gary Klein's premortem process, because it makes it safe to be pessimistic. 

Before you start, tell the team the initiative has already failed, then ask them to write down why. It turns potential dissent into an assignment, so the person with the nagging doubt has permission to share it.

I've run versions of this for years. It's the cheapest risk register you'll ever write, and the most honest.

(Great resources available for this exercise from Atlassian here - https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/pre-mortem)

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