Silent Sabotage: Individual Failure Brainstorm

What participants gain

• Participants will identify at least 5 potential reasons for project failure.
• Participants will articulate concerns they might otherwise have kept silent.
• Participants will practice divergent thinking to expand their perspective on potential risks.

Materials needed

• Sticky notes (3x3 inch, multiple colors)
• Markers (thick, dark colors)
• Timer
• Whiteboard or large paper
• Pens/Pencils

How to run Silent Sabotage: Individual Failure Brainstorm, step by step

1. Introduce the pre-mortem concept and explain its purpose (5 min).
2. Explain the 'silent sabotage' activity and emphasize the importance of honest and open brainstorming (2 min).
3. Distribute sticky notes and markers to each participant (1 min).
4. Instruct participants to silently brainstorm all the reasons why the project might fail in six months, writing each reason on a separate sticky note (10 min).
5. Remind participants to focus on potential problems, not solutions (1 min).
6. Collect the sticky notes and prepare them for the next activity (1 min).
7. Create a collaborative spirit by emphasizing that this is a collective effort to identify and mitigate risks (2 min).
8. Ask participants to think about the worst-case scenario and how it could realistically unfold (2 min).

Facilitator tips

• Emphasize the 'no idea is too crazy' rule to encourage creative thinking.
• Remind participants to focus on potential problems, not solutions, at this stage.
• Use a timer to keep the brainstorming session focused and efficient.
• Create a judgment-free zone by reminding the team that the goal is to identify risks, not assign blame.
• Encourage participants to write only one idea per sticky note for easy sorting and clustering later.

Common challenges

• Participants struggle to think negatively: Remind them that this is a safe space to explore potential problems and that identifying risks is crucial for success.
• Participants offer solutions instead of identifying problems: Gently redirect them to focus on the 'why' the project might fail.
• Some participants dominate the brainstorming: Enforce the silent brainstorming rule to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute.
• Participants are hesitant to share concerns about leadership or resources: Remind them that anonymity is guaranteed and that all feedback is valuable.

Running it virtually

Use a virtual whiteboard tool like Miro or Mural. Create a dedicated space for each participant to add their virtual sticky notes anonymously.

Expected results

A collection of sticky notes representing a diverse range of potential failure scenarios. This collection will serve as the foundation for the subsequent risk assessment and mitigation planning activities.

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