Enhancing Projects through Post-Mortem Meetings

Aug 26, 2024

Lecture Notes: Project Post-Mortem Meetings

Importance of Post-Mortem Meetings

  • Objective: Evaluate project execution to improve future projects.
  • Post-Pandemic Challenges:
    • Changing team configurations
    • Increased reliance on virtual communication
  • Purpose:
    • Celebrate successes
    • Identify areas for improvement
    • Enhance project workflow and team collaboration

Conducting a Post-Mortem Meeting

  • Timing: Held at the end of a project.
  • Participants:
    • All team members involved in different project aspects, including those from initial discovery
    • Management stakeholders
    • Possibly contractors and sales team for scope-related issues
  • Duration: 45-50 minutes recommended
  • Benefits:
    • Reflect on and appreciate work accomplished
    • Boost team morale
    • Learn better collaboration practices
    • Share different perspectives

Differences Between Post-Mortem and Retrospective

  • Post-Mortem:
    • Occurs after project completion
    • Includes all project team members and stakeholders
    • Focuses on overall project insights
  • Retrospective:
    • Occurs at the end of each sprint/iteration
    • Focuses on current sprint insights

Preparing for a Post-Mortem Meeting

  • Preparation Tips:
    • Conduct quickly after project wrap-up
    • Send agenda and attendee list beforehand
    • Brief project recap so everyone is aligned
  • Motivating Participation:
    • Survey team before meeting
    • Schedule prep time in attendees' calendars

Running the Meeting

  • Moderator's Role:
    • Keep meeting on track
    • Engage participants
    • Facilitate constructive discussion
  • Meeting Focus:
    • Identify project wins and challenges
    • Brainstorm solutions
  • Add Fun: Consider new formats like a team-building activity if morale is low

Using Tools for Post-Mortem Meetings

  • Collaborative Boards:
    • Use apps like Fig Jam or TeamGantt for visual feedback
    • Organize comments by priority

Creating a Post-Mortem Report

  • Report Elements:
    • Project basics: name, dates, attendees
    • Opportunities for improvement
    • Actionable solutions and responsible persons
    • Relevant project context
  • Purpose:
    • Document and share findings
    • Facilitate organizational process improvement

Conclusion

  • Summary: Post-mortem meetings and reports foster continuous improvement.
  • Tools: TeamGantt offers features for managing post-mortem insights and actions.
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