Important decision Quote by Daniel Kahneman
““He labels his proposal the premortem. The procedure is simple: when the organization has almost come to an important decision but has not formally committed itself, Klein proposes gathering for a brief session a group of individuals who are knowledgeable about the decision. The premise of the session is a short speech: “Imagine that we are a year into the future. We implemented the plan as it now exists. The outcome was a disaster. Please take 5 to 10 minutes to write a brief history of that disaster.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Thinking, Fast and Slow, 2011
A premortem asks a team to imagine future failure to uncover hidden risks before committing to a decision.
In simple terms: Imagine failure to spot problems early.
Key Takeaway
Use premortem to improve decision safety.
Themes
risk management
decision making
foresight
team dynamics
Mood
analytical
cautious
Type
strategic
practical
When to use this quote
- project planning
- product launches
- strategic meetings
- policy design
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
scenario planning
Questions to Reflect On
- What worst‑case outcomes could you anticipate?
- How would you turn identified risks into action items?
A Different Perspective
It may foster pessimism or paralysis if not balanced with optimism.
