Avoid false starts with premortems and, when needed, start together

The best time to learn from mistakes is before you make them. A premortem forces that moment. Gather the team and say, “It’s next year, and this failed. What happened?” People will name fuzzy scope, missing skills, unclear ownership, weak support, or unrealistic timelines. That list is gold. Flip each risk into a safeguard or an early warning. Assign owners and dates so it sticks.

Plans still wobble, so build resets in advance. Choose two or three meaningful dates to reframe the work and pivot early if needed. It’s easier to improve a plan in month two than to rescue it in month twelve. Fresh starts aren’t just for habits; they’re for teams too.

Sometimes the start line is crooked. If people begin with fewer resources, weaker networks, or unclear rules, talent alone won’t save them. Starting together helps. Onboarding, mentoring, checklists, and early coaching create fairer conditions. A new grad on a shaky economy or a student in a tough class does better when a support team shows up on day one. I might be wrong, but this is more than kind, it’s efficient.

Run a premortem, plan fresh starts, and, when needed, start together. You’ll avoid common potholes, pivot without drama, and carry more people across the first mile intact. Good beginnings don’t guarantee good endings, but they make them far more likely.

Before kickoff, hold a 30‑minute premortem and list the top five reasons this could fail, then turn each into a safeguard with an owner and a date. Schedule two fresh‑start checkpoints on meaningful dates to pivot early if needed. If the start conditions look uneven, add onboarding, mentoring, and shared tools so nobody starts alone. Put the premortem list next to the plan and revisit it at your midpoint review. Do the premortem this week while optimism is high and changes are cheap.