Planning your departure from a team is rarely comfortable, but it doesn’t have to be traumatic. After witnessing the emotional and operational chaos that often follows when colleagues leave, I decided to try something different: conducting my own “peri-mortem” meeting while I was still there to help solve the problems my departure would create.
What is a Peri-Mortem?
A peri-mortem is a proactive meeting where the team imagines that an undesired future state has already occurred and works backwards to identify what problems led to that outcome. Unlike a traditional post-mortem (conducted after something has gone wrong), a peri-mortem allows you to surface and solve potential issues before they actually occur. In this case, we’re applying the technique to the challenges of operating with reduced team capacity due to departures.
Key Benefits:
- Surfaces hidden knowledge and responsibilities
- Reduces team anxiety through proactive planning
- Creates actionable transition roadmaps
- Minimizes business disruption
- Strengthens team resilience
Planning the Peri-Mortem Meeting
Essential Agenda Items
Structure your peri-mortem around these four critical questions:
- Role Inventory: What does the departing person actually do on the team?
- Impact Assessment: Which skills or roles are most critical to maintain?
- Replacement Profile: What would the ideal replacement look like?
- Stress Mitigation: What other challenges will the departure create, and how can we address them?
Meeting Guidelines
- Duration: 2-3 hours for thorough discussion
- Facilitator: Ideally someone other than the departing person
- Participants: Core team members plus key stakeholders
- Documentation: Assign someone to capture insights and action items
The Peri-Mortem Process
Step 1: Role Discovery Exercise
Begin with a collaborative brainstorming session where team members identify all the responsibilities, both visible and invisible, that the departing person handles.
Facilitation Tips:
- Have the departing person remain silent during initial brainstorming
- Use sticky notes or digital collaboration tools
- Group similar items together
- Don’t edit or judge suggestions initially
Common Hidden Roles That Emerge:
- Informal mentoring and knowledge sharing
- Cross-team relationship management
- Process improvements and innovation
- Cultural maintenance and team morale
- Specialized technical knowledge or domain expertise
Step 2: Prioritize Critical Functions
Not every responsibility needs immediate replacement. Work together to identify which functions are:
- Mission-critical: Must be covered immediately
- Important: Should be addressed within 30-60 days
- Nice-to-have: Can be redistributed or eliminated
Step 3: Define the Ideal Replacement
Create a comprehensive profile of what you’re looking for, including:
Technical Skills:
- Required technical competencies
- Preferred certifications or experience levels
- Tool-specific knowledge
Soft Skills:
- Communication style that fits the team
- Learning orientation and adaptability
- Cultural fit indicators
Growth Potential:
- Areas where the role could evolve
- Opportunities for the person to expand the position
Step 4: Address Broader Stressors
Departures create ripple effects beyond just the immediate role gap. Discuss:
- Team morale concerns
- Workload redistribution challenges
- Client or stakeholder relationship impacts
- Timeline and deadline implications
- Budget considerations for hiring and training
Understanding Change Dynamics
The Satir Change Model in Team Transitions
Virginia Satir’s Change Model helps frame what teams experience during transitions:
- Late Status Quo: Current state with the departing person
- Resistance: Initial reaction to announced departure
- Chaos: Period of adjustment and uncertainty
- Integration: Team adapts and finds new rhythms
- New Status Quo: Stabilized state with new structure
Understanding this model helps teams:
- Normalize the discomfort of transition periods
- Plan support during the chaos phase
- Set realistic expectations for stabilization
Creating Your Action Plan
Immediate Actions (First 30 Days)
- Knowledge transfer sessions with documented outcomes
- Shadow rotations for critical responsibilities
- Stakeholder notifications with transition timelines
- Process documentation for key workflows
Medium-term Actions (30-90 Days)
- Recruitment strategy with defined timeline
- Interim coverage plans for critical functions
- Team restructuring if needed
- Tool or system access transitions
Long-term Considerations (90+ Days)
- New hire onboarding and integration planning
- Process improvements based on transition learnings
- Team development to build resilience
- Knowledge management system enhancements
Measuring Success
Key Indicators of Effective Peri-Mortem Planning
- Reduced time-to-productivity for replacement hires
- Minimal service disruption during transition periods
- Maintained team morale throughout the change
- Improved knowledge documentation as a lasting benefit
- Enhanced team adaptability for future changes
Final Reflections and Recommendations
The peri-mortem approach transformed what could have been a stressful departure into a collaborative planning exercise that ultimately strengthened the team.
Key Takeaways
- Surface the invisible: Teams often underestimate the full scope of someone’s contributions
- Plan proactively: Addressing concerns before they become problems reduces stress for everyone
- Create dialogue: Open discussions about change help teams process emotions constructively
- Build documentation: Use the departure as an opportunity to improve knowledge sharing
- Strengthen the team: Focus on how the transition can make the team more resilient
Recommended Frequency
Consider peri-mortem practices for:
- Planned departures (resignations, retirements, transfers)
- Extended leaves (parental leave, sabbaticals, medical leave)
- Role changes within the organization
- Project transitions where key contributors are moving on
The Leadership Opportunity
For managers and team leaders, facilitating peri-mortems demonstrates:
- Emotional intelligence in handling transitions
- Strategic thinking about team resilience
- Commitment to team development beyond immediate needs
- Investment in knowledge management and organizational learning
The best legacy you can leave is a team that’s stronger and more capable because of your time with them. The peri-mortem process helps your departure become a catalyst for growth rather than a source of disruption.