A pre-mortem sounds like a grim consulting term, but the idea fits on a sticky note. Before something starts, you suppose it has already ended badly, and you list the reasons. That is all. For a Chennai trip, it means picturing yourself on the flight home, annoyed, and asking what went wrong. This article explains the technique in plain language and then applies it, point by point, to planning a visit to Chennai that does not unravel by Tuesday.<\/p>\n
When we plan, we lean optimistic. We assume the train is on time, the hotel is where the map says, and the weather behaves. Optimism is pleasant, but it hides the obvious problems because no one volunteers to be the spoilsport. A pre-mortem gives everyone permission to be realistic. Since the failure is pretend, naming the likely causes feels like a game rather than a complaint. The reasons you list are usually the ones that were already in the back of your mind.<\/p>\n
Take any piece of paper and write: “Our Chennai trip went badly because…” Then finish the sentence five or six ways. Typical endings for this city include: we were out in the midday heat and wilted; the rain wrecked our outdoor plans; we spent too much time getting across town; we left the beach for the last day and ran out of time; we never worked out how to get around. These are not unusual. They are the ordinary ways trips to a large, humid coastal city go sideways.<\/p>\n
Here is the practical part. Beside every cause, write the least expensive thing that would stop it.<\/p>\n
You do not need to start from nothing. Our piece on how many days to set aside for Chennai<\/a> helps with the time problem, and the walk-through of putting together a first visit to Chennai<\/a> covers the basics of arrival and getting your bearings. For ideas to fill the plan, browse enjoyable and memorable Chennai activities<\/a> and then trim the list to what fits your days. In a pre-mortem, trimming is a feature, not a loss.<\/p>\n Coastal heritage sites south of the city, including the famous shore temples at Mahabalipuram, make a popular excursion. Ask the pre-mortem way round: suppose the excursion fell flat. Why? Perhaps the road was slow, you arrived exhausted, or the weather turned. Decide in advance that the trip is optional. If the morning goes badly, you drop it without guilt and have a pleasant afternoon in town instead. Plans with a built-in exit tend to be more enjoyable because nobody feels trapped by them.<\/p>\nStep four: plan the day trip like it might not happen<\/h2>\n
Step five: borrow a habit from software teams<\/h2>\n