MOVE 90 · EXIT & RECOVERY · FREE
Run the Post-Mortem
After any significant negotiation or conflict, review what happened, what worked and what you would change, so each experience improves the next.
Experience only becomes judgement when you stop to examine it.
WHY IT WORKS
Most people move on quickly after a difficult situation and repeat the same mistakes. A short, honest review — facts, what you did, what you would change — converts experience into skill. Over time it reveals your personal patterns, which is the most useful insight of all.
WHEN TO USE IT
- A negotiation, conflict or major conversation has concluded.
- The outcome was surprising, good or bad.
WHEN NOT TO USE IT
- You are still too upset to review it fairly; wait a few days.
- The review would turn into self-criticism without learning.
SIGNALS IT FITS
- You keep facing similar situations with similar outcomes.
- You cannot say what you would do differently.
PREPARATION
- Set aside 20 minutes within a week of the event.
- Gather notes, recaps and messages.
STEP BY STEP
- Write what happened in facts.
- Note what worked.
- Note one or two things you would change.
- Record the lesson where you will see it before the next similar situation.
OPENING LINE
“Let me take twenty minutes to look back on how that went.”
SCRIPT
Post-mortem: I anchored well and held my number. I conceded on the timeline too early. Next time, I'll trade timeline for payment terms.
LIKELY RESPONSES & COUNTERS
- If they join a shared review
- Focus on the process, not blame, so people speak openly.
- If they decline a shared review
- Do it privately; the learning is still valuable.
SECOND MOVE
Use the lesson to prepare with Define Success Before You Start next time.
FOLLOW-UP
Review your post-mortem notes every few months for patterns.
COMMON MISTAKES
- Only reviewing failures.
- Writing vague lessons like 'be better prepared'.
WALK-AWAY CONDITIONS
- Not applicable: this Move is a learning practice rather than a negotiation.
EXAMPLE (FICTIONAL)
A sales manager began writing five-line post-mortems after each major deal. After three months she noticed she always conceded on payment terms first, changed her approach, and her average deal value rose.
ETHICAL BOUNDARY
Keep shared reviews blame-free and protect confidential details when recording lessons.
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Content version 1 · Drafted by Power Move IQ Editorial · Not yet human-reviewed · Educational decision support, not legal, financial or employment advice.