Focusing on data collection alone can create an illusion of control while ignoring deeper issues. While gathering data is necessary, over-reliance on it might blind you to the qualitative aspects of the failure. Henry Ford once said, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Sometimes, the most crucial insights come from intuition and unconventional thinking. Balance your data analysis with creative problem-solving to uncover the real reasons behind the failure.

Sure, try focusing on the timeline and relate every data point you find to the timeline. Make sure to stay objective and aim for a blameless post-mortem.

To conduct a post-mortem analysis of a failed business strategy effectively, gather your team and review the objectives and outcomes. Identify key factors that contributed to the failure, including internal and external influences. Encourage open and honest feedback to understand different perspectives. Document lessons learned and pinpoint actionable insights to avoid repeating mistakes. Finally, develop a plan to implement these insights in future strategies, ensuring continuous improvement and resilience in your business approach.

Gathering data can provide a holistic view of what went wrong and guide the formulation of corrective actions and strategic planning for future business endeavors. We learn from our mistakes.

Begin by assembling a diverse team involved in the project to ensure multiple perspectives. Set a constructive tone by emphasizing the goal of learning rather than assigning blame. Conduct a detailed review of the strategy, comparing initial objectives with actual outcomes. Identify key factors that contributed to the failure, such as market conditions, internal processes, or resource allocation. Analyze data and feedback to uncover patterns and root causes. Document these findings comprehensively and develop actionable recommendations to address the identified issues. By systematically dissecting the failure, you can derive valuable insights that inform future strategies.

Try to stick to the facts and revert to it every time you loose focus. The timeline is your friend. You should try to plot everything you know against it.

Start by fostering an open, blame-free environment where everyone feels safe to share honest feedback. Clearly communicate the purpose of the analysis—to learn and improve rather than to assign fault. Involve team members early in the process by asking for their insights and observations, which helps in building ownership and accountability. Encourage active participation through collaborative discussions and brainstorming sessions, ensuring that every voice is heard. Recognize and value contributions to boost morale and collective problem-solving.

Then why the team was not involved in the beginning to share their perspective and be able to be encouraged as well as to have an honest communication to avoid (what went wrong) ??

Identifying lessons is often where teams stop, but the real challenge is applying these lessons consistently. It's easy to document lessons learned, but harder to integrate them into the company's DNA. Jeffrey Gitomer, in The Sales Bible, emphasizes, "People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy." Similarly, lessons need to be 'bought' into by the entire organization, not just 'sold' through a document. Embed these lessons into your processes and culture for true organizational growth.

Failure analysis often misses the emotional and psychological toll on the team. Beyond processes and strategies, consider the human element—morale, motivation, and mental health. As Og Mandino said in The Greatest Salesman in the World, "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." Support your team emotionally as well as strategically to build resilience and drive future success.

Make sure you document the case, results, measures taken in a place where every part of the organization can search and learn from it. Stick to blameless post-mortem. There is no single person who is responsible. How can you learn from the case and improve ways of working? "5 Why?" is a great tool for getting to the bottom of each case and "how" helps to get back to actions. Follow up on the actionable items on a regular basis.