Kickoff Meetings | Be a Leader, Not a Holder

The charter or contract will be your first source of information regarding each of the following project management areas: scope, schedule, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk, procurements, and stakeholders.

Use the information you find in the charter or contract to begin building basic planning documents. At this point, they should be high-level, preliminary documents that will become part of your project management plan.

For example, concerning scope management, review information regarding the project scope and begin creating a requirements list. Capture the project scope statement. Begin generating the WBS. Develop a plan for performing integrated change control.

In a similar fashion, work your way through each of the project management areas and create the corresponding planning documents. Create a risk register, a stakeholder register, a project team contact list and so forth. Document the roles and responsibilities for each project team member. Don’t forget to begin the assumptions register. Capture every assumption you make while generating the preliminary project plan.

You’ll be reviewing the preliminary project plan in the kickoff meeting, so make a solid attempt at flushing it out as thoroughly as possible.

Did your review of lessons learned provided notice of additional risks? Document them. Capture any pertinent information that should be shared with the sponsor, the project team or other stakeholders.

Once you’ve created the first draft of the stakeholder register, seek to identify additional stakeholders. Consult with the stakeholders already identified. While you’re there, talk to them about additional risks that were not previously identified. Discuss and define the project success factors. Discover and document the benefits of performing the project. Document any additional project requirements that weren’t spelled out in the charter. Define the project goals and develop a list of deliverables.

You’ll have a lot of information to gather from the known stakeholders. Perhaps the most efficient way to gather the information is to create and distribute a survey. By using a survey, you provide each stakeholder with the ability to respond when it’s convenient.

Depending on whether the members of the project team are inside or outside the organization, secure the necessary project team members or obtain the commitments you’ll need from each team member and his or her supervisor.

Depending on the project type, this part will vary greatly. For a project that brings clean drinking water to a rural village, consider sharing some stories and pictures about the people the project will benefit. Will the unique or progressive nature of the project expand the professional repertoire of the project team members? Explain these benefits. Look to the purpose and benefits of the project and find ways to motivate and inspire the project team. Look also to an internal system of rewards and recognitions. If one is not already in place, develop one for your project.

If you are planning to use a visual theme throughout the project, this is the place to develop it. For example, the clean drinking water project might have a visual theme that includes a simple water drop and a transparent, blue color. All projects documents and written communications could carry the theme forward. The project work space could also bear the theme.

Help yourself to our kickoff meeting agenda template. Make it fit your needs. It’s editable.

Find a time that works for everyone and schedule a meeting space. Do everything possible to hold the kickoff meeting in person. This will give you an opportunity to evaluate non-verbal communication.

If some can’t be physically present at the kickoff meeting, make teleconference arrangements so they can participate remotely. As to meeting length, add a little more time than you think you might need. If the meeting must be conducted remotely, ask for feedback throughout the meeting and check often for understanding.

Invite the project team, the sponsor and additional project stakeholders. If you’re uncertain about whether someone should attend, invite them. It’s far better to have people who didn’t need to attend than to have neglected in include an important voice.

Along with the invitation, send each person a copy of the meeting agenda and the preliminary project management plan. Express clearly that the plan is a preliminary draft only. Ask that everyone review the documents before the meeting.

While you’re at it, make sure your space is still reserved.

Create a sign-in sheet with a place for name and email address. You’ll later communicate with those at the meeting.