Every project has many moving parts from day one scope, stakeholders, risks, team setup, documentation, and more. Over time, I’ve found myself focusing first on alignment with stakeholders before anything else. But I know some PMs prioritize team roles, while others go straight into risk planning or scheduling. What’s your first move when a project kicks off, and what’s your reason behind it?
Ensuring there is a common understanding and alignment between key stakeholders towards the project vision. Without that, nothing else matters.
Kiron
you’re spot on! alignment with stakeholders on the project vision is non-negotiable. It’s something that shouldn’t be underestimated, as it ensures everyone is moving toward the same goal from day one.
Always, always, always start with identifying the key stakeholders, talking to them, and capturing their wants, desires, needs, vision, expectations, priorities, and constraints. These stakeholders are the ultimate arbiters of project success; they literally help define what success is supposed to look like by the time you get to the end of the project. Understanding--and documenting--these things will help ensure all subsequent planning is aligned with the over-arching vision.
focusing on stakeholders’ needs and expectations is a fundamental step that too often gets overlooked. By ensuring their priorities are well understood upfront, you create a strong base for successful delivery.
When I start a new project, the first thing I focus on is identifying the stakeholders. Then, I evaluate them to see who supports the project, who is neutral, and who is against it. After that, I start managing them based on these evaluations. It's very important to know who the key players are from the beginning.
your approach to understanding stakeholder support levels early on is excellent. It’s critical to know who your allies are and who may need more attention to ensure smooth collaboration throughout the project.
You nailed it, Kiron. People take this lightly but it can make a big difference as the project progresses.
I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts. Getting early buy in on the vision sets the tone for the entire project and keeps things on track even when challenges arise.
At the beginning, the most important considerations to take into account when a project is initialized are to ensure that it is aligned with the company's mission and vision, and to consider the value it delivers. Another important thing is to gather the requirements of all the main stakeholders, to ensure their expectations are satisfied. Ensuring that the important requirements are considered, the project would be in good path. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
I go to the business analyst to request from her/him mainly product definition and stakeholder analysis. Adding to that the business case which it is supposed contains all the key requirements for creating all related to project Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
On Day 1, I would meet with the sponsor and other key stakeholders.
Many here emphasize the need to align with stakeholders, and I totally concur.
Also, obtains and reads foundational documents, such as contracts, proposals, business cases/justifications, charters, and relevant organizational policies and standards. And start an issue list. Saving Changes...
When I start a new project, the first thing I focus on is getting everyone on the same page, especially the team.
Stakeholder alignment is super important, but if the team isn’t clear on the why, the goal, and how we’ll work together, things tend to fall apart fast.
So I make sure:
- Everyone knows what we’re trying to achieve
- What’s in and out of scope
- And how we’ll stay connected and move forward
Without that clarity early on, it’s easy to waste time and go in circles later.
When starting a new project, I first focus on clearly defining the project objectives and scope. This ensures everyone understands the purpose, expected outcomes, and boundaries. A well-defined scope lays the foundation for effective planning, resource allocation, and stakeholder alignment, reducing ambiguity and setting the project up for long-term success.
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