We all want to deliver successful projects and one way you can increase your chances of success is to have a good project kickoff meeting. While every project is different and require a bespoke agenda there are some elements that are common across all projects.
The kickoff meeting for a new project is your best opportunity to energize the group and establish a common purpose toward completing the work. A great kickoff is the result of good planning. After you’ve done your project preparation work, you need to plan for an effective meeting.
What do you think...? What''s would add to the agenda of the project kickoff meeting to ensure meeting success...? Saving Changes...
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Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
From my point of view the critical activity to be performed is the stakeholder analysis. You have to demostrate that all the stakeholder needs/desires/wants/etc will be created by the project without impact to their life. The project has to be sold before and the kickoff meeting is the moment to demostrate that all the promisses will come true. That is becasue an stakeholder analysis (identification/clasification/administration strategy definition) is key. Saving Changes...
Bala S DuvvuriProject Manager| ShellBangalore, Karnataka, India
As Sergio mentioned first thing as a project manager you need to make sure who are the stakeholders that need to attend the meeting.
Like any other meeting, agenda should be sent to all the stakeholders in advance that explains about the project details like description,goals and objectives,purpose,assumptions ,team members and their roles,important milestones,high level project plan.
You as a project manager should drive the meeting and explain various details like assumptions,communication plan,high level project plan etc
Finally close the meeting asking for feedback and Q&A Saving Changes...
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
Great points already mentioned by PM fellas Sergio and Bala. Kick-off meeting is crucial to start setting ground rules and to give a very good impression to project team members. As the saying goes, you don''t have a second chance to create a good first impression (and that is particularly true in projects where the majority or all of stakeholders are new). Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Set expectations: communications, structure, processes, statuses. Saving Changes...
MAEN QADDOURAHProject Director| AJ SAUDIJeddah, Saudi Arabia
Stakeholders Saving Changes...
yassine nazzalDirector| Transformative SaudiRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
show that all expectations are addresses and well understood and the team is committed to deliver. don''t ignore any one from the stakeholders. Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
To make the project kick off meeting a success, one needs to do some sort of homework regarding who all the participants will be. At such a nascent phase it might not be possible to have all stakeholders identified as this is a continuous process in the initiation phase, however if the Project Manager has an inkling regarding who the most important stakeholders are, one is sure to hit the right notes in the kick off meeting.
Secondly one should be very clear regarding the objective which led to the project being kicked off, the business case that is. If the project manager can structure his plan of operation going into the project, the stakeholders are sure to get a positive vibe about the project to be a success going forward. Saving Changes...
Michael AdamsSolutions Architect| LANLLos Alamos, Nm, United States
Wow, I really like Elizabeth''s list of questions. Along with understanding your stakeholders, answering Elizabeth''s sixteen questions and including much of that information in your presentation is a good idea.
Particularly, how does this project forward the organization''s strategy. People who are involved in the project kickoff meeting are generally going to be there for one of three reasons:
1) They are excited by the project and want to get a chance to see how it will make their work/life better.
2) They are worried about the project and have concerns that it will make their life/work more difficult or un-enjoyable
3) They are project team members, and want to know why they are doing this project and whether their work will make a positive difference
I''d say address those points, and groups, so yes, absolutely stakeholder analysis is key! Saving Changes...
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