Inventing a Project Kickoff

Every project requires a project kickoff. So what is it, how do you get one, and why is it needed? A project kickoff is a meeting ”or an event ”to introduce the project, the management backing the project, the project manager, and the team members . It should be friendly, yet authoritative ; organized; and used as a mechanism to assign ownership of the project to the team.

A project kickoff is needed to establish the launch of the project, who s in charge of the project, and who s in control of the project team. The kickoff is an event to allow management to rally the troops, organize the team, and get everyone excited about the upcoming plans. It s also an opportunity to convey to everyone that the trip ahead is going to have its challenges, but it ll be rewarding at its completion. It s a bon voyage party ”but not for the Titanic.

Set the Stage

Depending on your project or your company, your team may comprise long-time colleagues or complete strangers. Use this opportunity to create a team ”or at least the start of one. As the project manager, you are responsible for this collection of individuals, so you need to create a social environment ownership, and teamwork.

In this first meeting, you can set the tone for the entire project. Most project managers want a sense of camaraderie, but also a sense of formality to the project. Here are some recommendations of how you can create both for your project kickoff:

• It s an event! Have some fun. Create a simple theme and have some prizes or handouts for the team that are relevant to the project. For example, using the theme Together we grow, give each member a small plant at the meeting, and tell the team that as the plants grow, so will the project. Remind them the project needs daily nurturing, just like the plant.

• Get excited! It s okay to have fun at these meetings. If it s a major project, hire the local professional cheerleaders to cheer on the team. Have someone from the local zoo bring in some animals to jump-start the event. Do something creative and unexpected. It s worth it!

• Invite someone from the vendor you are buying the technology from, such as Novell or Oracle, to give a pep talk to the team at the kickoff meeting.

• Have someone take candid photos of team members as they enter the room and then a group photo. Create an intranet page with each member s photo, bio, and contact information.

• If you can, schedule the meeting close to breakfast or lunch and order in food. Food has a wonderful way of bringing down walls and allowing people to mix and mingle .

Project kickoff meetings can be boring and stuffy. Do something exciting, invigorating, and memorable. Create alliances between you and management and the project team. Invoke excitement, assign ownership of the project, and ask for a commitment to excellence. There is no reason why kickoff meetings can t be exciting. Anyone who says otherwise is a bore.

How Management Fits In

At this meeting, invite all of the managers involved in the decision. Their presence signifies their commitment to the project. They don t have to stay for the whole meeting, but they should at least make an appearance to rally the troops and have a donut.

The project sponsor, however, should stay for as much of the meeting as possible. Ideally, the project sponsor should initiate the more formal part of the meeting by calling things to order and introducing the project scope. The project sponsor should speak for a few minutes on the value of this project and what it means to the company. Then the project sponsor should introduce you as the manager of the project.

This approach signifies a role of authority among the team members without having to say who s in charge. Obviously the project sponsor is the management most closely associated with the project, but the central line of contact between the team and the project sponsor is through the project manager. There needs to be a clearly defined path of who is in charge of the project. Projects are not a democracy; each team member should have input and some autonomy, but the success of the project rests on the shoulders of the project manager, so this individual must establish his authority.

Defining the Purpose

Once the project sponsor has introduced you to the team, you re on. Now is your opportunity to establish many things. Prepare yourself prior to the meeting of what message you want to convey to your team. Your opening remarks should do several things:

• Establish your role as the project manager.

• Clearly state the goal of the project.

• Define the objective of the project.

• Set the tone of how you ll manage the project.

• Express the impact that the project will have on the company.

In these opening remarks, you will establish the purpose and importance of the project and assign that ownership to the team. Don t drone on and on about the project ”the project s already been approved and there s no reason to continue selling.

If possible, a slideshow of what the project will include would be ideal. You can walk the team through a five- to ten-minute overview of the project s origin to the deliverables that signify the project has reached its end. There s no need to have a detailed step-by-step plan yet. A simple timeline of each of the major milestones will be fine.

Once you ve defined the purpose of the project, showed the team members the big game plan, and given them a sense of ownership, you can quit talking. You should be able to do all of this in fifteen minutes or less. Yes, fifteen minutes or less. Preferably less. The project team is already going to know much of what the project is designed to accomplish. This is an opportunity for the project team, management, the project sponsor, and you to all agree what the project should accomplish.

Finally, show how management fits into the plan. Show how a financial commitment has been made to the success of the project. Show how this team is responsible for the success of the project and how everyone is counting on them.

If possible, share the news of how much failure would cost the company and the impact any delays may have on the project. This isn t to scare the team into submission, but rather to create a sense of responsibility for the success. Of course, also share with them the benefits the company will reap when the team does succeed.