What to Include in a Project Kickoff Meeting Agenda
The kick-off meeting. It’s part of starting a project that often gets “kicked” to the wayside, but it sets the tone for the overall momentum and direction of the team’s collaboration and productivity.
Project kickoff meetings connect those who will be working together with the client. They use this time to get familiar with the expectations of the stakeholders and skills of those in the group, understand timelines and deliverables, and build morale.
How you plan the kickoff meeting matters, though. If it isn’t structured well, it can become just another distraction from the day that not everyone takes seriously, and you end up fielding questions later that could have been addressed now. Instead, use these tips to plan your next project kickoff meeting agenda.
1. Send Essential Info Ahead
Before your team walks into the meeting, create an email or other shared document that includes all the background information necessary for the project. Include details such as the client’s name and relevant company facts, lists of all stakeholders involved, and the ultimate goal of the work. Finalize the doc with your meeting’s agenda and the questions you plan to ask so each team member can prepare their responses and any further areas of clarification necessary.
2. Outline the Key Points to Include in Your Meeting
Walking into a meeting with an “idea” of what you want to talk about is a surefire way to forget crucial details or go off track (and off schedule). Prepare the key points you want to include in an outline, and include an
approximate time in minutes of how long each section of the agenda should take.
An example of a general kickoff meeting outline might look like this:
● Introductions (2 minutes)
● Project explanation, including background and scope (5 minutes) ● Overall plan in summary, including project deliverables and the work required to complete them (5 minutes)
● Designation of responsibilities (5 minutes)
● Collaboration expectations, specifying how you’ll track progress and communicate issues (5-10 minutes)
● Possible anticipated obstacles and a risk management plan (5-10 minutes)
● What the finished project will look like (5 minutes)
Include time to answer any questions at the end of your outline. No matter how clearly organized your agenda is, and how informative you think you’re being, you can’t always predict how each person will receive what you’re saying. Be prepared to respond to questions with patience and respect. This can be challenging if you’ve jammed the meeting time full of info and neglected to leave time for further clarification points.
3. Share All Tools Involved
How do you plan to communicate with your team and the
clients/stakeholders? This information should be included in your meeting. Not everyone needs a deep dive into the details, but let your team know when you’ll be checking in with the client, tracking status reports, and monitoring milestones and timelines. This ensures everyone is on the same page and understands how their work (or delays) impacts the overall project.
This aspect is also beneficial as a reminder to the client as to how involved they’re expected to be and when you’ll be sharing updates with them, which can save ruffled feathers from miscommunicated expectations later.
Even if you’ve done the same type of project dozens of times, it’s still a good idea to list the tools you’ll be using to communicate and complete the work. Having this as a regular part of your project meeting agenda is an easy way to update new team members on how the work is completed without any extra steps. For example, what work management system do you use, and which aspects of the project are completed, stored, and shared there? How do you communicate between team members? What types of reports are used to determine financials like profitability? (For more on profitability analysis, read this article by Accelo.)
You may also want to include a list of tools you’ll need from the client before you begin working, such as their preferred brand logos, colors, and fonts, login access, and any required style guides.
Conclusion
Sending your team and client off on a good note at the end of the kickoff meeting is essential. You don’t need a rah rah cheerleading close, but you should always say something positive and encouraging to build morale and connect the team and stakeholders with the knowledge that the work will be completed successfully.
However, every meeting includes new variables, and even the most thoroughly planned agenda can run off script. Be flexible and adaptable, and remember that your leadership sets the stage for everyone’s success.
