April 04, 2024 • 730 views
A great kickoff meeting sets the tone for a project. A bad one creates confusion and missed deadlines. Here's a recipe for the former.
Agenda (30�60 min): 1) Project background and why it matters (5 min). 2) Scope � what's in, what's out (10 min). 3) Roles and decision rights � who can approve changes (10 min). 4) Timeline and milestones (10 min). 5) Communication plan (how often, what channel) (5 min). 6) Risks and assumptions (5 min). 7) Next actions (5 min).
Send the agenda 48 hours ahead. After the meeting, circulate a kickoff one-pager with key decisions and action items. Don't skip this � it prevents endless "I didn't know" later.
A good kickoff saves 10x the time it takes to run.