Previously I have covered 2 posts about the kick off meeting and why they are important. Yesterday I mentioned about how as a project manager you can prepare for this meeting and help the team to be ready. Today I will conclude this discussion on where I left it yesterday.
Teamwork: Often, it is the same team that gets to work together in the same projects. At times though, there is cross-organizational projects involving external sponsors and customers. It is important that all the involved stakeholders are part of the kick-off meeting in such a set-up. It helps set the pace on how the team will collaborate, communicate, meeting frequencies and helps small details that would otherwise have been ignored to be properly addressed. The team members have a chance to be familiar with each other, which reduces anxiety. As a project manager, the important part that should be taken care of is to make sure that the expectations are well and articulately spelt out to the team and let them develop a working relationship on how to deliver results. The project should however still be monitored and managed but not micro-managed.
What next?
Yeah, that is always the big question. The team members have been informed of the new project and there is excitement in the room. There is always a temptation to jump straight into the work and begin working on the juicy part. As a developer, I have experienced numerous cases where
team members start to code functionalities of a program, they barely have understood how they work, which always ends up in defeat. As a project manager, the next steps involve keeping team members clear of their roles, expectations and milestones along the way. It is the moment that the kick-off meeting should be rolled backwards from anticipation towards results. It is also necessary that the project manager gets to know the client, their expectations and requirements before diving into any project. Traditionally, companies used to have clients come over for a meeting, which would be marked with very formal tones. Companies are now changing the trend and at times it may start with a company visit to familiarize yourself with the client and drop the “business” acumen. It works most of the time as it helps the client to know that these are people who are going to deliver quality to his work. The project managers should use this opportunity to get to know their clients and develop a working relationship and level of trust.
Before concluding the meeting, it is a good idea to have a recap of the meeting to give the client a review of the people who are going to work on their project. It is important that the team understands the roles played by other team members. A review of the SoW should also be performed to know what the team is doing, when to do it, how to do it and what they should expect to produce. Any other important issues that may be deemed necessary should also be put on the table towards the end of the meeting, as it is not always feasible to have all the team members and stakeholders in a single meeting.
It can not be stated enough how the kick-off meeting is important in any meeting, but any project manager worth their salt, will ensure that it is done.
Project Management 