{"id":16000,"date":"2018-12-06T13:06:45","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T13:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.toggl.com\/?p=16000"},"modified":"2024-06-21T11:55:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T11:55:26","slug":"kickoff-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toggl.com\/blog\/kickoff-meeting","title":{"rendered":"Project Kick Off Meeting: 7 Steps To Get Started"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s why a project kickoff meeting matters, and how to host one that gets your project started on the right foot.<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n

You\u2019re tasked with spearheading a <\/span>major project<\/span> for your team\u2014you\u2019re going to lead the entire redesign and launch of your company\u2019s new and improved website.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a pretty big undertaking, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

There are tons of different teams at play\u2014the content team, the design team, the development team, the SEO team, and plenty of others.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also many different tasks and timelines that are happening concurrently. The content team is working on the copy while the design team is collaborating with the developers while the SEO team identifies target keywords\u2014all at the exact same time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is your head spinning? Being the one in charge of a project with this many moving parts can feel a lot like juggling\u2014with a blindfold on and one hand tied behind your back.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, here\u2019s the good news: There\u2019s something you can do to get everyone\u2019s expectations aligned right off the bat and ensure that your project gets started right. What\u2019s the secret to success? A project kickoff meeting. <\/span><\/p>\n

Why Are Kickoff Meetings Important?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A kickoff meeting is exactly what it sounds like\u2014it\u2019s the launching point of the project. It\u2019s what starts the whole snowball into motion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your kickoff meeting is your chance for you to gather all key players for your project together at one time and get on the same page about what the project is, why it\u2019s happening, how the work will be done, what roles are involved, and when it needs to be accomplished by. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe most useful kickoff meetings are designed specifically to orient a new project team to the business reasons for the project, and jumpstart the team\u2019s work with a common understanding of goals and initial steps,\u201d explains a <\/span>post for ProjectConnections<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Put simply, starting by ensuring that all of your expectations are in alignment makes it that much easier to methodically tackle the entire project. <\/span><\/p>\n

A successful kickoff meeting means that nobody feels left in the dark, and everybody is in the loop on who\u2019s doing what\u2014which saves you plenty of headaches and roadblocks once the project is actually underway.<\/span><\/p>\n

7 Steps for a Successful Kickoff Meeting<\/span><\/h2>\n

Despite the fact that kickoff meetings are incredibly important, they don\u2019t always work according to plan\u2014or happen at all. <\/span><\/p>\n

Either organizations write them off as something that isn\u2019t necessary or only slows down project progress, or they host poorly-managed meetings that waste time or only end up adding to team member confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Needless to say, you don\u2019t reap the benefits of a project kickoff meeting unless it\u2019s well-planned and well-executed.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you make sure that happens? Here are seven key steps to host a totally kickass project kickoff meeting. <\/span><\/p>\n

1. Create an Agenda (and Stick to it)<\/span><\/h3>\n

Much like a <\/span>creative brief<\/span> helps to steer the direction of creative work, an agenda is important to keep any meeting on track\u2014and that\u2019s especially true for a project kickoff meeting. Ahead of the meeting, create a simple agenda and share it with all meeting attendees. <\/span><\/p>\n

Because the kickoff meeting is your chance to get everybody together and on the same page about the project, it\u2019s tempting to dive into all sorts of details. However, at this point, it\u2019s best to stay high-level. This isn\u2019t the time for getting into the nitty gritty.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSpecific task assignments are less important than establishing clarity and excitement among the project team,\u201d explains Amanda Kelly in a <\/span>post for LiquidPlanner<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Remember that your main goals of the meeting are to explain:<\/span><\/p>\n