Discussion on:

Follow these steps to conduct an effective project kickoff meeting

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Good article, but I wouldn't agree with the proposal to walk through the detailed project plan at the kick-off meeting. In my experience, the detailed plan is not available at that stage. Indeed, if the first introduction of team members to the project is to review the plan, I would be quite worried. The detailed plan should be built in partnership with the team members, and not presented to them by the PM as a fait accompli.

I agree with ShaneHo, if a project manager could put together a complete project plan with just the project request and working with the sponsor then you wouldn't have to bring a team together - you could just dole out assignments and monitor them. The kick-off is the time to review the project definition and deliverables as well as do team building as pointed out. You can go over the project plan outline and explain how the team will work together to fill in the details and provide the details that you do have such as a hard deadline if there is one, project budget if it is fixed, phases of the project, logistics. Good article though. I really like the team building reminders. Going to use them today in fact!

I agree with both ShaneHO and jalehm that if a PM put together a complete proj plan than would there be a need for a team?? I have done many kick offs but realise there is still so much to learn and want to find out new and energising ways of conducting a Project Kick Off Meeting. Any ideas??

One of the most important (and most often forgotton) features of a kick-off meeting is explaining the business model. What's the product? How does it work? Who is going to buy it? How will the customer pay? How will customer service be provided?

This stuff often gets forgotton or buried under a mound of PM processes, but it is very important that everyone on the team understands how the business is going to work.

The PMI - PMP view on projects is that they are fully defined before work starts. I agree this is not very applicable to software development work and other types of tasks, but this appears to be the context of the writer's message.

The word "Kickoff" has many meanings...

very good and precise.

Very good article.

James Gallant M.C.P.M.

It is helpful to a project manager to organize the kickoff meeting

What's the main reason meetings are a waste? Poor or no planning by the person in charge. If you don't know where you are going, you can't get anywhere! (Good planning and coordination IS good leadership and management!)

A well planned meeting give the team members confidence in the leaders, and really does energize them to be productive. I can't emphasize enough AGENDA, AGENDA, AGENDA...and stick to it!

Great advice here.

Wow, that's really bad advice. If you have a detailed project plan ready before you meet your project team then you are ignoring the input of your team members. There may be many meanings for "kick-off", but none of them include showing your team the project plan for the first time.

i like the way the writer makes everything so simple and easy.....to the point does assist us more that adding irrelevant fluff.

Really good one .....nicely structured