4 Key points to take care during a Project Kickoff

A project kickoff is extremely useful to ensure that all the stakeholders are aligned to the project right during the beginning of the project itself. Hence, if utilized well, it can reap many benefits during the course of the project. So, while doing a project kick off, be aware that it can be very crucial for most of the stakeholders who may have an important stake in the project. Some key points to take care while conducting the project kick off are:

1) Ensure that everyone knows why the project is being done. If you are working on an ongoing project with multiple builds/releases, make sure that the stakeholders are aware of what is going in that specific build or release. Ensure that the scope is clear and well understood by all the stakeholders.

2) Go through the project plan and walk through the milestones and the dates. Make sure that all stakeholders agree to it in principle and are well aware of the dependencies and why they need to meet certain milestones on time. If there are any concerns, make sure it is addressed in the forum. In case, some milestones need further discussion, ensure that it is resolved at the earliest after the kick off meeting and all stakeholders are kept aware of the decisions .

3) It is prudent to go through any additional areas that might seemingly look innocuous but are equally important. E.g., Testing matrix, Dependencies or deliverable from outside parties that are required for the successful completion of the project.

4) Make sure that some of the tasks that came up during the previous project/release that would help in tracking the project better are included and the repercussions are known. The best way to find such tasks are through earlier retrospectives or meetings done during prior project closures.