Triple Constraints

For many projects (especially those being conducted on a contract basis for a client), the kick-off meeting is the project manager’s first opportunity to interact with the client/stakeholders. It is also your opportunity to begin the project the right way. Below we will look at some basic ways you can achieve those goals.

Prepare for the meeting

• Review the Contract/SOW/Work Order – allows you to begin the process of creating a high-level scope and preliminary project plan

• Begin the process of identifying the project team – allows you to make sure that you have all the required stakeholders from your side at the meeting

• Draft a preliminary project plan – allows you to jumpt-start discussions of timelines with the client as well as instill a sense of confidence in the client.

• Schedule the kick-off meeting – allows you to make sure that all relevant stakeholders (client-side as well as project team) have the opportunity to attend. Do your best to schedule a time so that all stakeholders can attend.
• Draft an agenda for the meeting – allows you to control the discussion and direction of the meeting. Also, helps to make you to appear organized and prepared. You can download a sample kick-off meeting agenda here.

• Send the kickoff meeting materials to all participants - allows the stakeholders to get a head-start in reviewing the documents. Also, helps to facilitate a more open discussion at the meeting. This includes the meeting agenda (with meeting logistics) and preliminary project plan.

Conduct the meeting

• Welcome the stakeholders to the meeting

• Introduce participants

  • Cover responsibilities and how each person ties into the project

• Verify the project, its purpose, and expected outcome

  • Review the Contract/SOW/Work order to make sure that it is accurate and comprehensive

• Review the preliminary project plan

  • Discuss project assumptions that fed into your preliminary plan development

  • Focus on ensuring all tasks are correct

  • Exact task durations can be updated later

• Determine communication pathways (weekly meetings, etc.)

  • Determine best day for weekly status updates

  • Determine location to store project files

  • Determine email distribution lists for various communications

• Ask for questions

• Present next steps

• Close the meeting

Meeting Follow-up

• Create and distribute meeting minutes

• Update the project plan

• Document the communication plan