GETTING OFF TO A good start for the 100-yard dash means getting out of the blocks a split second ahead of the pack. A good start for a Mount Everest expedition, on the other hand, calls for making sure everything is in place to make the trek a success and ensure survival. On projects, it takes a combination of these approaches to be successful: getting off to a speedy start and making sure everything is prepared for the journey.
The classic way to meet this need—a “one size fits all” for small or large projects—is to initiate a project with a kickoff event. The kickoff event shrinks or stretches to meet the needs of the project at hand. Each project, independent of its size and characteristics, can get itself off to a bold start. And a kickoff event brings sizeable benefits to the company and to those who manage the projects; for instance, it forces planning to be done up front; helps build consensus; develops team spirit and integration; and overcomes early project inertia.
It is generally recognized that projects that use kickoff events effectively reap these benefits. Yet from an organizational slant, broader questions are posed: How do you get all projects across the entire enterprise off to a great start? What does it take to ensure that the kickoff event concept becomes an integral part of the company's culture?
A Review of the Classic Solutions. Before we map out details on how to make the project kickoff an inbred part of company culture, an overview of the classic approaches is called for. Here is how projects can be initiated effectively. Kickoff meetings and kickoff workshops have been around for years. They are classic approaches for getting projects off to a good start. All kickoff events have some basic requirements: a formal agenda, distributed in advance; full preparation, including visuals and material to be used by the participants; language and terminology consistent with the participating public; strong leadership capable of both controlling and stimulating the group; a closing that moves the group to action.
Paul C. Dinsmore, PMP, is a Fellow of PMI and author of seven books, including the AMA Handbook of Project Management [Amacom, NY, 1993] and Winning in Business with Enterprise Project Management [Amacom, NY, 1998]. He is president of Dinsmore Associates, affiliated with Management Consultants International Group with world headquarters based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Direct comments on this column to [email protected].
The Bare Minimum. The minimum event to initiate a project takes place in the form of a kickoff meeting. Here's an agenda for a kickoff meeting, which lasts up to four hours:
Reinforcement of the objectives of the event as outlined in the agenda (formally initiate the project, provide initial integration, communicate information, and clarify pending matters)
Discussion of principal topics of project management plan, including stakeholder management and communication plans
Presentation of outline of detailed project plans, including scope and preliminary schedule
Review of principle characteristics of main contract and other pertinent contractual obligations
Discussion of short-term action items.
Doing It in Style. The five-star approach for a kickoff event involves a workshop. An investment in up to three days in a kickoff workshop is justifiable when the following circumstances are present: projects of great magnitude or of technological, geographical or managerial complexity, or when the stakes are particularly high— where success is especially important. Here's the day-by-day summary of a kickoff workshop:
First Day. The workshop is initiated with ground rules, expectations, and agreement on the proposed outcome. Objectives are reviewed, and an overview of the project is given. Much of the first day is dedicated to team integration through a combination of project-related discussions and group dynamics.
Second Day. The management plan is presented along with the outline of the detailed project plan, just as presented in the kickoff meeting. Discussion is conducted in groups and the product of the second day is the approval of parts of the plans and an agreement on what work needs to be done to complete the kickoff process (invariably additional groundwork needs to be done before a project can be fully kicked off).
Third Day. After a break of a few days, up to a maximum of three weeks, the group reconvenes to finalize kickoff documents and action plans. The pending information is brought to the workshop and through a series of discussion groups final presentations are made and consensus is reached regarding the plans and immediate action to be taken.
An alternative approach, which requires four days, involves carrying out a full-fledged two-day team building seminar, using challenge course (experiential learning, ropes course) techniques to ensure a solid behavioral base for the team. The cognitive part of the workshop is then carried out during the following two days, or, when required, the fourth day is delayed to allow for the incorporation of outstanding information.
The Single Project. For a single project to benefit from the kickoff approach, there are some prerequisites. First, the project manager has to support the concept. Most project managers are supportive of the kickoff meeting idea, but to invest a few days in a workshop atmosphere involving team building may not set well with the hard-core, handson kind of manager. Next, the project sponsor needs to buy in so that upper-echelon support will be forthcoming. Budget can also be tricky when dealing with the workshop concept; since this idea is often not budgeted when the project is planned, lack of funds can be an obstacle. And finally, obtaining just the right facilitator can be a challenge. Usually an outside facilitator familiar with the organization's culture is the best approach. If these obstacles are overcome, then kickoff for the single project is a piece of cake.
Getting All the Projects Across the Enterprise Off to a Great Start. Since the health and well-being of most companies depends on the degree to which both new and continuous improvement projects are carried out, getting all projects started off in the right direction is a critical success factor for the organization. For a single project we have seen that there are some barriers to using the kickoff approach, but they are easily surmountable. Let's examine now how all projects can be kicked off right.
Since organizations are so diverse in nature, there's not an off-the-shelf solution for building great kickoff events into the company culture. There are, rather, various approaches that depend on the degree of upper-management support and organizational maturity with regard to project management. Here are some of those approaches:
The Successful Pilot Project. By making highly visible a successful kickoff event on a project that is ultimately successful, the kickoff concept can gather momentum and eventually spread throughout the organization.
Top Down. A top-management edict of “it shall be done” can also spur managers to fit an effective kickoff into the sequence of events. For this to happen, someone at a high level must champion the cause.
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Project Office Facilitation. For companies that have firmly established project offices, the kickoff concept can be promoted through standardized project procedures and internal support in organizing and facilitating the events.
Some Tips. To keep a kickoff event moving and make it effective, the facilitator (who must have solid credentials in project management as well as possess facilitation skills) needs to ensure that certain basics are dealt with. Here are the key points.
The facilitator's main roles, particularly in the case of kickoff workshops, are to structure information and maintain a disciplined process. Throughout the workshop the facilitator pulls together information and helps display it in such a way that the participants can analyze and use it. He or she is also responsible for the schedule of activities and for ensuring that results are produced. Making this happen depends partially on the use of facilitating techniques such as:
Inviting the group to establish the rules to be followed throughout the event
Promoting physical movement throughout the workshop by changing sub-groups and locations
Asking for evaluation of the event as it progresses and making adjustments as it moves forward.
GOOD STARTS ON PROJECTS mean getting off the blocks in a hurry and at the same time making sure everything is prepared for the long haul.
The classic kickoff approaches are out there to be used. The kickoff meeting is always a step in the right direction. For more interactive planning and team buy in, the kickoff workshop is the way to go. The challenge that company managers and upper management face is to ensure that these techniques become part of the company culture, that these powerful approaches are applied early in the life of all company projects, no matter what their nature. If project kick-off becomes a mainstay of company culture, then the organization will surely survive and prosper.