kick off meeting introduction speech

The Ultimate Guide to Kickoff Meetings

• by Adrian Neumeyer

No meeting is more important when launching a project than the project kick-off meeting. That’s why you should get it right.

In this article we’ll go through all the steps. What a project kick-off is about and how to actually run a good kickoff meeting.

What is a project kickoff meeting?

• Why having a kickoff?
• Who attends a kickoff?
• How does a kickoff typically go?
• The typical agenda
• Preparing your slides
• Project kickoff template
• Tips from senior project managers

The project kickoff meeting is a meeting where the project team is introduced to a project right before it goes into execution. The host is usually the project manager. During the kick off, he will give an overview of the project goal, schedule, project organization, expectations towards team members and other critical information.

There’s usually a labor-intensive phase leading up to the kickoff. The customer, contractor and stakeholders have to find a common project goal. A project charter will be created which outlines the purpose and scope of the project. Then the project has to be properly planned, staffed and the budget has to be approved etc.

(For a complete list of steps to set up a project,  check out the  project kickoff checklist )

Only after all this work has been completed will the project kick off be scheduled.

You can think of a kickoff like of a pre-flight briefing that pilots will do with the crew before they embark on a flight.

Why having a project kickoff?

A project can only be successful if all participants have a common understanding of the project’s purpose, timeline, organization and their responsibilities. The kickoff is the event where all this information is shared with all project team members. It also gives people the opportunity to have their questions answered.

That’s why a kickoff meeting is super important.

Pooja, a program manager from Delhi summarized the value of kickoffs very well:

The kickoff meeting process and agenda ensure everyone is engaged, understands the project goals, scope, and risks, and actively takes responsibility for their roles. There is agreement upon a well defined scope and it helps everyone involved in the project alignement to a goal.

So, a kickoff is much more than just showing a few slides. It’s about creating motivation within the team and getting everyone to take over responsibility.

Skipping the kickoff because you think it’s not necessary will get you into trouble further on. You will find yourself in discussions with people who don’t want to do what you expect them to do.

You will face resistance from team members because they feel having been run over. And within weeks your wonderful project plan will fall apart. Just like a castle built on sand.

Who attends the project kickoff?

The following people should attend the kickoff:

• project manager
• project team
• key stakeholders
• management from both customer (sponsor) and contractor. By contractor I’m referring to the party that is hired to do the actual project work.

No need to explain why the project manager should attend. He’s the one who leads through the meeting. Then there’s the project team, which are staff members who are doing the actual project work. Key stakeholders could be representatives from areas or departments that are either strongly impacted by the project or whose expertise has major influence on the project’s success

(If you are not sure how to find out who your stakeholders are, I strongly encourage you to read my article on stakeholder analysis ).

Examples of important stakeholders could be Legal if your project touches legal issues. It could also be Purchasing in case you’re buying expensive goods as part of the project. It could also be HR if the project has major influence on employees, e.g. if time tracking is introduced.

Next, let’s explore how a kickoff is conducted in the real world.

How does a kickoff meeting typically go?

The cycle of a project kickoff including preparation and the meeting itself can span across several weeks or even months. It all depends on the size of the project.

Here’s the process for preparing and running a kick off:

• Scheduling the meeting – usually several weeks or even months in advance
• Preparing the meeting – creating the slides
• Conducting the meeting  – you are the showmaster
• After the meeting – sharing the presentation with your audience

Schedule the meeting

Large meetings with many participants are always hard to schedule. There are always scheduling conflicts because people have so much on their calendar. That’s why I always schedule the kickoff meeting way ahread of time, like months in advance. This way I can block a slot in everybody’s calendar and I can reserve a suitably sized conference room.

Sent out the meeting invite several weeks or even months before the kickoff date.

All you need to do is send out an Outlook invite with some text like:

‘Hi all, this is the invitation to our project kickoff meeting. Please block this time on your calendar. Attendance is mandatory. The agenda will follow. Regards, John (project manager)’ .

How long should the kick off be ? Normally a kick off takes between 1.5 and 2 hours. This number may vary depending on the size of the project and the need for discussions at the end.

What if some folks decline your meeting invitation? Well, you have to accept that some people just don’t have time. They may either be traveling or on vacation. If people have a strong reason why they can’t join, I will schedule a separate mini-kickoff with them to go through the agenda. I want to make sure they still get the same information as the rest of the team.

Video: How to use the Outlook Scheduling Assistant

The Scheduling Assistant   helps you find a time slot that works for most people.

Prepare the meeting

Before you can prepare the kickoff, you need to have your project properly planned and documented. Specifically, you need to have an agreed project goal, a presentable project timeline and a chart showing the project organization.

If you don’t have those documents ready, finish this step first. For many of these documents you’ll find templates on the Internet. Also read my article on defining a project goal . For the timeline, download this project plan template .

Once you got the basic documents complete, it’s time to create the agenda:

The kickoff agenda

Every kickoff has more or less the same agenda. Here’s a good template:

• Introduction – introduce yourself and the team (15 mins)
• Project goal and background  – why was the project started? (20 mins)
• Project scope – what are you going to deliver? (20 mins)
• Project organization – who is going to be involved? (10 mins)
• Timeline – explain your approach on the timeline (20 mins)
• Roles and responsibilities – what are the roles and duties of the team members? (20 mins)
• Teamwork and organizational topics – how is the team going to work together? (10 mins)
• Next steps – what are the next activities on the timeline? (10 mins)
• Q & A – answer questions of the attendees (15 mins)

Preparing the Powerpoint slides

Next, you have to prepare the Powerpoint slides using the agenda as a basis. I can’t tell you exactly how may slides you should include for each agenda point. Be careful with not overloading people with too much information. Better keep your slides concise and simple without going too much into the details.

People mainly want to know how the project impacts their work, what they have to do, when they are going to be involved, whether they can take their summer vacation etc. On the other hand you want to convey as clearly as possible what you expect from the team. So, create your content around those topics and you will do pretty well.

Here are some tips on what to cover in each section:

1) Project goal and background

Explain why the project was initiated and what it’s supposed to deliver. You may have to dive a bit into history and give context so that people fully understand the project goal. Here are some topics worth talking about, depending on your project:

Organization and business model:  Not everybody will be familiar with the organization and its business model. So it’s interesting for people to hear where the company is coming from, where it has offices, what its customers are and how it is making money.

Project history: Explain what attempts were made in the past to tackle the issue your project is concerned with. Learning from past failures is always helpful. And it’s probably a good idea to clarify what you’re doing differently to avoid project failure  🙂

Urgency: A common objection to projects is: Why do we have to do this now? Why can’t this project wait til next year? Share the reasons why postponing is not an option and why it has to be done now when everybody is so busy.

Project goal:  Of course you need to talk about the actual goal. What does the company expect from this project? And what other objectives does the sponsor hope to achieve as a side effect: financial objectives, sales goals, cost savings and more.

2) Project scope

Next you should talk about the project’s scope.

Project scope is the sum of things a project is going to take care of. This includes project-related tasks (e.g. write a piece of software), specific deliverables (e.g. a training plan) and defined outcomes (e.g. all staff is trained).

For the purpose of a kickoff meeting, you only need to give a high-level overview of the scope. This can be one or two slides with five bullet points each. How do you know what to write about? Think of the major parts your project is delivering. In a construction project this would be setting up a building, doing the plumbing and electrical wiring and so on. This would be the scope. Similarly you list the key scope in the kickoff slides.

At the same time you should list those things that are not in scope. Maybe you set up the building but the client wants to do the flooring and tiling by himself. Or you leave out the lighting setup. So, that would be ‘ out of scope ‘, as we say in project management. The reason why you should mention what is not in scope is you don’t want people to have wrong expectations. This will only backfire later on when somebody asks you ‘ Why isn’t the lighting installed?’ and you say ‘Oh, didn’t we agree this was not in scope?’ .

3) Project organization

In this section you give people an overview of the project team. Who is involved? What departments are on board? Who’s overseeing the project from a management level? These are the kinds of question people have. In the end, people want to know who they have to contact regarding a specific issue. The organizational overview provides the answer.

This can be one slide that shows the project org chart:

Like this template? Click here to see all templates

Generally org charts are a bit more complex than this one, but you get the idea.

4) Timeline

This is the slide that people care about most. Why? First, it gives an idea about how intense the work is going to be. The more work is squeezed into the timeline, the higher the workload. Second, people are keen to see the timeline because they get an idea of how the project impacts their professional and personal schedule.

Some people have planned a long summer vacation. And now your project jeopardizes their plans. Or maybe they have planned business trips and therefore won’t be available to full extent.

Go through the timeline from now til the end and explain the major activities and how they tie together. Also mention any special circumstances that were taken into consideration for the planning. These could be parallel projects, resource gaps, weather conditions or other external factors.

5) Roles and responsibilities

This is THE MOST IMPORTANT set of slides in your whole presentation. Let me explain why.

Here you tell people what you expect from them. What kind of work they have to do, but also how they’re supposed to work together as a team. If this point does not come across and does not fully settle in the minds of your team members, then you will face issues with delegation. People won’t be clear about where their responsibility begins and where it ends. They won’t know what team they have to work with etc. And in the end you’ll be the one sorting out the issues.

That’s why you should take as much time as needed to go through roles and responsibilities. I have a separate article about project roles and responsibilities  in case you don’t know what I’m talking about.

6) Teamwork and organizational topics

On this slide you talk about the modalities of collaboration of the project team. This includes the meeting structure, that is  how often the team is going to meet both onsite or remotely. In the same context, people may want to know whether they have to come to the office every day or if they can work from home.

Other stuff worth mentioning is where people can find and store  project documentation (e.g. in a shared drive), files they have to maintain such as an availability overview and so on. Also, if the project involves traveling, you may want to talk about upcoming business trips and travel regulations or visa requirements.

7) Next steps

The final slide in your project kickoff presentation should highlight the next steps: What are we working starting tomorrow or next week. This is good because that way you can keep the momentum that comes with launching a new project. At the start everybody is still motivated and you want to use this energy to get the first work done. Just have one slide with maybe 4 or 5 bullet points indicating what the team is working on next.

The actual meeting

It’s the big day! You may be a bit nervous before the kickoff but that’s totally normal. Make sure you check if the conference room is ready so you can start the meeting right away. Check if the A/V equipment and beamer are working fine. If you have people joining by phone, dial in a few minutes before to see if the connection is working.

Once you start the meeting, don’t jump right into the hard facts. Instead, give people a warm welcome and tell a funny story or a joke. You want people to relax and open up so that the kickoff becomes a positive and exciting experience for them.

Then, for the next 1 to 1.5 hours all you do is go through the slides. Present your information in an engaging way and always keep eye contact with your audience. You want to see if people are still with you or if you’ve lost them. Make pauses and ask ‘Are there any questions so far?’  You are presenting super important information, so you want to make sure everybody understands what you have to say.

The thing is, people are reluctant to ask questions or state their concerns in a group setting. They are afraid of looking stupid and skip their questions even though something might be unclear. Keep that in mind. What I do is say things like ‘It’s very important that you understand this, so just ask if anything is unclear. I’m happy to answer all your questions.’

Towards the end of the meeting, you start the Q & A session. This is where the team can ask whatever questions they have. It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour. And it’s important to give people this opportunity, because it creates trust and you get the buy-in that’s vital for a successful project.

When there are no more questions you close the meeting. Thank everyone for attending and express your gratitude of working with such a great, high-performing team.

That’s it. Congratulations on your first kickoff!

After the kickoff

There are also a couple of things you need to take care of after the meeting. If you’ve had somebody write the minutes (which is good but not really needed for a kickoff), you need to check those before sending them out. The other, more important step is to share the meeting presentation with all attendees — and also with the people who could not attend.

I also make a comment in my email that anyone who’s got questions should contact me. As I wrote before, people generally feel uncomfortable asking questions in a group. So you can clarify their concerns or questions in a separate 1:1 meeting afterwards.

How to Make Your Kickoff a Success? Watch My Five Top Tips

Join my online course “Real-World Project Management”

Project Kickoff Template

You don’t need to create your slides from scratch. I have a simple template for you which you can download here in PPT format. It already has the agenda structure I’ve used in this article!

Why create YOUR KICKOFF DECK from scratch?

Get our kickoff template​.

• Includes all sections for your kickoff meeting
• With REAL project data (so you know exactly what to enter)
• Easy to adjust timeline and org chart
• Comments with tips on every slide
• 14-page Powerpoint file

Learn from the best! These senior project managers share their best tips on running project kickoffs

Megan o’malley, senior project manager (pmp) from ohio.

If you surprise people [with your project], they get defensive and feel blind-sided, which is not good.

Being as confident as possible will help keep you on task to lead the team.

Guy Coulson, senior project manager from South Africa

If you let people decide what or how they want something, it often brings better results than dictating how it must happen.

Roy Macaraig – Project Manager Digital Transformation

Do you have any further questions.

Got A Question? Need Some Help?

Have a question about this article? Need some assistance with this topic (or anything else)?  Send it in and I’ll get back to you personally. 

Hi! I'm Adrian, former Senior IT Project Manager and founder of Tactical Project Manager. I created the site to help you become an excellent project leader and manage intense projects with success!

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• Project planning |
• 10 steps to supercharge your project k ...

10 steps to supercharge your project kickoff meeting

You’ve put a lot of effort into getting your project off the ground—yet so often, it can feel like a project is off track before it even begins. That’s because every project team member and stakeholder brings different knowledge, expectations, and priorities to a project. If you don’t provide a chance for them to get on the same page before the work begins, the rest of the project will be an uphill battle no matter how much you try to course correct. Luckily, there’s a better way: project kickoff meetings.

What is a project kickoff meeting?

A project kickoff meeting is a chance to meet with team members and stakeholders before the project starts to align on key details and get buy-in on critical milestones. Plan to host your project kickoff meeting after you've gotten your  project charter  approved and created your project plan, but before you've actually started working on the project. When you host a kickoff meeting, you’ll outline your project purpose, goals, plan, and more—while also making time for team members to ask questions and clarify any next steps. At the end of a kickoff meeting, the entire team should have a shared understanding about what you’re working on, why, and how the work will be accomplished.

What is the purpose of a kickoff meeting? Do I really need one?

In a word: yes. Kickoff meetings are an invaluable way to communicate key project information to your team and give them an opportunity to ask questions live. Unlike sharing these details in a project plan or over email, hosting a project kickoff reduces the odds of miscommunication and ensures everyone is starting the project from the same place. Without a kickoff meeting, team members and stakeholders could have misaligned project expectations, which leads to  scope creep  and, in the worst-case scenario, project failure.

That doesn’t mean you need to host identical kickoff meetings for every project. Some projects, like customer-facing work or complex initiatives, will benefit from a formalized kickoff with significant prep—like a robust presentation or even a demo, depending on the project type. Other projects, like those that involve fewer stakeholders or are more straightforward, could have a less formal kickoff meeting without a deck or a presentation.

Types of kickoff meetings

Not every kickoff meeting looks the same. In general, every type of project kickoff meeting should include most of the same ingredients—but knowing the various types of project kickoffs can help you decide how formal or informal the kickoff meeting needs to be.

Internal project kickoff meeting

This is the project kickoff in its simplest form. The goal for an internal project kickoff meeting is to get the project team aligned and on the same page, and to provide an opportunity for them to ask questions before the project has started. Like any kickoff meeting, prepare materials in advance, but don’t worry about polishing your meeting.

Example projects:

Product marketing launch

Web production

Usability testing plan

Required materials:

A project plan  that outlines key details of your project, including success metrics, project schedule, stakeholders, etc.

SMART project objectives that capture what you will achieve by the end of your project.

A defined project scope  to set clear boundaries on what work is and isn’t part of this project.

A visual project timeline with any relevant project milestones to identify when key work will be completed.

In addition to sharing these materials during the project kickoff, plan to store project information in a central work management platform. That way, every team member has easy access to key project documents.

Executive sponsor project kickoff meeting

If your project or program has executive sponsors, you’ll likely want to host a higher-level kickoff meeting to get all executive leaders on the same page. In this type of kickoff meeting, plan to focus heavily on the project’s purpose and goals, as well as how the project will impact company objectives.

During this kickoff meeting, you shouldn’t spend too much time on individual milestones or details about the project. You’ll likely still want to hold an internal project kickoff meeting for your project team.

Product roadmap

Marketing campaign (without an agency)

Software or systems deployment

A clearly-articulated project purpose, which connects the business impact of this project to company goals.

If applicable, the business case  you created for this initiative.

Succinct project objectives to show stakeholders what you will achieve by the end of your project.

A   project plan  that outlines key details of your project, including success metrics, project schedule, stakeholders, etc.

A project roadmap , which should serve as a high-level timeline of important project blocks.

An executive summary  with all of this key project information. Plan to present the high-level version of the executive summary, then share the document with stakeholders so they can read more details after the kickoff.

A formal presentation or deck.

External or client-facing project kickoff meeting

If you’re working on a client-facing project, you’ll need to host a kickoff meeting between your project team and key stakeholders on the client side to align on project goals and deliverables. This should be the most polished version of your project kickoff meeting.

This type of project kickoff is your chance to set expectations and develop a shared understanding of the project goals. During this kickoff meeting, plan to spend some time introducing the project team, aligning on how frequently you and your client will be communicating, and clarifying what effective collaboration looks like. Make sure you and the client understand when they should be looped in to review your work or how you should communicate project progress.

Marketing campaign (with an agency)

Event planning

A   project brief  or creative brief , depending on the type of work.

A clearly-defined project scope  to set clear boundaries on what work is and isn’t part of this project.

A project roadmap , which should serve as a high-level timeline of important project blocks and include any relevant

  project milestones .

A list of project stakeholders  with their respective roles.

Where your team will communicate (e.g. Slack, email, Asana), as well as how you’ll share project status reports .

Agile project kickoff meetings

Most  Agile teams  run their projects in sprints, which are two- or four-week cycles of work. You don’t need a project kickoff for every sprint—in fact, doing so would slow your team down. But you should plan a project kickoff meeting at least once a year to ensure everyone on the team is aligned. Additionally, if your team starts a new project or if you onboard a new team member, you should host a project kickoff meeting to get everyone up to speed.

The Agile project kickoff meeting is a chance to make sure your team have everything they need during a sprint, so you can use your  sprint planning  and  sprint retrospective  meetings to focus on continuous improvement.

Success criteria, including what “done” means for your team.

Formalized team roles, especially if your team runs Scrum .

A list of which team ceremonies you host and when they take place.

A clear communication plan of where and how your team should communicate (e.g. Slack, email, Asana).

Your team’s daily standup meeting  agenda.

10 steps for a successful project kickoff meeting

As the project manager of a key initiative, it’s your responsibility to plan and present during the project kickoff. Similarly, if you’re running a  larger program  and planning a kickoff for that body of work, you’ll likely be the person driving the meeting—though you can count on the individual project leads to present their information.

If you’ve never planned a kickoff meeting—don’t worry! Here are 10 steps to hosting a successful kickoff meeting.

1. Prepare for the meeting

The first step to hosting a project kickoff meeting is to decide who needs to be there and how long the meeting should be. The level and detail of preparation will depend on how formal the kickoff meeting needs to be—are you inviting executive stakeholders or external partners? Or is this an informal kickoff with your core project team? As you prepare for the meeting:

Finalize the invite list. By now you should know what type of project kickoff meeting you’re hosting, which should inform who attends the meeting. Before you send that meeting invite, make sure to go over the attendee list one more time to ensure you’ve included all relevant project stakeholders .

Schedule a time (and duration). Make sure to save time for questions.

Assign a note taker. Make sure someone other than you is taking notes in case there are stakeholders who can’t make the meeting. If you’re meeting virtually, consider recording the meeting as well, so team members who are unable to attend can catch up later.

Create a meeting agenda. By sending out a meeting agenda ahead of time, you can ensure everyone is prepared for the project kickoff. Your meeting agenda is also a great chance to share any materials, like the project plan and timeline, that you’d like attendees to review before the meeting.

Example project kickoff meeting agenda

2. Make introductions

If this is the first meeting with the project team, there’s a chance some people on the team haven’t worked together before. Start the meeting with some introductions or  icebreaker questions  to help everyone get to know each other.

3. Start with the project’s purpose

The most important thing to align on during the project kickoff meeting is what you are working towards, and why this work matters. According to a  recent study , only 26% of employees have a very clear understanding of how their individual work relates to company goals. Without this clarity, team members don’t know what work to prioritize or  how to manage shifting priorities .

When you share your project purpose, take some time to explain how the project connects to broader business and organizational goals. Answer the questions “Why are we working on this?” and “What are we working towards?” Later in the meeting, you’ll have a chance to dive into project details and specific workflows, but sharing the project’s purpose at the onset of the meeting is the best way to get everyone on the same page.

Project purpose example

The purpose of this project is to increase brand awareness in NAMER and EMEA through a digital brand campaign in Q3.

4. Share the project plan

Ideally, you’ve already shared the project plan in the meeting agenda so team members had the chance to read it over before the meeting. During the project kickoff meeting, you don’t need to go over every little detail of the project plan—instead, focus on key information like the project timeline, important milestones, or key deliverables.

Example project plan

5. Outline the project scope

One of the most important things to discuss as a group is what’s in scope—and equally as important, what’s out of scope. Make sure everyone has the same expectations going in, so there aren’t any last-minute surprises or changing deliverables as the project goes on. Clarifying the project scope early and often is the best way to prevent  scope creep , which can delay or even derail your project.

Project scope example

Project Objective:  Launch display and video ads in Q3 to increase brand awareness in NAMER and EMEA.

Brand design team (six people), 15 hours per week for four weeks

$50,000 media spend budget

Deliverables:

Landing page design

Display ads (two variations for A/B testing), sized according to display spec sheet

Video spots (6 and 30 second spots), sized according to video spec sheet

Creative requirements:  Display

Shows logo and CTA throughout animation

Both static and HTML5 banners are needed

Features branding within first 5 seconds

Includes voiceover

Landing page

Ads and landing page should create a consistent visual experience

Out of scope:

Translating brand campaign assets

6. Establish project roles and responsibilities

You might not have to do this for a straightforward internal project, but if your project team has never worked together before or if you’re working with an external partner, make sure everyone is aligned on roles and responsibilities. Who is the main point of contact for the project? Does this project have a sponsor or executive leader? Is there an approver—or a group of approvers?

Different stakeholders need to be looped in at different stages of the project. If your project team isn’t clear on roles and responsibilities during the kickoff meeting, consider creating and sharing a  RACI chart  as an action item.

Example project roles

Responsible: Daniela Vargas

Accountable: Kabir Mandan

Consulted: Kat Mooney, Ray Brooks

Informed: Avery Lomax

7. Share where you’ll track project data and real-time updates

The average knowledge worker spends  60% of their time  on work about work like chasing information and searching for documents. All of this work about work means your team has less time to focus on their high-impact work.

To reduce work about work and empower your team to be effective, make sure you have a central source of truth for all key project work. When all of your project information is in one easy-to-find place, your team can quickly locate project documents, get real-time project updates, check on relevant project milestones, and stay updated on  project deliverables .

8. Make time for questions

After the kickoff, your project team may have questions about something you presented, like the scope of the project or certain task expectations. Make sure to leave plenty of time at the end of the kickoff meeting to answer any questions. Remember: the goal of the project kickoff is for everyone to leave the meeting on the same page and ready to get started.

9. Outline next steps

The last part of your project kickoff meeting should answer the question, “What comes next?” At this point, you should clarify where this work is being documented, and go over any action items that were captured in this meeting. It might also help to quickly outline what your team will be doing first.

Moving forward, clarify where and how you’ll share project status updates. Having too many meetings was one of the  top three barriers to productivity in 2021 . Instead of scheduling in-person or virtual status meetings, consider sharing  project status reports  virtually through a work management system. That way, team members can continue to efficiently align and connect over any new changes.

10. Post-meeting to-dos

Congratulations—the meeting is over! After you wrap up, ask the note taker to share any meeting notes in your shared project. If you met virtually, make sure to share the meeting recording and/or transcript as well. Finally, if there were any action items from the meeting, make sure those are captured and assigned to the relevant team member.

After the kickoff meeting... what's next?

Once you’ve held your project kickoff meeting, you’re ready to get started on your project work. The best way to maintain alignment and clarity after your project kickoff is to maintain a central source of truth and collaboration—like a  work management tool . By sharing all of your work, status updates, and messages in one place, you can not only get team members on the same page—you can keep them there.

Learn more about how  Asana  can help you organize work so your team knows what to do, why it matters, and how to get it done.

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Project Kickoff Meeting: How to Write a Kickoff Meeting Agenda

Project managers put a lot of time and effort into researching the viability of their project. But all that work is pointless if they don’t communicate the purpose of the project to their team and clients. That’s why a kickoff meeting is so important.

A kickoff meeting puts everyone on the same page. The team and client know the mission statement, the vision statement and the project plan . It’s all part of the meeting agenda and makes sure the project team starts off on the right foot.

What Is a Project Kickoff Meeting?

The project kickoff meeting communicates the project goals and objectives to ensure the project team and client are clear on what they should be doing in the project.

This activity is part of the project initiation phase. A kickoff meeting is usually led by the project manager. Often, there is an internal kickoff meeting with just the project team, with a later, external kickoff meeting that includes the project client, project sponsor or stakeholder.

In the meeting, the project manager explains the project scope, background information and project timeline to the team. A kickoff meeting should set the right tone for the project as it moves into the execution, monitoring and controlling phases. A well-run kickoff meeting could lead to a successful project completion.

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What Is the Purpose of a Kickoff Meeting?

A kickoff meeting is primarily used to get the project team on the same page. In this project meeting , project managers explain common goals to keep in mind as the team executes their tasks. It sets up project success.

The kickoff meeting also lets the project manager introduce the project team. It’s important that everyone knows who they’re working with and what their roles and responsibilities are. This avoids conflicts later in the project that can delay work and threaten the project timeline.

The team can ask the project manager questions until they have a clear understanding of what’s expected from them before the project starts . Because this meeting occurs in person, and not over email or shared documents, you reduce the chance of miscommunication. This helps to avoid scope creep down the line.

There’s a lot of information shared during the kickoff meeting, including what project management software the team will be using. ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management tool that has unlimited file storage to keep documents in a centralized hub that’s easily accessible by the team. They can use multiple project views to attach relevant documents to their tasks to keep them on track. Try ProjectManager today for free!

Kickoff Meeting Agenda Example

A kickoff meeting is different depending on the type of project. Some are more structured and formal, where the project manager does a lot of preparation prior to having the kickoff meeting. Smaller projects may have a kickoff meeting without a demo or a deck.

One thing is common, regardless of what sort of kickoff meeting it is; the agenda. More often than not, the kickoff agenda features the following items, all of which are crucial to a well-done kickoff meeting.

1. Project Background

Part of the project proposal, the project background is a history of the project and how it came to be. It shows the research that led to greenlighting, and why the project is necessary.

This includes the why, where and how of your project implementation. You’ve detailed the current situation, what the problem is and how the project solves it. This is all backed by reliable data. The project background is used in a project proposal to get approval from stakeholders. It also helps put the project in context during the project kickoff.

2. Project Scope Overview

The project scope overview is a detailed description of the project work your team must complete to have a successful project. The terms of this work are defined by the project timeline and the project budget .

By understanding the objectives and requirements necessary to complete the project, project managers can more accurately forecast cost and time. By explaining the project scope to the project team, they have a better idea of the constraints on the tasks they’ll be assigned to execute.

3. Project Timeline Overview

The project’s deliverables are laid out on a chronological timeline, which acts as a roadmap for the project. This is the backbone of any project schedule and should include milestones, tasks, any dependencies and due dates at a minimum.

The project timeline overview is critical for the team, as they’ll be tasked with meeting those deadlines and making those deliverables. Therefore, this information must be clearly communicated. There should be no confusion from anyone on the project team about what must be done.

Make a project timeline in minutes with ProjectManager’s Gantt charts. Get started for free today!

4. Risk Management Overview

When making the project plan, a project manager will have to develop a risk management plan as well. This is the process of analyzing risks that could occur during the project. Then, you make a determination on what steps will be necessary to respond to these issues when they arise.

You prioritize risk based on how they impact the project. That’s how you develop a risk mitigation strategy, which includes who will be responsible for which risk if it occurs. The project team must be aware of who has ownership of risks and catch these issues quickly.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

The project manager is responsible for defining the roles and responsibilities of the project team. That is, the team member’s position on the team, the tasks they’re assigned and the duties of their particular role in relation to the larger team and the project.

This is basically a job description. It must be disseminated to the project team during the kickoff meeting. It gives an overview of the job, a list of responsibilities and what that person is authorized to do. Also included is who they report to, so there is a clear chain of command.

6. Project Management Methods and Tools

There are many ways to manage a project. That includes a more traditional methodology such as waterfall, an iterative agile approach or a hybrid that seamlessly connects different work management styles . You also must choose a project management tool that fits the methodology used.

The project team must know how the project is being managed and what their part will be, including the project management software tool they’ll be using. In some cases, this will require a period of training for the team to get them to understand the methodology and how to use the project tools. All of this will be discussed at the kickoff meeting.

How to Run a Project Kickoff Meeting

That’s a lot of information to pass on to the project team. How can you make sure that everyone walks out of the kickoff meeting with that knowledge intact? Here are a few pointers to make sure you run a project kickoff meeting successfully:

• Prepare: You thoroughly researched and documented the project during the initiation phase in order to sell it to your stakeholders, now you have to do the same to the project team. That includes making sure everyone attends, having someone taking notes to share later and having an agenda to make sure you don’t forget anything critical.
• Introduce Yourself and the Team: This is the first time the entire project team has been assembled, so take some time to have everyone introduce themselves. It’s not a bad idea to schedule a bit of time for some icebreaker questions to facilitate the necessary intimacy for better teamwork.
• Define the Project: Make sure the team is clear on what the purpose of the project is and how the project mission statement relates to the larger company’s goals and objectives. To make sure everyone understands, take time to answer any questions the team might have.
• Hand Out the Project Plan: The project plan should be a handout in the kickoff meeting, including the budget timeline, but now you can go over it in detail and make sure everyone understands the topline information, such as the project timeline, key milestones and deliverables.
• Define Project Scope: Make sure the team knows the project scope and key project information. This helps avoid scope creep by managing the team’s expectations.
• Share Roles and Responsibilities: If the team has a history together, this step might not be as important, but it’s crucial for new teams to understand their relationships with one another.
• Explain Central Source of Truth: Have a central source of truth for the team to know the status of the project. That is, the team needs a shared place with real-time data so everyone is always clear on the project’s status and their place in it.
• Ask Questions, Next Steps and To-Do Lists: Before wrapping up, open the floor to any questions to make sure everyone is clear on what has been shared at the kickoff meeting. Take some time to explain what will happen next, including any post-kickoff meeting to-do lists for the team. Our free action items template can help.

This project kickoff template helps you define the key topics that you’ll need to go over with your project management team before the project starts such as the project background, scope, timeline and roles and responsibilities.

Next Steps After Your Project Kickoff Meeting

Speaking of those next steps, they are an important springboard following the kickoff meeting to send the team into action. This is when the execution phase of the project begins. It’s a milestone that has probably been noted in the project plan.

While there will be frequent meetings throughout the project, the kickoff meeting is unique in that it involves the entire project team. It’s unlikely that everyone will be assembled at the same time and place again. This is why having the right project management software is so important.

As noted above, a central source of truth is key to keeping everyone on the project team connected. It should update in real time and provide transparency into the process. This means that everyone knows what everyone else is doing and how they fit into that picture. It’s the best way to avoid bottlenecks, block other team members and keep the project on track.

How ProjectManager Can Help After your Kickoff Meeting

ProjectManager is a cloud-based work management software that plans, monitors and reports in real time to keep hybrid teams working together better to meet the project purpose. ProjectManager is designed with multiple project views that allow teams to work how they want, regardless of their level of expertise, location or methodology.

Plan Ahead on Interactive Gantt Charts

Managers have the features they need to plan ahead with the project mission on interactive Gantt charts that organize tasks, link dependencies and add milestones. But they can also filter for the critical path and set a baseline to track project variance in real time. The project plan can then be shared with teams and stakeholders so everyone always knows what they’re doing and how it fits into the big picture.

Manage Work on Kanban Boards

Team members can use the task list, calendar or kanban board project views to manage their own work and stay productive. Kanban boards visualize workflow for the agile team that needs to manage their backlog and plan sprints. Meanwhile, managers get visibility into their team’s process and can reallocate resources as needed to prevent bottlenecks and costly delays.

Track Performance in Real-Time

Progress and performance are always on-screen with live dashboards. There’s no time-consuming configuration needed. Data is collected and the numbers are crunched automatically. Then, they’re displayed on easy-to-read graphs and charts showing costs, time and other project metrics.

Everything you need to follow in a kickoff meeting to project success is in ProjectManager. From one-click reports that can be filtered and shared to email and in-app notifications to keep everyone always updated, resource management features and more, ProjectManager is the only hybrid work management tool you’ll ever need.

ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that organizes work to keep you productive from kickoff meetings to project closure. Join the tens of thousands of teams that are already using our software at organizations as diverse as NASA, Siemens and Nestle. Try ProjectManager today for free!

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How to run a proper project kickoff meeting (with sample agenda)

Initiative kickoff is a critical event in product development.

Do it well, and you’ll kickstart the whole process and increase the odds of succeeding. Do it poorly and, at the very best, you are off to a slow start.

There are many types of kickoffs. They are:

• Internal meeting of the product team
• Technical meeting of the development team
• Alignment meeting with an external product owner
• Formal meeting with the client
• Initial workshop with subject matter experts

For the sake of this article, I’ll assume the most common type of a kickoff — one done with a product manager or a stakeholder/sponsor that’s external to the team.

Why should you do an initiative kickoff?

I am a skeptic when it comes to meetings. Most product managers attend or organize too many of them when many of them are unnecessary.

But, initiative kickoff is not among them. The benefits of the meeting easily outweigh its costs.

A typical kickoff has three objectives:

Kickoff as an icebreaker

Kickoff as an alignment meeting, kickoff as a starting point.

If the whole team already knows each other and works together then that is great, but most teams don’t.

Different initiatives require different skills and expertise. Even if the majority of the team stays constant, a new stakeholder and a new subject matter expert are enough to change the team dynamics.

A kickoff meeting gives a formal opportunity for people to get to know each other, (re)define their work and communication style, and see how the new team setup performs together.

Kickoff is a great opportunity to get everyone on the same page.

You probably shared some documentation, business objectives, and proposed roadmap before the meeting. But, let’s be honest; most of the team either doesn’t read that or just skims through it briefly.

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Even if they dig deeper into initiative details, they often have doubts, fill gaps with their assumptions, and might develop a perspective different from yours.

The kickoff meeting allows everyone to share their perspective, ask questions, and clarify all loose ends. Stakeholders can provide additional context and narrative, and everyone can clarify their doubts.

Everyone should be on the same page and clearly understand the “why” behind the initiative. Kickoff helps to do just that.

Starting is always the hardest. The backlog is empty, the scope isn’t refined, and the immediate next steps aren’t clear.

Kickoff helps to break through that.

One of the goals of the kickoff is to leave with a clearly defined list of next steps, which should lead to further next steps. It works as a spark that starts the fire.

Kickoff preparation

Kickoff is often a meeting when people who don’t fully know each other come together to discuss an initiative they don’t fully understand.

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To make sure it doesn’t turn into a disorganized, wasteful meeting, make sure to prepare. A 30-minute recap before the meeting is not enough.

There are a few areas you should focus on the most:

Go through all known documentation and resources

List questions, doubts, and assumptions, meet key people before the meeting.

The whole team should try to get as much context as possible. It will allow them to ask better questions, participate in discussions, and understand various topics better. Without that, all you can do is a PPT explainer presentation, and that’s not a kickoff.

While going through all resources, you’ll probably have some doubts and questions. That is good; list them out, but don’t stop there. Spend some intentional time fishing for any gaps in your understanding or concept. The more you clarify on kickoff, the better.

Meet with the key stakeholders, your tech lead, and whoever takes a lead role in the initiative before the kickoff. Clarify the objectives of the meeting, and try to sort out any doubts they have. If you already have questions and doubts, share them with them. It’ll help them come better prepared for the meeting.

The better prepared you are, the more you’ll get out of the meeting.

Kickoff meeting agenda

During the kickoff, you should make sure you:

Have an icebreaker

Align understanding, define constraints, discuss risks, plan baseline processes and communication, plan the next steps.

How much time to spend on each and whether the kickoff should last an hour or two days depends heavily on a specific context.

The more you prepare, the better you’ll know how much time to reserve for every section.

Make sure everyone in the room understands who is who. For new teams, I would even consider sticky notes with their roles or adding them as a nickname (e.g., “Bart – PM”). It helps put new knowledge in a better context.

When someone proposes an idea, flags a risk, or disagrees with someone, it’s easier to understand where they’re coming from or their way of thinking if you know what their role in this initiative is.

Also, accommodate some time for casual warm-up activities, such as Impromptu Networking . It’ll help people transition from other contexts, energize them, and help them get to know each other.

To have a fruitful discussion, you have to get everyone on the same page. Stay on a high level, though. It’s better to leave more detailed questions and discussions for later once everyone has the same final picture in mind.

The questions you should seek to answer include:

• What exactly do you want to achieve? What’s the end vision?
• Why do you want to achieve that?
• For whom do you do that? Which user persona/client?
• What are the criteria for success? How will you measure it?
• How was the idea born? In what context do you operate?

Now that you know the what, why, and how behind the initiative, let’s discuss the limitations. There are always some.

There are usually three types of limitations:

In an ideal scenario, a team should be able to define the initiative’s scope as they see fit to meet the expected outcome, but that is not always the case.

There might be a contract in place that makes some part of the scope fixed, or the security/privacy requirements might make some things not negotiable.

While having 100 percent of the scope fixed is an anti pattern leading to a feature factory, there’s rarely full flexibility too. Make sure you are all on the same page about what’s within the team’s capacity to define and what is non-negotiable.

Also, understand what would happen if you don’t deliver some part of the scope. It’ll help you manage risks better. Sometimes, not delivering a “must have” feature means a major client will join the service later. Sometimes, it makes the whole product not compliant with the law and renders it unusable. There’s a big difference in severity between these two.

How much time do you have to achieve the initial goal?

Try to understand when the initiative should be completed and, most importantly, why?

What would happen if you went over the timeline?

“Deadline” means an entirely different thing when talking about:

• Some dream dates set by the C-suite
• Time-limited market opportunity
• Regulatory or contract-related obligation

How flexible are you when it comes to resources?

Can you add new people if needed? Or outsource some part of the work?

Also, discuss the long-term maintenance costs. I know it’s hard to predict, but you need some baseline assumptions. The team will prioritize different solutions when they have to keep cloud costs below $500/month as opposed to when scalability is the top priority.

Now that you understand the big picture and constraints, it’s time to discuss risks. Some of them you probably spotted during the prep work, and some came from previous sections.

There are different ways to do risk prediction exercises. You could try a post-mortem, for example. Meaning that you imagine the initiative was a total failure and tried to list all the ways that contributed to that. It’s also a pretty fun exercise.

The goal is not to map all possible risks . Risk management is a continuous process. The objective is to identify the biggest ones that can break the whole initiative and should be monitored and tackled from day one.

A kickoff is an opportunity to set some cooperation basics. Some questions to answer here include:

• What framework do you plan to use to deliver the initiative?
• When do you want to meet for planning, refinements, and reviews?
• What communication channels do you plan to use?
• How do you intend to manage plans, roadmap , and budget?

Once again, the goal here is not to discover a perfect way of working. It takes months for a team to find out a system that works best for them.

The goal is to have enough basics in place to start.

You know your kickoff was great if people not only understand the initiative but also what they should do next.

It doesn’t have to be a very detailed or long-term plan. Next steps can be to, for example:

• Update the initiative documentation
• Prepare for the refinement tomorrow
• Use the refinement outcome to make the first sprint planning the next day is good enough

Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be one meeting. It could be a series of smaller meetings.

You could align people in one meeting, then let them prepare to discuss risks and constraints in a second meeting, and then give them time to propose an action plan you’ll confirm on the third one.

If done well, a kickoff helps everyone be on the same page, understand the problem better, and kickstart their work in a good atmosphere.

It’s such a critical meeting that it deserves a lot of preparation from everyone. The effectiveness of the meeting depends on the quality of the preparation.

The goal of the kickoff is to break the ice, align everyone, discuss constraints, risks, processes, and expectations, and leave with clear next steps.

Don’t fret too much, though. Although some people treat kickoff as a super-formal, serious ceremony, it works best when held in a casual and friendly atmosphere. Think of it as just a bunch of colleagues chatting about a shared topic.

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How to Run a Perfect Kickoff Meeting

Updated: March 26, 2024

Published: September 19, 2023

Starting your project without a kickoff meeting is like hiking without a map. Sure, you might enjoy some cool trails, but you'll probably get lost without a map and a clear plan.

The same happens when launching projects without a kickoff meeting. Only with solid communication and a plan can you keep your project on track. It’s like a GPS helping you reach your destination.

Let’s learn more about it.

Table of Contents

What is a kickoff meeting?

The benefits of kickoff meetings, 4 types of kickoff meetings, how to run a successful kickoff meeting, 6 kickoff meeting best practices.

A kickoff meeting sets the stage for success by clarifying project goals, defining roles and responsibilities, and outlining the project timeline.

Altogether, this results in smooth project execution. Think of it as the official start of your project — like the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

There are two types of kickoffs — internal and external . Internal kickoffs focus on aligning the internal team, while external kickoffs bring together external stakeholders or partners involved in the project.

It's helpful to review best practices for effective meetings before we walk through the benefits of kickoffs. Here's what you should know. 

1. Improved Alignment and Communication

The beauty of kickoff meetings? They allow everyone to share their priorities, insights, and plans. This means your team can align and agree on critical elements from the get-go.

Sage Journals conducted a community-based study highlighting the importance of kickoff events for research projects.

These events involve collaborating throughout each meeting stage, building relationships by challenging each other's perspectives, and sharing expertise.

Kickoff meetings are suggested to facilitate dialogue among team members and promote equitable partnerships.

Pro tip: Open up a dialogue to tap into your team’s collective expertise, generate valuable insights, and foster a sense of shared ownership.

2. Streamlined Project Planning and Execution

Kickoffs are like the starting whistle of a game — you assign roles and recognize potential conflicts.

This helps a team save an immense amount of energy and time, allowing you to hit the ground running with a solid project management plan in place.

Heather Negley strengthens this point in her book titled The Salesforce Consultant’s Guide: Tools to Implement or Improve Your Client’s Salesforce Solution :

“The kickoff meeting is one of the most important meetings on a project.

It is the time that the team makes the all-important first impression and talks to the client about their goals for the project. The project methodology is also taught to the client.

“During discovery, the project team conducts business analysis using a variety of techniques to gain an understanding of the current and future processes. Project members write users’ stories to prepare for the build phase.”

3. Clear Milestones and Deadlines

Picture a group of highly motivated individuals coming together to turn a plan into reality.

They meticulously execute each milestone from the planning stage to the final tests, keeping an eye on the clock and communicating openly about their progress.

This level of collaboration ensures a seamless process and timely delivery of the finished product. Jean Kang , strategic program manager at Figma , says:

“Launch your program with a bang by hosting a 30-min kickoff meeting.

• Set goals, introduce team members, and establish an execution plan.
• Define sources of truth for resources, who to go to for what, and the right comms channels (Slack, Intake form, Microsite).
• Share the decision-making framework like DACI, RACI, or RAPID.”

4. Early Feedback

The top five project management tools and techniques most commonly used are the “kickoff meeting,” “progress meetings,” “progress reports,” “requirements analysis,” and “activity list,” according to João Varajão, Gabriela Fernandes, and Hélio Silva.

These methods are vital for project success as they enable teams to receive early feedback and make necessary adjustments in real time , leading to more accurate and efficient project completion.

Pro tip: Use Slido’s emoji cloud to pose simple questions and get feedback by using emojis. With this gamification, you can collect qualitative and quantitative feedback and mitigate any tense and uncomfortable feelings.

According to Neumeyer, the key to a great kickoff is positive energy. By embracing challenges and setbacks with a “can-do” attitude, you can motivate your team and lay the foundation for a successful project.

2. Define goals.

Success means different things for every company and team, so ask yourself what the definition of success is and share it with everyone. Set a measurable goal so that team members can automatically take action and make efforts to achieve it.

Ask team members how the project can be successful, discuss the targets for each metric, and determine how to measure everything.

“A big part of any successful kickoff meeting is defining goals for the entire project. You should take this time to explain why this particular project is important and how it fits into the overall goal or mission of your company.

By doing so, everyone on the team will understand why their work matters — and be more motivated to complete their tasks accordingly,” says Thad Heiges , U.S. government contracts project manager at ANDECO Institute and PMs coach.

3. Keep tabs on how everyone feels.

Sometimes, certain members may feel that the project is veering off course or may be disappointed by the lack of collaboration. Of course, no project manager wants to have disengaged or apathetic team members.

Pro tip: We recommend sharing thoughts and feelings after the meeting to make sure everyone is aligned. If you notice a team member behaves somewhat off, take them on 1:1 as soon as possible to hear and resolve the cause.

Also, consider Stephanie Middaugh’s creative way of getting feedback from teams after events or training.

Stephanie, CEO at Phoenix GTM Consulting, turned a Kahoot! quiz into a survey and found most of the sales team wanted straightforward information.

Middaugh says it’s important to adapt to the current tough times and use various methods to gather feedback.

4. Share assignments in advance.

Share all essential documents with your team before the kickoff.

Instead of sending a dull email with a pile of attachments, organize materials in one knowledge hub. Encourage team members to explore it beforehand, ask questions, and share their thoughts.

5. Support engagement.

Yes, you might be the project manager. But that doesn’t mean that only you should talk during the meetings.

Encourage your team and stakeholders to share their thoughts and ideas. They might surprise you with their brilliant contributions.

Pro tip: Consider giving different team members a chance to run different sections of a kickoff. This not only takes some pressure off you but also makes the meeting more interactive and enjoyable for everyone involved.

6. Send a follow-up email.

Strike while the iron is hot and shoot off a follow-up email within 24 hours of a meeting. Don’t wait until your conversation partner has forgotten all about your interaction.

Use a follow-up template:

Hi everyone,

What a great kickoff meeting we had! I’m lucky to be leading such a fantastic and motivated team. Let’s keep the ball rolling by recapping our discussion and highlighting our next steps.

• Recap. During the meeting, we covered [the project timeline, team roles and responsibilities, and potential roadblocks]. We also brainstormed some creative ideas for our project deliverables and discussed ways to stay on track and communicate effectively. These are: …
• Next steps. Over the next few days, I’ll be sending out detailed action items and assignments based on our discussion. We’ll be scheduling our next team meeting to review our progress and stay connected on [date].

A big thank you to everyone for contributing to our successful kickoff meeting. Our achievements are a team effort.

Finalize Your Kickoff Like a Boss

Boom! You’re now armed with the tools, templates, and frameworks to take charge of your kickoff like a boss. Let your energy and enthusiasm shine through and make everyone feel valued and inspired.

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What is a project kick-off? A project kick-off meeting is the first meeting with the project team and the client of the project where applicable. This meeting is the time to establish common goals and the purpose of the project. Starting a project without a kick-off meeting is like setting off on a trip without any concrete plan. You’re likely to see some cool things along the way, but you’ll probably end your vacation with some weary travelers and a fairly sparse photo album. A good project kick-off meeting sets the course for a successful and smooth project collaboration.

Why should you have a project kickoff?

As the first meeting between the project team members and possibly the client or sponsor, the project kick-off is the best time to set expectations and foster strong team morale. Usually, the kick-off takes place after the statement of work or project poster has been finalized and all parties are ready to go. 

Your kick-off is an opportunity to orient the team to the work at hand, decide how everyone will work together, and establish common project goals and check-ins. Think about discussing things like how you’ll communicate, how often you’ll meet , what the timeline is, and what could slow the project down (and how to avoid that).

Planning your project kick-off meeting

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail, they say. There’s nothing worse than showing up to a meeting with someone who hasn’t taken the time to prepare for it. Make sure you avoid losing face by planning your project kick-off meeting well.

A project kick-off meeting shouldn’t be an “information broadcast.” If you need to share background information in advance, do it on a shared document like a Confluence page . Project kick-off meetings should actively involve the team and anyone else who’s a stakeholder or whose work will be affected by the project.

Set up a meeting agenda to keep the meeting streamlined and efficient, try making a list of questions you want to ask your team. (Even better, send those questions to them ahead of the meeting so they’ll have time to think about their answers.) Prepare some answers based on questions you think your team might have.

Structuring the meeting

How you structure your meeting agenda depends on the project, but key elements should include the 5 W’s, or who , what , where , when , why and how : 

Introductions

• What’s the background of the project
• Why are you doing it 
• What is the project scope 
• What’s the action plan 
• Who’s doing what 
• How are you going to work together
• What does success look like 

Make sure you also cover what the agenda for the kick-off meeting with your team will look like and if there are any questions or anything that hasn’t been discussed.

What’s the difference between a project kick-off meeting with your team and with customers or clients?

It could be that the project you’re about to kick-off is internal, such as a new document management system rollout or the build of a new design feature . Or you’re about to start an external project for a client or customer. In both cases, the initial kick-off meeting has the same basic function; it’s a meeting to set the tone, style, and vision for the project as a whole, and to establish common goals, tasks, and timelines with your project team.

For client work, your project kick-off meeting will include introducing the team working on the project, talking the client through the project stages, and agreeing on how to effectively work together to successfully deliver the project. It’s a chance for your team to get a stronger contextual grounding in the project, to show their understanding and enthusiasm for the project, and set the stage for a positive working relationship with your client. 

What’s involved in a kick-off meeting?

So you’ve done your preplanning and you’re ready to start your kick-ass project kick-off meeting with your team. You’re so organized! Every project is different, but we recommend to trying to cover off these topics in your meeting:

Get the ball rolling. Don’t assume everyone knows each other, so let everyone introduce themselves, their role in the project, and what they’ll be delivering. Bonus points if you can think of a fun and quick icebreaker.

Statement of work, project scope, timeline, and deliverables

Out of everything you’re discussing during the project kick-off meeting, this is one of the most important parts. It solidifies what’s involved in the project and whether or not everyone is on the same page. 

The statement of work you submitted to the client describes the work you’ll deliver and by what deadline. 

The project scope includes a detailed description of project deliverables and the work needed to accomplish them. 

The project timeline is an overview of what is expected to be delivered and when. This can be as detailed as needed for your project. 

Deliverables are the actual items you will send to your customer or client, and they’re usually noted on the timeline.

Tracking progress/milestones and communicating them

During your kick-off meeting, establish a baseline for how you plan to share progress with your stakeholders or client. You can use a status report to show how the project is tracking on budget, tasks, milestones, and timeline. The status report should be available to all stakeholders and anyone whose work might be affected by the project, to make sure everyone is aware of the progress (or delays). For client projects, it’s important that your client agrees with the level of detail they will receive in the status reports to ensure easier invoicing and payments.

Tools and methods

Put together a set of collaboration tools you’ll be using during the project and decide with your team how you’ll be using them to communicate. How will you be sharing your status reports and other files? Aligning on these things early on will help to keep the project’s communication streamlined. It’s also helpful a to make sure your team or client can access whatever tools you decide to use to keep informed about the project. Some project tools you may use include:

• A work management system to track items in progress. Examples include Jira, Basecamp, or Asana.
• A shared document system to make sure everyone (including your client) has access to important project documents and information. Examples include Microsoft docs, Google docs, or you can use a document management system that has built-in hierarchy and organization tools like Confluence.
• A communication tool like email or Slack so that the teams can stay in touch about any questions or needs that emerge.  To make it easier to communicate between teams on cross-functional projects, a tool like Atlas features automated weekly digests for project statuses. This allows stakeholders to see a week-over-week view on how work progresses through an email digest or its integrations with Slack and MS Teams.

For client work, there may be other tools you’ll need access to before you can started. Think design assets like logos, fonts, or style guides, templates, databases, logins (to CMS, social, analytics, etc), access to your client’s intranet, and the correct details for invoicing.

Risk and issue management

Communicate with your team (and with the client) how you want to identify and respond to issues together. Even with the best planning, sometimes unexpected things pop up on a project. Good project risk management for both internal and external client projects means that you and your team will be continuously identifying, analyzing, prioritizing, and mitigating risks that could get in the way of delivering a project on time and on budget. This can include team members keeping a close eye on their billable hours and keeping on top of upcoming software updates or changes to technical tools used during the project.

It’s also a good idea to ask in your client kick-off meeting what their attitude is toward change, for instance when it comes to wiggle room in the budget.

Document your project kick-off

If you’re keen to get cracking on your own project kick-off, but you’re not quite sure where to start, a project plan template in Confluence can guide you in the right direction. Give our free project plan template a try to help you to define, manage, and track your next project, and keep stakeholders in the know.

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Kick-Off Meeting: A Guide on Conducting Project Kickoff Meeting

Fahad Usmani, PMP

October 11, 2022

A project kick-off meeting is one of the most important meetings for a project. You will have many meetings during the project life cycle with your stakeholders. Other meetings may involve you and your team members or include management and the client discussing the project status, issues, and plans. 

These meetings have significance; however, the kickoff meeting is unique because it sets the overall tone, creates team momentum, and establishes the big-picture project goal. 

The PMI introduced the kick-off meeting in the 6th edition of the PMBOK Guide as a tool and technique of the “Develop Project Management Plan” process.

Project Kick-off Meeting

Project kick-off is the first meeting for all the project stakeholders when starting a project or a new phase. 

This meeting can include high-level stakeholders, such as the project sponsor , management, the project manager, and team members. However, within the project team, the kick-off meeting involves the project manager and team members. This meeting allows the project manager to define common goals and build a consensus. 

A kick-off meeting is a valuable tool to motivate team members to achieve the project objectives .

The Purpose of a Kick-off Meeting

A project team comprises new members, so a familiarization session is essential for team unity and future project success. This session allows team members to get to know each other, build trust, and promote mutual understanding. 

In the session, you will discuss project objectives, assumptions, constraints , deliverables , challenges, methodologies, procedures, plans, working environment, each stakeholder’s roles, etc. 

A successful project kick-off meeting should set the tone for the project. It ensures that stakeholders are on the same page and have a common understanding of the project objectives, which helps them reach an agreement on how to work as a team. 

Furthermore, a kick-off meeting helps clients build a relationship with the project team and understand how the project will proceed.

Why Should You Have a Project Kick-off Meeting?

The kickoff meeting has the following benefits:

• It helps team members get to know each other.
• It shows the project manager’s authority and leadership skills.
• It helps team members understand the project objectives.
• It allows stakeholders to understand the project’s milestones, risks, assumptions, and constraints.
• It assists the project manager in gaining support from stakeholders.
• It provides attendees with an opportunity to clarify doubts.
• It gets stakeholders on the same page.

Let’s consider these benefits from the team’s perspective:

All your team members are new and unfamiliar with the work culture, project objectives, and roles in the organization’s goal.

This meeting is an opportunity for you to bond with all team members, introduce them to the ground rules and work culture, and make them aware of the project objectives.

Now, let’s look at the benefits from the client’s perspective:

Here you can set your client expectations, inform them about the reporting system, and change request procedures. You can create a bond between your team and the client.

The kick-off meeting creates a mutual culture among the team, establishes a common goal with the client, determines how everyone will work together, etc.

When Does the Kick-off Meeting Take Place?

The kick-off meeting takes place immediately after the initiation phase and includes all team members for small projects. 

Smaller projects only require one kick-off meeting. 

In larger projects, you will conduct the kick-off meeting when the planning is completed, and execution is about to start. If the project is multiphase, you can have a kick-off meeting at the beginning of each phase. 

If the project is spread across a large geographical area, you will have a virtual kick-off meeting so team members can communicate via the internet.

Internal vs External Kick-off Meeting

A kick-off meeting can be of two types:

• Internal kick-off meeting
• External kick-off meeting

Internal Kick-off Meeting

An internal kick-off meeting is a meeting with the project manager and the project team members. You hold this meeting to get to know your team members and let them know each other.

Here you define the ground rules and explain the work culture and project objectives.

You hold an internal kick-off meeting before the external kick-off meeting.

External Kick-off Meeting

The external kick-off meeting is held between the project management team and the client. 

Here, you introduce your key team members to the client, listen to their expectations, and inform them about the reporting procedure. 

Whether it is an internal or external kick-off meeting, the basic purpose is the same. Here, you provide the vision, set the project’s tone and style, and establish a common goal.

Planning the Project Kick-off Meeting

The first impression is the last, and the kick-off meeting is your first impression with your stakeholders. Therefore, you plan the kick-off meeting, ensuring it goes well and serves the purpose.

Although the kick-off meeting may be high-energy and fun, it is not informal. Prepare a formal agenda in advance, prepare the presentation, and let the team members know about it with enough time to prepare.

Prepare the list of questions, suggestions, and clarifications in advance so you can ask them in the meeting. 

Additionally, you should intentionally structure the meeting for maximum effectiveness.

Start with an introduction and then provide the project’s background information. You should explain the purpose of the project and why you are doing the project. You can provide a brief on the project scope , action plan, key project milestones, assumptions, constraints, key deliverables, and project output.

How Do You Conduct a Successful Kick-off Meeting?

To conduct a successful kickoff meeting, follow these three foundational steps:

Set the Agenda

Conduct the meeting, close the meeting.

You should decide beforehand on the topics to be discussed in the meeting. 

You will include an introductory session, introduce the project and its objectives, project milestones , assumptions, constraints, and a question-answer (Q&A) session at the end. 

Use detailed and engaging presentations to explain your reasoning. 

Send out this agenda before conducting the meeting so attendees can prepare and actively contribute. 

Introduce yourself and ask others to do the same. Afterward, you will tender the agenda and explain the topics to be discussed in the meeting. 

Explain the project, its objectives, a short brief on the project scope, and the roles and responsibilities of the team members. 

Discuss the communication and reporting system: for example, how to communicate information with the stakeholders. 

Explain the project charter and its contents. Remind the stakeholders that this is the initial stage, and you will require their help in developing a detailed project management plan . 

Set the expectations. For example, explain work assignments, rotation, leave procedures, etc. 

Discuss the critical stakeholders and their needs and roles. Explain the communication and reporting system. For example, specify the report formats and communication frequency. 

Finally, explain the project, its business needs, and why it is vital for the client and the company. Lead this part with the client, remembering that they probably don’t have project management experience and look to you for guidance. You should inform the client in advance so that they can prepare for the meeting. 

This is also a good time to discuss any significant risks or constraints the project may face and how you will overcome them.

In the end, hold a Q&A session and encourage participants to clarify doubts. This is an important opportunity to get more information and clarity about the project. 

Finally, thank the participants and ask them to contact you if they need clarification. 

After the meeting ends, you will prepare the meeting minutes and send them to the attendees and those who did not come to the meeting.

Remember the four key goals of the kick-off meeting:

• Introduces Stakeholders to Each Other: A kick-off meeting is the first meeting between project team members or team members with the client. This is a good opportunity for project managers to let all stakeholders know each other.
• Encourages Collaboration: When team members know each other and understand the skills of co-workers, they will collaborate better, and the working environment will thrive.
• Promotes Better Understanding of the Project Goal: The kick-off meeting is an opportunity for project managers to help team members understand the project goal and the organization’s vision. It helps team members align their goals with the organization’s goals.
• Provides Opportunity to Show Your Skills: Since this is your first meeting with your stakeholders, you can show your stakeholders your communication and leadership skills and how you will lead them to a successful project ending.

A kick-off meeting is a significant part of successful project completion. As this is the first meeting with the project team or the project team with the client, this is the opportunity to establish the common goal and the project’s purpose.

The kick-off meeting helps you execute and complete the project with minimal obstruction. This is a moment where you can demonstrate your abilities and build the stakeholders’ confidence in your project. This is where you set the stakeholders’ expectations for the project. 

This topic is important from a PMP exam point of view.

Have you ever led a kick-off meeting or taken part in one? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments section.

I am Mohammad Fahad Usmani, B.E. PMP, PMI-RMP. I have been blogging on project management topics since 2011. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources.

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Speech Kicking Off Project Meeting

When a large project is about to start, particularly one that involves people who don’t normally work together, it's a good idea to get them together in one place to make sure that everyone knows what's expected of them. The opening speech of a meeting like this, a project kick-off meeting, can motivate or destroy morale so it's vital to get it right.

The culture of the company you are working for will have a big influence on the way you run a kick-off meeting and the tone and nature of your opening speech. There will be assurance about the project but also some bald warnings about the demands that will be placed on everyone. Project kick-off meetings are rarely arranged for unimportant projects with relaxed lead times.

Introduction to a Project Kick-Off Opening Speech

• Start by stating the purpose of the project that you are embarking on
• Stress that the project has full backing within the company (if it doesn't you shouldn’t be holding a project kick-off meeting!)
• Recognise that you know that they have all left other responsibilities behind
• Outline the basics of the kick-off meeting, a brief timetable

Example: This project is vital for the future of the company as it (insert relevant benefits). We know that everyone here also has responsibilities back in their day jobs, rest assured that if you have conflicts with demands that compromise your efforts on this project then bring them to us and we will take care of them.

Getting Everyone on the Project Pulling Together

• Explain the commercial reasons for the project
• Detail the goals and put them in order of importance
• Let people know that you expect cooperation and a positive attitude
• If necessary, warn people explicitly to leave old grudges behind, to make a new start

Examples: We aren't going to succeed on this project unless we support each other and focus on what we need to achieve, nothing else. Many of you won't have worked with anyone in this room before, some of you will have; as far as we are concerned this is a chance to show everyone how a project can be run properly, with cooperation across the board.

Finish With a Challenge

The kick-off meeting as a whole will deliver better results if everyone attending is committed.

• Outline the demands that will be made
• Offer a 'no strings' chance to back out
• Make it clear that staying means committing to the project

Example: Make no mistake this will not be an easy project, it will require commitment from all of us. If you are concerned that you cannot give that, then this is the time to leave. Anyone can leave, there's no problem with that. But those who stay will be expected to be with the project for the full duration.

Note that the language of this last point may need to be modified heavily to match the culture of the company.

Home Blog Business Quick Guide to Project Kick Off Meetings

Quick Guide to Project Kick Off Meetings

Every project beginning is exciting; all the members will have different expectations and feelings about the required results. Therefore, rapport is crucial to establish commitment and generate a sense of accountability for everyone when beginning a project. The first meetings must be a presentation that can set up the milestones, generate agreements over the scope, and define the tasks. 

The Project Kick Off Meeting provides the opportunities mentioned above, so this article will explore the steps to perform a smooth project start and a seamless kick off meeting.

What is a Project Kick Off Meeting?

Let’s begin imagining this simple scenario: people from very different backgrounds (let’s think IT and Marketing) will be starting a project together. Joining these two groups will also be members of the management team, financial experts, and even a project manager who will be in charge of making it all come together. The vision of all these very diverse teams must become aligned for the sake of the project. 

Depending on each project needs’, there has to be a clear definition of roles, and everyone will want to know what is expected from them. Having that sense of direction will establish a project flow that will come in handy when there is a need for flexibility. 

The project kickoff meeting is the first meeting that will happen between the project team and stakeholders. Regardless of whether they are all internal or external, it’s essential to make sure that the right people are in the conversation, and by right, we mean the ones who will push the project to success. You can find affordable kickoff meeting agenda templates for presentations in our website.

Now that we have cleared that out let’s jump into what makes a project kick off meeting great. 

How do you do a Project Kick Off meeting? 

The contents of the project kick off meeting can be relatively varied. However, a recommended structure exists to keep everyone on track. This meeting is fundamental not just in the human aspect but mainly as a planning tool where everyone knows who is involved, establishes an initial relationship, and defines a group pledge. 

Before the project kick off meeting 

Planning the project kick off meeting can be of great help for a smooth start. In your first steps to preparing your kickoff deck presentation, it’s important to consider where you need to allocate your resources. 

Define the impact of the project along with and metrics that state how the project will succeed. Remember to use SMART Goals : specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and timely. This way, you will ensure that your project does not stray away from the vision and that all the project members are on the same page about timeframes, reach, and capacities. 

Identify the key players to attend the project kick off meeting

Once you have these logistics in place, have a one-on-one chat with the Project sponsor to align expectations. Also, it’s a good time to ask them to prepare some words about why this project is relevant to the organization. 

Ensure you additionally identify the Project Leader, facilitator, core team, and relevant stakeholders during this time. At this point, for your internal tracking and your eventual presentation during the meeting, you can use the RASCI model that will allow you to identify who is  R esponsible,  A ccountable,  S upportive,  C onsulted, and  I nformed roles. You can iterate over this model during the meeting if you need changes or have the different players define their roles. 

Project Kick Off Meeting Agenda 

By this point, you have met and identified top stakeholders, and it’s time to take care of some meeting basics. Begin by setting up 1-2 dates and hourly options that can be more convenient for everyone in the team. If you’re working remotely, take into account time zones, and if you’re local, check if there is a meeting room or space available at the given times. As soon as you can, ideally at least a week before, send out all meeting invites and ad reminders for everyone. 

Now it’s time to define the project kick off meeting agenda; remember this is not information debrief only, but a get-together where you will level with all parts to make sure agreements are established. 

Now let the project kick off meeting begin!

All the required team members show up on time; we notice some of the marketing team members share comments of excitement about the project and ask some first exploratory questions to the IT team. It’s time to start. 

Start by welcoming everyone, and then move forward to the project kick-off principles: collaboration is required to generate more reliable results, find as much data possible to have a shared understanding, open up to possibility, and share a positive mindset. 

Good practices in the Project Kick Off Meeting Start 

If you want to go the extra mile, this is a great opportunity to showcase the Project Charter , including the goals, team, timeline, and scope to understand visually. During the meeting, you can even send out the Project Charter as a pdf for everyone to keep and even print at will. 

Also, you can structure the first minutes of the kickoff presentation as a simplified elevator pitch to establish the problem and solution upfront. 

Remember that in SlideModel.com we have a wide array of templates you can use for your project planning business presentations, you can check out the Project Management Pack PowerPoint Templates which is one of our most comprehensive templates.

Structuring your Project Kick Off Meeting

As we’ve seen until this point, the project kick off meeting is important meeting and eventful. Therefore we want to recap what your meeting agenda should include. 

1. Introduction 

In every concurred meeting with people from different teams, it’s a good idea to consider not everyone knows each other. Begin with a brief round of introductions. As a protip, provide them with a little script that includes name, team, and role to keep it short and candid, i.e., ¨My name is Donald, and I’m the Development Lead¨

2. Project Background 

It’s good for all parties to know where the project is coming from and share essential lessons from similar projects like it or similar stakeholders. 

3. Reason or purpose of the project: Why are we doing it? 

This is a perfect moment to introduce the Project Sponsor as they will want to share the project’s vision and why its execution is vital to the organization. Their intervention can either happen as the first item on the meeting. It can happen after the introduction or even after the project charter, but the sponsor’s short speech is a must. 

4. Project Scope: Where we begin and end? 

The project’s beginning and end are conceptually closer than we might think. As Stephen Covey said ¨start with the end in mind¨, is a great tip for this moment because while discussing and defining the project scope, everyone can get aligned and know what is expected from the final product ahead.  

5. Action plan and milestones: What’s the playbook? 

The project charter might come in handy here, as it will help build a general comprehension of what the project must look like. It’s essential to have an action plan with actionable steps to allow everyone to know what tasks must be done. Eventually, this can become the project backlog and can serve as a playbook to revise in retrospectives. 

6. Role definition: Who does what? 

Even though everyone will come to the meeting with certain expectations, it’s recommended that you and the project sponsor are clear on who will perform which task. This way, accountability can be established since the first encounter, and responsibility can be provided to each in their area. 

7. Collaboration: How are you going to work together 

Regardless of whether the tool is physical or virtual, it’s a great idea to show the team where all the information will be set. There are several tools out there that are great for project management. However, a tool like Trello, for example, will allow you to create Kanban boards that will allow a clear ¨to do¨, ¨in process¨and ¨done¨ methodology that includes high visibility. Afterward, you can convert those Trello Boards into presentations that can be used in daily meetings or other relevant project meetings. 

8. Success: How does it look like 

Along the way, many opportunities will show up. However, it’s great to know the true north of the project. Ensuring everyone knows what success looks like in this project will ensure that all the people in the project have the same goal and won’t be stuck in analysis paralysis. Ensure that there is absolute clarity about this last step and what are the final results expected. 

Key concepts about the project and establishing rapport 

In your role as a presenter, you have delivered vital information about the project, introduced the project sponsor, and everyone now knows the project’s vision. It’s time to get people interacting to know each other, break the ice and get ready to work in synchronicity.

At this point of the meeting, you want all attendees to take ownership of the project and establish their working agreements. To do this, a simple but yet effective ice breaker can be a great way to go. Share the Vision, Mission and Mission tests that the Project Leader has created and start with the activity. 

Separate your attendees into 3 groups: Vision, Team Mission, and Team Mission tests. They don’t have to be together with people of their specific area (i.e., Marketing, IT, etc.); this can be random to mix people so they can meet each other. Give each mini-team 20 minutes to refine the initial statements and define any specific they have to improve the project. 

How to finish the Project Kick Off Meeting Closing and Next Steps 

The first steps have been completed. To close the meeting, provide some minutes to your Project Sponsor for the last hype to your team. The upcoming weeks or months will be full of tasks to complete, and in the end, that same team you gathered today will have completed a successful new solution. 

After the meeting is over, make sure you set up the next steps, including the kick-off meeting, setting up planners and software, and preparing materials for all the involved. Remember to set up Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) so that all the objectives will be measured timely for the best results. 

Final Words 

Congratulations, you have conducted your first Project Kick Off Meeting! However, it’s not time to lay back and relax but actually to keep the momentum going. Your team had the information to begin, but now there needs to be a solid follow-up to ensure the tasks will be done as per the previous agreement. 

Hopefully, the first meeting will have set up the event tone, and all the parts are equally invested in the new project to come. 

1. Project Management Super Pack Templates for PowerPoint and Google Slides

With this super pack Project Management Template you can find the essential tools you might need to do kickoff presentations for your project, including agendas, roles setting, timelines, project charter, heatmaps, teams, and more. 

Use This Template

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How to hold a Brilliant Kick off Meeting

What is a kick off meeting.

A kick off meeting is a type of planning meeting . It’s one of the first meetings you have as a project team.

In reality, you might have an internal kick off meeting for just your in-house team resources, and then another one with the client, when you are ready to share project information with them (and if you have a client).

If your project is in-house and you aren’t serving an external client, you will only need one.

The kick off meeting is a really important part of the project. It is your chance to set the tone for the work to come, to start to build a culture of success, and — most importantly — to establish common goals.

The purpose of a kick off meeting

The objectives of a kick off meeting are to:

• Set the tone for how you want the meeting to run
• Agree ground rules for ways of working
• And most importantly
• Get everyone to a common understanding of what the project is going to deliver: you want clarity on why you are doing all the work.

It’s not rocket science. The point of getting everyone together is so that everyone has a common view of what’s going to happen next and why. You are building a common vision for the project and creating clarity about the end result.

People should leave the kick off meeting knowing:

• What they are going to be working on (big picture, at least. You won’t have a list of project tasks in detail at this point)
• Why the project is important for the business, and
• What success looks like — how you will know when you’ve delivered what you said you would.

When to hold a kick off meeting

The kick off meeting is one of the first things you’ll do on a project. It’s part of project initiation and your chance to get the project going in the right direction, in the right way, from the beginning. So you should hold it as soon as possible.

Sometimes it can be difficult to get people together, but it is important your key resources are able to attend. You can book the kick off meeting as soon as the business case is approved, even if you have to schedule it out a few weeks in the future.

In my experience, as soon as a sponsor has their business case approved they want to get going. They will ring you or come to your desk to ask you when to hold a kick off meeting. You’ll be under pressure to schedule it for tomorrow!

Give people at least 48 hours notice and preferably a week. This also gives you time to meet with your project sponsor and plan how to run the meeting.

If you are including external clients in the meeting, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the contracts signed. This is not sales work. It is the first step of committing time and resources to doing the job.

Attendees at the kick off meeting

Who should come along? The attendees at the kick off meeting should include:

• You, as the project manager (obviously). You are going to chair and facilitate the meeting
• The project sponsor. Ideally, they will do a short intro at the beginning of the meeting, explaining their vision and the end result you’re all working to. They may choose to chair it i.e. open and close the meeting and have you do the bulk of facilitation in between. It doesn’t really matter which one of you takes the lead; there are advantages either way.
• Business analyst, if you have one on the team
• Core suppliers — for example, the supplier project manager. It should be someone you’ll be working with on project delivery, so not the sales rep or your account manager if they won’t be hands on
• The product owner, if you have one
• A customer rep — this could be someone from the department or team receiving the output of the project, or a user group rep
• Any other subject matter experts or workstream leads who have a vested interest in doing some of the work or shaping some of the work.

It’s better to have too many people at the meeting than not enough, so if you are in two minds about whether to invite someone, invite them and let them decide for themselves about whether they come.

The project kick off meeting invitation

Templates to help you set expectations, get information, request updates and manage issues. Aimed at Business Analysts but easily customizable for all project roles.

Before people come to the meeting, you have to invite them.

Here is a kick off meeting email example invitation:

Hello [name]

I’m delighted to let you know that the project for [name of project or description of deliverable if they won’t recognize the name] has been approved. We’re starting to get the team together to begin working on this important initiative.

I’m inviting you to our project kick off meeting because [their manager nominated them/they are a subject matter expert/they are going to lead on something/it follows on from your discussion earlier in the week etc. Point out why they are getting this mail]. It’s an opportunity for everyone to get a full understanding of what we’re doing and why, and what the likely outcome is going to be.

I’ve attached a meeting agenda for the session, and you’ll be able to see the list of attendees in the calendar invite.

If you’ve got any questions before the meeting, give me a ring.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Best regards

[your name]

[your contact details inc phone number]

Ideally, you should not be sending this email out of the blue. People don’t like to be put forward for stuff that they’ve never heard about. Make sure line managers have actually briefed their staff about whether they have been ‘volunteered’ to work on the project.

My preference is to call people individually in advance to let them know about the project and ask for their help. Then, by the time you are sending out the invitation, it’s not a surprise. They already expect it, and are prepared for it, and will come to the meeting feeling less defensive.

Your kick off meeting agenda

The point of the meeting is to get everyone on the same page and working together, so your agenda should reflect that. You should put it together and send it out in advance, so people know what to expect when they come to the meeting.

Here is an outline kick off meeting agenda template you can use.

Welcome and intros

Project goals, project scope, project approach, project team roles, potential roadblocks.

• Next steps.

You can use those points as a checklist for the meeting. Note that it’s only a kick off meeting agenda sample — you should tailor the discussion to meet your project and team.

Let’s look at each of the points on the agenda template in more detail.

You should do this part, unless your sponsor wants to. Make sure everyone introduces themselves, even if most of you know each other. There is normally always someone new or different in the team, so take the time to introduce yourselves. It doesn’t have to be much, just your name and department will do.

Welcome everyone to the project team and explain what the rest of the meeting will cover. Discuss what you want to get out of the meeting — what you want everyone to get out of the meeting.

Hand over to the project sponsor and get them to discuss the project’s goals, aims and objectives. They should set a clear vision for the end state and what they want to get out of the work.

Basically, they are providing the “why”.

This part of the meeting should give you clarity on the ‘how do we know when we succeed’ question.

You should all come away knowing what project success looks like (what you are going to have done/achieved/delivered/made possible) and how you will be judged on that.

This section of the kick off meeting should talk about what the boundaries are for project scope. You might need some specific workshops on scope later in the project.

For now, this is a general discussion around known scope. You have that already as it was in the business case (or contract, statement of work or just through a conversation with your boss).

If there are already expectations set around the timeline, then include that in the discussion too. How long you’ve got definitely shapes how much you can do!

The project approach is the “how”.

This part of the meeting talk about how you are going to work as a team to deliver the goal. You can talk broadly, or specifically. You might need to specify the methodology or tools you are going to use to manage the work. You might need to explain Agile methods to people if they haven’t worked in Agile environments before. Outline how you, as project manager, see the approach to doing the work.

This is your show, so you should be able to define how the work gets done. However, your team also get a say. Listen to feedback on things like frequency of meeting, methods and tools, so you leave the meeting with an approach that will work for everyone.

During this part of the meeting you can also talk about ground rules and team expectations.

Talking about the approach leads nicely into talking about what people are going to be doing on the team. Hopefully you’ve been writing up things on a flip chart or you have some other notes around the agreements made on scope and approach.

Annotate these with names where you know them, and where people are prepared to take responsibility at this stage (which they might not, given that they don’t have all the detail yet).

The goal is for everyone to end up with a clear understanding of how they contribute and how others contribute to the end results.

Use the information you gather during this discussion to feed into your roles and responsibilities document . You can tell everyone that this is coming, so they’ll have a further opportunity to review their contribution and that of their colleagues.

Next, talk about what might cause the project to fail. What can they see that might be on the horizon that would throw up problems?

Brainstorm and let all the worries and challenges come out. This is all good material for your risk and issue log .

Every meeting should end with a review and next steps.

You can sum up (or your project sponsor can) what was discussed. Review any actions and decisions taken at the meeting and ensure they have owners.

Set clear next steps which might include:

• When are you going to meet again?
• What needs to be produced next and who is going to do it?
• Does everyone have what they need to be able to complete their actions, or if not, do they understand how to get what they need?

How long should a kick off meeting be?

That’s a tricky question! As long as it needs to be to get everyone done.

In their book, Project-driven Creation, Jo Bos, Ernst Harting and Marlet Hesselink recommend a day to do kick off. If you are going to get started on some serious work, that’s a good idea. But if you are just getting ready to do some work, and ensuring everyone is beginning from the same level of understanding, then I think you could manage with just 2 hours.

If your project is simple, the people know each other already, and you already have a good idea about how to do the work, then you could manage with a shorter meeting of 45 minutes or an hour.

What to do after the kick off meeting

There are a couple of things to do after a kick off meeting.

Send out the minutes

Set a good example about how you want the project to run by documenting the meeting and writing minutes.

Read next: 10 Tips for Writing Great Meeting Minutes

They don’t have to be super formal if that’s not the vibe you are going for on the team. But you should have something in writing to record actions and decisions.

This will also ensure that people who didn’t attend have the records — especially important if there are action items for them and they weren’t there.

Follow up on actions

Give people a little while to complete their actions, and then start following up. You can confirm that actions have been done at your next team meeting, although that big group who came to the kick off might not all come together again regularly.

Make sure you follow up with people who aren’t routinely attending your project meetings.

Finally, make sure you do your own actions. Book the follow up meetings. Start work on documenting roles and responsibilities, your project initiation document and plan.

You’re on the right track now, so keep the momentum going and stay on course to deliver a fantastic result!

Pin for later reading:

Project manager, author, mentor

Elizabeth Harrin is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management in the UK. She holds degrees from the University of York and Roehampton University, and several project management certifications including APM PMQ. She first took her PRINCE2 Practitioner exam in 2004 and has worked extensively in project delivery for over 20 years. Elizabeth is also the founder of the Project Management Rebels community, a mentoring group for professionals. She's written several books for project managers including Managing Multiple Projects .

Kick-Off Meeting: A Complete Guide for Successful Project Initiation

Kick-Off. As the first step in any project, a kick-off meeting is crucial to ensuring successful project initiation. In this article, we will explore what a kick-off meeting is, why it is important, and what you should include in your kick-off meeting agenda to ensure that your project starts off on the right foot.

What is a Kick-Off Meeting?

A kick-off meeting is an initial meeting held at the beginning of a project. It serves as an opportunity for project stakeholders, including the project team, clients, and vendors, to come together and discuss the project's objectives, scope, and expectations.

Why is a Kick-Off Meeting Important?

A kick-off meeting is essential for project success. It sets the tone for the entire project and ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page. By establishing clear communication channels, discussing expectations and project goals, and addressing any potential issues upfront, a kick-off meeting can help mitigate project risks and ensure that the project runs smoothly from start to finish.

What Should be Included in a Kick-Off Meeting Agenda?

A successful kick-off meeting should cover the following topics:

1. Introductions and Project Overview

The meeting should start with introductions and a brief overview of the project. This is an opportunity to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the project's scope and goals.

2. Project Timeline and Milestones

The project timeline and milestones should be discussed, and any potential roadblocks or challenges should be addressed. This is also an opportunity to establish a project schedule and ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the project's deadlines.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

Each stakeholder's role and responsibilities should be clearly defined to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings during the project. This is also an opportunity to discuss communication protocols and how stakeholders will collaborate during the project.

4. Budget and Resource Allocation

The project's budget and resource allocation should be discussed to ensure that everyone is aware of the project's financial constraints and resource availability.

5. Risk Management Plan

A risk management plan should be established to identify potential risks and establish a plan to mitigate them. This is an opportunity to discuss any potential issues that may arise during the project and establish a plan to address them.

6. Next Steps

The meeting should conclude with a discussion of the next steps, including any follow-up actions required and when the next meeting will be held.

Tips for a Successful Kick-Off Meeting

Here are some tips to ensure a successful kick-off meeting:

Schedule the meeting at least a week in advance to ensure that all stakeholders can attend.

Invite all project stakeholders, including clients, vendors, and the project team.

Send the meeting agenda in advance to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the meeting's purpose and goals.

Encourage open communication and discussion during the meeting.

Document all meeting minutes and action items to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

A kick-off meeting is a critical first step in any project's success. By establishing clear communication channels, discussing expectations and project goals, and addressing potential issues upfront, a kick-off meeting can help mitigate project risks and ensure that the project runs smoothly from start to finish.

FAQs: Kick-off meeting

When should a kick-off meeting be held.

A kick-off meeting should be held at the beginning of a project.

Who should attend a kick-off meeting?

All project stakeholders, including clients, vendors, and the project team, should attend a kick-off meeting.

What should be included in a kick-off meeting agenda?

A kick-off meeting agenda should include introductions and project overview, project timeline and milestones, roles and responsibilities, budget and resource allocation, risk management plan, and next steps.

What are the benefits of a kick-off meeting?

A kick-off meeting establishes clear communication channels, discusses expectations and project goals, and addresses potential issues upfront, mitigating project risks and ensuring a smooth project flow.

How long should a kick-off meeting last?

A kick-off meeting should last between 1-2 hours, depending on the project's size and complexity.

Get Started with Your Kick-Off Meeting Today!

In conclusion, a kick-off meeting is a crucial step toward successful project initiation. By following the tips and guidelines discussed in this article, you can conduct a productive and effective kick-off meeting that sets the foundation for a smooth and successful project. Get started today by scheduling your kick-off meeting and setting your project up for success.

Additional Kick-Off Meeting Information

Kick-off Meeting Meaning: A kick-off meeting is a gathering of project stakeholders at the beginning of a project to establish goals, clarify roles and responsibilities, and set expectations for the project.

Kick-off Meeting Agenda: The agenda for a kick-off meeting typically includes introductions, an overview of the project, a discussion of the project goals and objectives, clarification of roles and responsibilities, a communication plan, a timeline and milestones, and any other relevant information.

Kick-off Meeting Example: An example of a kick-off meeting could be a team of software developers, designers, and project managers getting together to begin work on a new mobile app.

Kick-off Meeting Template: A kick-off meeting template is a pre-designed structure that can be used as a guide for planning and conducting a kick-off meeting. It typically includes a standard agenda, suggested discussion topics, and other helpful tips.

Kick-off Meeting Email: A kick-off meeting email is a message sent to stakeholders prior to the meeting to inform them of the date, time, and location of the meeting, as well as any necessary preparation or materials needed.

Kick-off Meeting Template Free Download: A kick-off meeting template free download is a pre-made template that can be downloaded and used for free to help plan and conduct a kick-off meeting.

Kick-off Meeting Agenda Template: A kick-off meeting agenda template is a pre-designed structure that can be used to plan and organize a kick-off meeting. It typically includes a suggested agenda and discussion topics.

Kick-off Meeting Presentation: A kick-off meeting presentation is a visual aid used to help convey information and set expectations during a kick-off meeting. It can include slides, graphics, and other multimedia elements.

Kick-off Meeting Purpose: The purpose of a kick-off meeting is to establish clear goals, roles, and expectations for a project, as well as to create a shared understanding among stakeholders.

Project Kick-off Meeting: A project kick-off meeting is a specific type of kick-off meeting that is held at the beginning of a project to establish goals and expectations for the project team.

Project Kick-off Meeting Agenda: The agenda for a project kick-off meeting typically includes introductions, an overview of the project, a discussion of the project goals and objectives, clarification of roles and responsibilities, a communication plan, timeline and milestones, and any other relevant information.

Important Output of Kick-off Meeting: One important output of a kick-off meeting is a clear understanding among stakeholders of the project goals, expectations, and timelines.

Project Kick-off Meeting PPT: A project kick-off meeting PPT is a presentation used to convey information and set expectations during a project kick-off meeting. It can include slides, graphics, and other multimedia elements.

Project Kick-off Meeting Checklist: A project kick-off meeting checklist is a tool used to ensure that all necessary elements are covered during a project kick-off meeting. It may include items such as introductions, project overview, roles and responsibilities, communication plan, and timeline and milestones.

Project Kick-off Meeting Agenda Example: An example of a project kick-off meeting agenda could be as follows:

Introductions

Overview of the project

Project goals and objectives

Clarification of roles and responsibilities

Communication plan

Timeline and milestones

Q&A and discussion

Project Kick-off Meeting Template: A project kick-off meeting template is a pre-designed structure that can be used to plan and organize a project kick-off meeting. It typically includes a suggested agenda and discussion topics.

Project Kick-off Meeting Speech Sample: A project kick-off meeting speech sample is a sample script or outlines that can be used to deliver a speech during a project kick-off meeting. It may include elements such as thanking stakeholders for attending, introducing key team members, outlining the project's goals and objectives, and discussing expectations for the project.

Generally, How Long Should the Kick-off Meeting Last: The length of a kick-off meeting can vary depending on the complexity and scope of the project, but typically ranges from 1-2 hours.

Project Kick-off Meeting Agenda Sample: An example of a project kick-off meeting agenda could be as follows:

Introductions and icebreaker activity

Overview of the project goals and objectives

Communication plan and project governance

Risk management and contingency planning

Kickoff Meeting or Kick-off Meeting: Both "kickoff" and "kick-off" are acceptable spellings for this type of meeting, but "kick-off" is more commonly used.

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Kickoff meeting agenda cheatsheet (with template doc and questions)

Getting your project off on the right foot starts with a kickass kickoff meeting agenda. A good agenda makes you look smart, organised, and professional. Use this agenda structure based on how Atlassian manages projects to nail your next kickoff meeting. 

Kickoff meeting agenda

Copy this into your email as an agenda and delete the text in italics. Your agenda is done. 

• Introduction (5 mins)
• Project background (2 mins)
• Statement of work (5 mins) - (if client-facing) the proposed work for what the project will deliver
• Project scope (5 mins) - present and get consensus on key deliverables and  exclusions
• Action plan & project timelines (5 minutes) - what is expected to be delivered (including deliverables) and by when
• Project Outcomes (5 mins) - define success and failure
• Role assignment (5 mins) - the main point of contact, who signs off deliverables, who’s responsible for specific functions
• Stakeholder Communication Plan (5 minutes): frequency of meetings, channel/platform for comms (eg. slack, teams) 
• Next steps (2 mins)

What you need for a kickoff meeting:

• 40 - 60 minutes: enough time to agree on and confirm project details ( important: create a written record (or transcription) of the agreed-upon talking points for future reference to keep the project on the course)
• Agenda : no agenda = no structure = chaotic meeting. Your agenda can also serve as a reference for the future about what was and wasn’t agreed upon
• A note-taker : you need everything discussed to be documented for reference during the project. Without this you will fall into a game of we said, they said. Ideally, you’d use a free transcription tool like Tactiq.io to transcribe the entire discussion in full. ‍

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Kickoff Meeting Agenda template

Introduction (5 mins): Names, roles, responsibilities in project

Project background (2 mins): What triggered this project? Be brief. A few sentences work best. 

Statement of work (5 minutes): (if client-facing) In our project proposal, we’re stated to… (outline proposed work)

Project scope (5 minutes): What is included in our project scope. What isn’t included. Agree on the scope and record consensus for records.

Action plan and project timelines (5-10 minutes): The action steps. The deliverables. When they will be delivered. Confirm deliverables/timeline and record consensus for records. 

Project outcomes (3 mins): What success looks like. 

Role assignment (5 minutes): Who is responsible for each role in the project. Who will sign off on deliverables. 

Stakeholder Communication Plan (5 minutes): What channels will we communicate on eg. slack, teams, dischord. How we will share progress eg. status report. What tools will we use eg Google docs, Miro, Asana, Dropbox. What tools we will need access to eg Hubspot, Google Analytics, Autocad. How often our project team will meet.

Next steps (2 mins): What happens in the week after this meeting.

Here’s the kickoff kicker - ensure you get agreement on each area verbally (ideally written or transcribed with Tactiq.io) before moving on. This gives you a reference for the future should disagreements about what was agreed upon come up and your team needs clarity as to what was and wasn’t part of the project. Basically, this will save you.

DOWNLOAD KICKOFF MEETING AGENDA TEMPLATE AS A DOC - JUST COPY THE FILE FROM HERE

Questions you must have answered by the end of the meeting:

In your meeting agenda set up a list of questions you want to ask the team. Ideally, you should ask these questions at the minimum, plus any specific to your project. We’ve gone ahead and injected these questions into the agenda template for you. You’re welcome.

Also, ideally, you want to send these questions to stakeholders/participants ahead of time so they can respond and bring answers to the meeting (reducing time wasted in the meeting and keeping your kick-off streamlined to set the tone). 

So we also included a single page at the end of the template you can send in your project kick-off meeting invite (send these questions in the meeting-invite email body so they don’t get overlooked/forgotten as an attached doc). 

• Who will be the key points of contact?
• What is (in scope) and isn’t included (out of scope)? 
• What is the preferred channel for communications?
• Who needs to be involved in each section of the project? (stakeholder mapping)
• Who will sign off on deliverables?
• What is the result/outcome agreed upon?

Other good kickoff meeting resources:

• Project kickoffs by Atlassian
• Kickoff meeting agenda mistakes by Atlassian
• Project kickoff meetings by Meeteor

With a simple transcript tool like Tactiq you can easily find any what was discussed months ago whenever you need to! Learn more how to get Google Meet transcript here.

Essential Tips for Choosing and Using Audio to Text Converters

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7 Interactive Tips for Running a Better Project Kick-off Meeting

The first step in setting your project up for success is running a stellar kick-off meeting. It’s an important meeting for determining the scope of the project, what the deliverables are, and what each team member’s responsibility is.

Besides, a good kick-off meeting will get your teammates excited, motivated, and aligned. And that’s no small achievement!

In this article, we’ll show you how you can make your project kick-off meetings more interactive and engaging .

The gist is simple: Don’t let your teammates be just passive absorbers of information; Give them space to be active contributors.  Together, you’ll bring the meeting (and the upcoming project) to success.

Let’s jump right in!

What is a project kick-off meeting?

A project kick-off meeting is the first meeting that the project team members (sometimes including the client) attend before they embark on a project together.

The meeting is typically held by a project manager whose task is to enlighten everyone involved on the main goals, objectives, and vision of the project.

It is during a kick-off meeting that the scope, the timeline, and the main deliverables are discussed and planned. After all, you don’t usually jump on a train if you don’t know where it’s headed, right?

Why you should run a project kick-off meeting

If you’re a project manager, a project kick-off is your secret weapon. It will help you to:

• Set the right expectations
• Align on the goals and objectives of the project
• Get to know the team and understand their roles
• Set a timeline
• Define project scope and key deliverables
• Assess risks and potential roadblocks
• Foster team morale
• Discuss next steps
• Address any questions and concerns

How to design an agenda for your project kick-off meeting

First, let’s emphasize that there isn’t just one universal kick-off meeting agenda template. The structure of a meeting will heavily depend on the type of project, the team size, and the organizational setup.

You may meet to kick off a new marketing campaign, an event, a product launch, new feature development, or you may have a sales kick-off.

Whichever the case, there are a few must-haves to cover:

What the project is about; what’s the project scope, what is/are the main deliverable/s, what does success look like? Paint a realistic picture right off the bat – it’s important for the team to know what kind of journey they’re embarking on.

Why does this project matter, what’s the purpose and the vision behind it, how does it fit into the company strategy, what goal does the end result/the main deliverable help achieve? A well-presented ‘why’ gets your team excited and lifts team morale.

Who’s on the team, who is/are the client/s (where applicable), what is expected from each member of the team, who’s responsible for what? If the team is new and the people don’t know one another, short introductions at the start may be useful.

How will the end result be achieved, how are you going to work together, what needs to happen in order for the project to be successful, how often will you meet for updates, what resources will be needed in order to see the project through, etc?

When’s the deadline, what’s the timeline, are there any partial deadlines and which partial results are to be delivered, and when, how many feedback rounds will you run and when will the feedback rounds happen, etc?

💡 Tip Share the detailed agenda with your teammates ahead of the meeting – either via email, internal comms channels, or attach it directly to the meeting invite. You can also send along a link to Slido to collect your team’s questions or ideas before the meeting .

7 tips for running more interactive project kick-offs

Now that we’ve run through the basics, let’s look at the facilitation during the meeting itself.

Here are 7 easy ways of how you can make your meeting more dynamic and effective by actively involving your colleagues throughout the meeting and building a meaningful discussion.

1. Kick off the meeting with an interactive icebreaker

Start on a positive note – after all, you want to get your colleagues excited. It may be a little chit-chat as your team members are coming in/joining the conference call or a little interactive activity.

You can run a quick poll – it’ll help you break the ice and get your colleagues actively participating . Polls make it super easy for everyone on the team to make a contribution – whether they are shy or vocal, joining in person or online.

Tie your icebreaker poll to your kick-off meeting, for example:

• What are you looking forward to the most during this project? (Open text)
• From 1-7, how excited are you about the project? (Rating)

After people have typed in their input, show the results on screen – they will help you kick-start a discussion.

You can also go with more general examples such as these:

• Guess how many projects we delivered last year. (Multiple choice with one correct answer)
• Describe our team using an emoji. (Word cloud)
• Using an emoji, how are you feeling about this project? (Word cloud)

In need of more inspiration? Try one of these remote-friendly icebreakers .

💡 Tip If you have a slide deck that you will be presenting at the meeting, add Slido’s polls and Q&A directly to your Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation using our free integrations.

2. Involve everyone in defining the scope of the project

What is in the scope? What is out of the scope? These questions have to be clear by the end of your kick-off meeting. It’s important to define the project scope soon enough and set clear boundaries for your project team on what work is part of the project and what work isn’t part of the project .

Include your team members in defining the scope of the project – run a simple survey with two open text questions:

• What is the scope of the project? (What do we deliver?)
• What’s out of the scope of the project? (What do we not deliver?)

The results will help you define the goals and the deliverables that your project team will see through.

What’s even more important, you’ll be very clear on what your project is not to deliver by the deadline. It will help set the right expectations and eliminate any future miscommunications or misunderstandings – either from your team’s side or from your client’s side.

3. Crowdsource potential risks

Risk assessment is one of the key elements of your project kick-off. Discuss any potential hiccups or unexpected issues that may occur during the course of the project and possibly derail it.

You can turn this into an interactive activity and brainstorm all the possible risks with your team.

Use an open text poll with a question: “What potential risks may we encounter during this project?”

Give the team members some time to think about this and then submit their ideas to Slido. Remind people that no idea is wrong – the goal of this exercise is to collect as many potential risks as possible to get your team prepared for anything that can happen.

After your teammates submit their ideas, go through them together and discuss the biggest risks . Decide on 3 to 5 risks that are most likely to occur. To decide, use a ranking poll to let people vote or assign risk scores by using this simple formula:

Severity = Probability* x Impact**

*Probability of the risk to occur **Impact that the risk would have if it occurred

Next, discuss ways how your team will respond to the risks . This is a great problem-solving exercise. Discuss how your team can completely avoid or mitigate this risk and assign a risk manager/s who’ll monitor the situation and make sure all is under control.

4. Get a pulse check on your team’s thoughts throughout the meeting

Understand what the team is feeling and thinking during the kick-off meeting. There’s a lot of new information and details presented during the meeting – the goals, the timeline, the roles of each of the team members, etc.

Some team members may just process the information passively, without a comment. Polls will help you take a regular pulse check on your whole team and collect thoughts and insights even from the less vocal individuals.

For example, after showing a timeline, ask your team members a Yes/No poll question: “Is this timeline realistic?”

You’ll see right away what your team thinks. If there are a couple of ‘No’ answers, you may then trigger a discussion: “Would anyone who voted ‘no’ like to share why they think the timeline is unrealistic?”

You can use this technique throughout the whole meeting after every important piece of information.

Some examples:

• How confident are you that we’ll meet the deadline? (Rating poll)

• Expressed with an emoji, how do you feel about the presented project goals? (Multiple choice) 🚀 Let’s get to it 💪 They are quite ambitious but we can do it 🤯 They’re possibly too ambitious 😐 I have some concerns
• What do you think of this proposal? (Multiple choice) a) It sounds great, let’s do it b) It sounds good but we’ll need to figure out the details c) I’m not sure, you need to convince me some more d) It’s way off the mark, let’s discuss

5. Prioritize together & agree on the next steps

With lots of ideas on the table and a lot of work ahead, it may be tough to prioritize and align the whole team on the next steps.

Polls will make this easier for you.

Say you just discussed risks or hurdles that need to be resolved in order for the project to go smoothly. Ask your team to rank the issues in the order of how quickly they need resolving.

• Which of these hurdles should we resolve with priority in order to move forward? (Ranking poll)
• Which should be our first step in order to kick this project off successfully? (Ranking poll)

You can also use polls to decide on operational matters, such as:

• How often should we meet up for project update meetings? (Multiple choice) a) One Monday morning update meeting will do b) At least twice a week c) Quick daily standups

Polls will make all your processes more democratic as they allow all your team members to have a say and influence a decision.

💡 Tip Appoint someone to write down meeting minutes and distribute them to every team member after the meeting. People will have an opportunity to go through the most important discussion points again and/or access the information they missed during the meeting.

6. Speed up lengthy discussions

With so many voices involved, the discussions may often go around in circles, seemingly without a way out. You can cut them short by running a democratic poll . The poll results will show you what the preference of the majority is, and you’ll be able to move ahead.

Here are some examples:

• Should we move the deadline or thin the scope? (Multiple choice) A: Move the deadline B: Thin the scope
• Which proposal should we go with? (Multiple choice) – Proposal A – Proposal B
• Should we involve the design team in the development? (Multiple choice) – Yes – No

7. Q&A: Create space for discussion and team alignment

It is only natural that after a content-heavy meeting, your team will have a lot of questions. Make sure to leave time for the Q&A at the end of your meeting. After all, the goal of the project kick-off meeting is for everyone to leave the meeting aligned, informed, and ready .

Collect your team’s questions using Slido’s live Q&A .

It allows your team members to submit their questions (even anonymously) through an app, without having to raise their hands and speak up. Not only is it more comfortable for a lot of people, but it also makes for a more organized questions and answers session .

Tell your team members to post any questions they have via Slido at any time during the meeting. They can also upvote questions posted by others. This helps you know which issues are the most burning .

Running an organized Q&A will also help you eliminate the chaos that often happens during projects: People talk over one another, jump from one topic to another, every team member has their own priorities and thus very specific questions, etc.

With Slido, you can just tell people to put all of their concerns and questions into the app, and you’ll tackle them later down the line.

💡 Tip If you run out of time and there are still some questions left unanswered, don’t let them hang in the air. Answer them after the meeting in writing and share the answers with your teammates.

Ready to take your kick-off meeting to the next level?

For both the project manager and the team, kick-offs are possibly the most important meetings within the whole project. It’s crucial to get them right.

They’re also very content-heavy and exhausting meetings. Make it easier for your team members to get onboard and process new information by making the meeting more interactive and engaging.

Don’t let your team members just sit through the meeting. Turn them into active co-creators of the meeting.

In this article, we’ve shown you 7 tips you can do with Slido’s polls and live Q&A. In case you need any help, contact us , and we’ll be happy to guide you.

Try Slido for free today and see how polls and Q&A transform your next project kick-off meeting.

Try Slido at your kick-off meeting

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Project Kick-Off Meeting

Infuse new projects and initiatives with momentum using this meeting agenda template

Unlock the potential of templates in Fellow, the all-in-one meeting management platform for fewer and smarter meetings. Sign up to use this template and Fellow’s 50+ integrations.

Project Name:

Helpful Links:

What are the goals of this project?

• Review or decide on project goals. 
• Goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely)

Audience & Value Proposition

Quick reminder of who the target audience is for the project and what the core value proposition is

‍ Major tasks and timeline

• ‍ Make sure every part of the project has an owner and timeline

Decisions that need to be made

• What decisions need to be made? (Name)
• List topics for discussion/decision here, specifically noting what needs to be decided
• @name Task by DUE-DATE

How to use this template

Is it time to grab a project kick-off meeting agenda template and get to work and launch your next project or campaign? A successful kick-off meeting gets everyone on the same page about the project’s purpose and makes sure everyone is ready to get to work.

Every well-planned initiative is rooted in a solid understanding of the audience, message, and goal for the campaign. That’s why this meeting agenda template has matter a brief portion, in the beginning, to cover these ideas and make sure the team is aligned on what this project is all about.

From there, your agenda takes you to an overview of the most important tasks involved in the project. Here, review the general timeline for when everything needs to get done. At least for all immediate needs, you can designate who is responsible for what.

Assigning ownership to major parts of the project should help you reveal any decisions that need to be made. While you don’t have to decide everything in a single meeting, you should make sure that any decisions that are blocking people’s work are handled.

And you’re done! Make sure any next steps that came up during the meeting are logged in your notes, assigned, and given due dates. And end on a high note! Commit to the work ahead.

Project Kick-Off Meeting Best Practices

1. What is the Project Objective? It's important to clearly state your project objective before any further planning can occur. This might sound like a no-brainer, but it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of getting started, and forget this crucial step. Ask yourself why you are doing what you're about to do. What does success look like? Who is your audience? What are your goals with this project?

2. Who will be involved in the project? Projects require input from a variety of people, so be sure to designate key stakeholders as early as possible. Identify who will have a vested interest in the project's success. Make sure your team is diverse enough so that everyone benefits from the end result. Each member brings a unique viewpoint and perspective, which adds value to the overall project. This is especially important when planning for cross-functional teams, where multiple departments may be working together on one large task.

3. Select a Project Manager When you first start planning a project, it may seem like you've got an endless number of options. But it's best to narrow down your options to just one person as early as possible. From the get-go, you should assign responsibility for the project. There will be many factors that determine who will be the best manager for the job: their experience, past successes, organizational fit, and so on. This is just a starting point, so take time to evaluate the various possibilities and make the decision you feel is best. It may take some trial and error to find the perfect match for your project.

4. Determine Project Timeline There's no magical way to get started on a project. Before you send out that first email or text message, you need to have an idea of how long this project will take. It's fairly easy to work backwards from the project completion date and figure out how long each phase of the project will take.

5. Outline your project goals and objectives Starting from this point, you can begin to construct a project roadmap that will guide you through each phase of your project.

6. Develop project scope Be realistic with your estimates but don't get caught up in over analyzing the project or planning it to death. Establishing a realistic scope is an important first step towards success. A simple method of establishing scope is to create a list of the tasks you'll be taking on and then estimating how long each task will take to complete. Remember that nothing is written in stone, so you'll need to reevaluate your list on a regular basis.

7. Design the project structure This is where you begin to map out your project management structures. You'll need to establish a clear organizational chart of who will be responsible for what, as well as defining the various groups that will be performing the work. You will obviously need to create and assign roles and responsibilities. Be sure to include all the necessary policies, processes, procedures, etc. that will be needed for your project.

8. Budget and resource allocation Now that you know what resources will be required to complete the project, it's time to budget your project. Set aside a certain amount of money for the various resources that will be required. The more time you can spend considering both monetary and human resources, the better your project is likely to turn out. Once again, try to be as realistic as possible when estimating costs associated with each phase of your project. This may seem like a tedious process, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

9. Schedule and track the project Finally, establish a clearly defined schedule for your project. This will ensure everyone understands what tasks are expected to be completed by each given time. Along with this, include specific start and finish dates for each phase of the project. This will help everyone involved in the process make sure they are on track and avoiding any last minute setbacks that may cause delays on the project.

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