The Kick-Off Meeting: In 11 Steps to the Perfect Project Start

1. What is a kick-off meeting and when does it take place?
2. This depends on which type of project kick-off you choose. The choice in turn depends on the size of the team that will be working on the project. In the case of a small project team, you can hold a casual kick-off workshop, with a larger group - perhaps even with the presence of the client - a more formal kick-off meeting with a PowerPoint presentation is the better choice. In addition, there is the scenario where you hold several kick-off events, as it is not always advisable to put all project participants in one room.
3. Important to know:
4. Project examples for an internal kick-off event:
5. Schritt für Schritt: Wie läuft ein Kick-Off-Meeting ab?
6. Eure Pre-Kick-Off-Meeting-Checkliste für den perfekten Projekt-Start
7. Was kommt nach dem Kick-Off-Meeting?

Where multiple people are working on a single project, things can get complicated, even chaotic. This is the death of any project plan, and sometimes the project itself, if you don’t prepare well. Different requirements, expertise, priorities and personalities can put project management on a roll. Keeping a project on track can thus become a mammoth task. It doesn't matter whether it's a small or large team, managers or employees who are working together. We'll show you a method to help you prevent the most common challenges during project management: the kick-off meeting. Once a project is in full swing, it becomes difficult to meet the needs of each team member and keep the project plan on track at the same time. To understand this more clearly, let's first clarify what the kick-off meeting definition is, when it takes place and who should ideally attend it. We then provide you with good reasons why a kick-off event makes a lot of sense, give you a 'Kick-Off Meeting Agenda', a checklist for optimal preparation and some useful tools. Let's kick-off!

What is a kick-off meeting and when does it take place?

Just like a kick-off party before the actual party, the kick-off meeting takes place at the beginning of the project implementation. However, not as the very first thing. Before the actual project start, the project plan and charter are on the agenda, only then is the kick-off meeting next up. It serves to bring all parties involved up to date. Therefore, all information about the project must have been determined first. The details are then elaborated by those responsible during a kick-off event and the milestones as well as the project aim are defined. In addition, the framework of the kick-off event gives the team the opportunity to clarify questions. This way, everyone knows what they have to do, how and when, and where the journey is going. A particularly important point is the communication clarification. Nothing is more harmful for efficient progress than a mishmash of communication channels. Some write emails, some use "Slack", others communicate via messenger. Aside from the fact that the latter really has no place in "project management", the communication confusion leads to chaos. If you want to know more about the individual project management phases, you should definitely read the following article: Without project management phases, there's nothing to be gainedWhy should you definitely hold a kick-off meeting?No matter which "project management method" you have chosen, a kick-off meeting is always useful and will make your life easier. Depending on the method, kick-off meetings can sometimes take place on a regular basis, contrary to their definition. But more on that later. It does not have to take place offline, it can be done virtually. In the latter case, it is particularly important to prepare well, so that you can reach everyone equally. In our category "Video Conferencing" on OMR Reviews, you can find the optimal tools for this.

A kick-off event is definitely not intended for brainstorming and creating the project plan with the team. It is a pure informational affair, which lays the foundation for a successful project. What are the aims of a kick-off meeting then? Projects often go wrong or don’t follow the plan because those involved don't know what they're supposed to do or their resources aren't being used optimally. If you inform them about all important project details in advance, you are not only optimizing your own work, but also that of the project team. The aim of a kick-off meeting is therefore to inform the team about tasks and the project target, but also to motivate them. Meaning: distributing tasks mindlessly and driving employees to their limits leads to failure, while informed project participants, on the other hand, are the strongest force in a project and can individually make their work more efficient - including you. So think carefully about whether or not you want to hold a kick-off event.Who should attend the kick-off meeting?

This depends on which type of project kick-off you choose. The choice in turn depends on the size of the team that will be working on the project. In the case of a small project team, you can hold a casual kick-off workshop, with a larger group - perhaps even with the presence of the client - a more formal kick-off meeting with a PowerPoint presentation is the better choice. In addition, there is the scenario where you hold several kick-off events, as it is not always advisable to put all project participants in one room.

Types of Kick-Off MeetingsWe will introduce four proven types of project kick-offs. In addition, we will provide examples and tools that offer optimal support for conducting a smooth kick-off meeting. If you want to learn more about project management tools for businesses, then read our article “The 7 best project management tools for your business”.Internal kick-off meeting

This is the standard version of a kick-off meeting, if you will. In most industries, projects are conducted within the company, so they can run more casually and informally. Often, people already know each other, so the preparations for the kick-off meeting can be kept to a minimum. If, on the other hand, the project team is newly assembled, an introduction round should not be missed. For this reason, more time should be planned. The process of a kick-off event is therefore based on the conditions.

Important to know:

In the internal variant of a kick-off meeting, you can take your foot off the gas regarding organization. The only important things are documents from which you can extract the details of the coming project, the timetable, the project objectives and the defined tasks. It can also be helpful to project a timeline of the project onto the screen, so as to represent the project course. This way, team members can get an even better idea of the process and the milestones. You should also specify which "communication" and "project management softwares" are to be used.

Project examples for an internal kick-off event:

Introduction of a productCreating a marketing campaignOptimising company procedures

Anzeige

Das beste Tool für Projekt-Teams

Aufgaben im Blick, klare Verantworlichkeiten, keine Deadline verpassen – mit awork wissen alle, was zu tun ist. Intuitive Planung für Teams im Projektgeschäft.

Kostenlos ausprobieren

 

Tool suggestions for internal kick-off meeting:

Communication tools: "Slack", "Discord"

Project management tools: "Asana", "Trello", "MeisterTask"Find out here how best to utilize Asana for your needs.Kick-off meeting for executivesIf the support of stakeholders or other project responsible people is planned, you should organize a another kick-off event for executives in addition to the kick-off meeting for the team. Although these are often included in the standard meeting to introduce themselves, their information needs are different. Accordingly, you have to prepare other documents and focus mainly on the added value of the project for the company.

Important to know:

• Executives want to know to what extent a project is profitable, how it advances a company and would most like to be promised the moon. You can’t achieve this with a kick-off event of course, but you can clarify how the project benefits the company's targets and what the rough timetable is. You can also curb high expectations. You should summarize all the information digitally in a document and send it to all participants of the meeting in advance. This way, they can prepare themselves and their questions can be answered directly in the kick-off meeting. If you've created a business case, that's also a useful document in this kind of kick-off event. Generally, this should be conducted formally and with an appealing PowerPoint presentation.
• Project examples for kick-off events for executives:
• Projects with a large team and/or large investment

Software introductions

• Tool suggestions for kick-off meetings for executives:Communication tools: "Slack", EmailProject management tools: "Asana" (good for a roadmap)Kick-off meeting for customers (external)
• A kick-off meeting with customer involvement is the most comprehensive. The same applies for projects involving freelancers or other external personnel. The preparations for the kick-off event take place analogous to the internal variant, but with a few exceptions.Important to know: First of all, be prepared to hold a big introduction round. However, don't see this as it was in school when a new kid came to class. This round is not only intended for exchanging names, but is intended to inform who holds what expertise and roles. People can later exchange information directly, without having to go through the project management, when they know who can do what. Also, prepare the following documents: the project plan, the clearly defined task agenda, the project strategy and a list of all participants. For the kick-off event with external participants, a formal approach with PowerPoint is also in order.Project examples for kick-off events for customers:Event planningProjects in which customers want to be actively involved

Creative projects, as freelancers are often involvedTool suggestions for kick-off meetings for customers:Communication tools: "Slack", Email

Project management tools: "awork"

Kick-off meeting for agile teams

Agile projects are conducted in sprints. These repeat processes and tasks over and over again. A kick-off meeting with the entire team at the start of a whole agile project makes sense, but not before each sprint. It's also advisable to hold a kick-off event once or twice a year to capture the status quo.Important to know:

Preparing for a kick-off meeting, intended for an agile project, means preparing differently than for the previously mentioned types of kick-off meetings. You must have all the information ready that will brief the team about the sprint planning. Furthermore, it is very important that you define what 'Done' is, so that the project isn't hampered by rework in retrospect and the sprints falter. With the agile project management method, the aim of the project is the focus, not the way to get there. Accordingly, quality, time and cost are somewhat irrelevant. Much more important are the different roles that you have determined and allocate in the kick-off workshop. Since daily stand-up meetings are held, you should know their workflow and present it.

• Project examples for kick-off events for agile teams:
• IT projects

Software development

• Product introductionTool suggestions for kick-off meetings for agile teams:Communication tools:
• Slack, "Discord"Project management tools: "monday.com", "Awork", "Trello" (depending on "project management method": Scrum, Kanban etc.)

Step by step: How does a kick-off meeting proceed?

The following 11-step agenda will help you as a kick-off meeting template to pay attention to the most important points in order to leave a successful meeting at the end.

A good kick-off meeting starts even before the actual event. Our pre-kick-off meeting checklist will help you with this.Leave the welcome to the project manager, unless otherwise arranged with them. At this point, the tune for the kick-off meeting is set.

If it makes sense, you should start with a round of introductions. This depends on how familiar the team already is with each other and how many external or new faces are present. Everyone should reveal their responsibilities, their role, and their tasks.

• Subsequently, you outline the course of the kick-off event and the goals you are pursuing.
  
• 
  OMR tip on the side:
• Point out that there will be time for questions and feedback at the end, so that your red thread doesn't turn into a ball, because constant interruptions occur.

Now, one of the most important parts of the kick-off meeting comes: Vision and motivation. Here you go into the project goal, what your expectations are and what the client can expect from the project. Depending on how you communicate the vision, you motivate the team. So be rock solid convinced, that is half the battle.

• Next is the subject of cost. Very importantly: Only address this subject superficially - unless you are in an executives meeting. Otherwise, the cost topic is just about giving all participants an overview and foster a better understanding of the project plan. If you come up with details that only the financiers understand, you will lose the other project participants in the room. The presentation of the project's schedule follows. Therefore, all participants can get an idea of what kind of work and time effort they are facing.Once you have come this far, there are only a few points left to clarified - they are just as existential as all the others though. These include the choice of communication means and the documentation organization. For example, you can implement the fast exchange with "Slack", update the commissioners via email, hold virtual meetings via "Video Conferencing Tool" and document with "Project Management Tools".
• Expectations are another cornerstone of good project management. Address these clearly and openly to the team. Transparency is key throughout the entire kick-off meeting. Just before the end, give the project team an outlook on upcoming meetings (offline and digital), deadlines and the next steps.
  (Jetzt kostenlos ausprobieren)

NOW is the time for feedback and questions. In this context, it is also advisable to highlight the added value of it - at the moment of the meeting as well as throughout the whole project.

Your pre-kick-off meeting checklist for the perfect project start

Here, we recommend using a to-do app like Todoist or corresponding functions of "Project Management Softwares" like "Jira", so that you don't forget anything. In addition, you can exchange information with helpers more quickly during the organization.Determine the participants of the kick-off meeting.

Reserve the meeting room and equip it with the necessary equipment (projector, screen, etc.) OR in case of a virtual project kick-off, select an appropriate software.

• Send invitations to all project participants with information about the process and timeframe.
• Create and print handouts or make them available virtually, for example as a PDF, if everyone brings a laptop.
• And to ensure catering is taken care of, don't forget the catering for the kick-off meeting.

Also, designate someone who will take minutes. All results from the meeting should be recorded.

• What happens after the kick-off meeting? If you have mastered the preparation and the kick-off meeting successfully, it's time to follow up. Prepare the protocol in an understandable manner and thus secure the results of the kick-off meeting. You can use "Project Management Tools" for this and for all other information that contributes to transparency. We have already introduced some in the course of the article, as they come into play at various points. A large selection of SaaS can be found on OMR Reviews, as mentioned. Otherwise, all tasks are allocated and everyone knows what they have to do. Your task is now to keep an overview, coordinate the tasks, set feedback and meetings as well as everything else that keeps the project on the path to successful completion., Discord
• Projektmanagement-Tools: monday.com, Awork
  (Jetzt kostenlos ausprobieren)
  , Trello (je nach Projektmanagement-Methode: Scrum, Kanban etc.)

Schritt für Schritt: Wie läuft ein Kick-Off-Meeting ab?

Folgende 11-Schritte-Agenda hilft Euch, als Kick-Off-Meeting-Vorlage die wichtigsten Punkte zu beachten, um am Ende aus einem gelungenen Meeting zu gehen.

1. Ein gutes Kick-Off-Meeting fängt schon vor der eigentlichen Veranstaltung an. Unsere Pre-Kick-Off-Meeting-Checkliste hilft Euch dabei.
2. Überlasst der Projektleitung die Begrüßung, außer es ist vorher anders mit ihr abgesprochen worden. Hierbei wird auf das Kick-Off-Meeting eingestimmt.
3. Wenn es Sinn ergibt, solltet Ihr zunächst eine Vorstellungsrunde starten. Das hängt davon ab, wie gut sich das Team bereits kennt und wie viele Externe oder neue Gesichter anwesend sind. Jeder sollte sich dabei mit seinen Verantwortlichkeiten, seiner Rolle und seinen Aufgaben offenbaren.
4. Anschließend schildert Ihr den Ablauf der Kick-Off-Veranstaltung und welche Ziele Ihr damit verfolgt.
   
   
   OMR-Tipp am Rande: Weist darauf hin, dass für Fragen und Feedback am Ende noch Zeit sein wird, damit Euer roter Faden nicht zu einem Knäuel wird, weil ständig Unterbrechungen vorkommen.
5. Nun ist mit der wichtigste Part des Kick-Off-Meetings gekommen: Vision und Motivation. Dabei geht Ihr auf das Projektziel ein, was Eure Erwartungen sind und was der:die Auftraggeber:in vom Projekt erwarten darf. Je nachdem wie Ihr die Vision rüberbringt, motiviert Ihr das Team. Seid also felsenfest überzeugt, das ist schon die halbe Miete.
6. Weiter geht es mit den Kosten. Ganz wichtig: Behandelt das Thema nur oberflächlich – außer Ihr sitzt in einem Führungskräfte-Meeting. Ansonsten geht es bei den Kosten lediglich darum, allen Beteiligten einen Überblick zu geben, um ein besseres Verständnis für den Projektplan hervorzurufen. Kommt Ihr mit Details, die nur die Geldgeber verstehen, verliert Ihr die anderen Projektbeteiligten im Raum.
7. Es folgt die Vorstellung der Rahmenplanung des Projekts. Damit können sich alle Beteiligten ein Bild davon machen, was auf sie an Arbeit und Zeitaufwand zukommt.
8. Seid Ihr erstmal so weit gekommen, sind es nur noch zeitlich kleine Punkte, die es zu klären gibt – dabei sind sie ebenso existenziell wie alle anderen. Dazu gehören die Wahl der Kommunikationsmittel und die Organisation der Dokumentation. Beispielsweise könnt Ihr mit Slack den schnellen Austausch umsetzen, per E-Mail die Auftraggeber updaten, virtuelle Meetings per Video-Conferencing-Tool abhalten und mit Projektmanagement-Tools dokumentieren.
9. Erwartungen sind ein weiterer Grundpfeiler von gutem Projektmanagement. Adressiert diese klar und deutlich an das Team. Transparenz ist im gesamten Kick-Off-Meeting das A und O.
10. Kurz vor Schluss gebt Ihr dem Projektteam einen Ausblick auf kommende Meetings (offline und digital), Deadlines und die nächsten Schritte.
11. JETZT ist Zeit für Feedback und Fragen. In diesem Zuge ist es auch ratsam den Mehrwert davon hervorzuheben – im Augenblick des Meetings als auch im gesamten Verlauf des Projektes.

Eure Pre-Kick-Off-Meeting-Checkliste für den perfekten Projekt-Start

Wir empfehlen hierbei eine To-do-App wie Todoist oder entsprechende Funktionen von Projektmanagement-Softwares wie Jira zu verwenden, damit Ihr auf keinen Fall etwas vergesst. Außerdem könnt Ihr Euch während der Organisation schneller mit Helfer:innen austauschen.

1. Teilnehmer:innen des Kick-Off-Meetings festlegen.
2. Meetingraum reservieren und mit benötigtem Equipment ausstatten (Beamer, Leinwand etc.) ODER im Falle eines virtuellen Projekt-Kick-Offs eine passende Software auswählen.
3. Einladungen an alle Projekt-Teilnehmer:innen mit Infos über Ablauf und Zeitrahmen schicken.
4. Handouts erstellen und drucken bzw. virtuell zur Verfügung stellen – beispielsweise als PDF, wenn jeder mit Laptop kommt.
5. Und damit für die Verpflegung gesorgt ist, solltet Ihr das Catering für das Kick-Off-Meeting nicht vergessen.
6. Legt außerdem jemanden fest, der Protokoll führt. Sämtliche Ergebnisse aus dem Meeting sollten festgehalten werden.

Was kommt nach dem Kick-Off-Meeting?

Habt Ihr die Vorbereitung und das Kick-Off-Meeting erfolgreich gemeistert, heißt es nachsitzen. Bereitet das Protokoll gegebenenfalls verständlich auf und sichert so die Ergebnisse des Kick-Off-Meetings. Dafür und für alle weiteren Informationen, die zur Transparenz beitragen, könnt Ihr Projektmanagement-Tools verwenden. Einige haben wir bereits im Laufe des Artikels vorgestellt, da sie an verschiedenen Stellen zum Tragen kommen. Eine große Auswahl an SaaS findet Ihr wie erwähnt auf OMR Reviews. Ansonsten sind alle Aufgaben verteilt und jeder weiß, was er zu tun hat. Eure Aufgabe ist nun die Übersicht zu behalten, die Koordination der Tasks, die Festlegung von Feedbacks und Meetings sowie alles Weitere, was das Projekt auf dem Weg zum erfolgreichen Abschluss hält.