Get a great start on your dream project - engage your team with clear objectives in a strong kick-off workshop

BONUS ARTICLE // DANISH PROJECT MANAGEMENT magazine #1/2019 

I see great potential in creating more dream projects by putting even more focus on team formation and our role as a leader from the very beginning of our projects. A well-designed kick-off workshop with a passionate project manager can contribute to a great start.

Quite often, business leaders are eager to get started – and this can sometimes jeopardize a well-defined project and the establishment of a strong team. Unless you as a project manager insist on a different path and take on the leadership role from the very beginning.

In this article I will elaborate how you can conduct a good kick-off workshop. The aim is to get off to a good start in the project. Primarily, the aim is to define the content of the project. But just as important is the establishment of the team.

In the box below - Figure 1 - I have summarized 'our recipe' for what needs to be done before, during and after the workshop. An important part of a well-designed workshop is for the project manager to consider all 3 levels into his planning and management. In the article I will unfold the recipe and add tips for the managerial focus of the project manager.

Figure 1. Kick-off workshop tips for planning

Start with your owner and steering group - to set direction 

An important prerequisite for a good kick-off workshop is that it is clear what you as a business want to achieve with the project: Purpose and success criteria/benefits (or the left side of the objectives hierarchy – see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Objectives hierarchy with purpose and success criteria/benefits

At VELUX, it is the responsibility of the project owner (and steering group) to set this direction. The project manager has an important role as a facilitator and being the one to ask all the good questions. And help the project owner (and steering group) to focus on what they want to achieve.

The objectives hierarchy is a powerful process tool for this when used correctly – and when the project manager respects that it is also difficult for the project owner.

Defining the desired benefits can sometimes be a challenge. Typically, the owner and steering group have clear ideas of deliverables, e.g. an IT system. But they are not always clear on or agree what business value the IT system should bring. Nevertheless, it is important to agree before bringing together the team to define deliverables and plan for producing them.

Prepare your team members – with good 1-to-1 dialogues 

To get your team motivated and passionate about the project, it is important to have a chat with each of them before you meet together as a team. Tell them about the project and how you see their possible role in it. Ask them what they look forward to and how they would like to contribute to the project. Also ask them about their concerns.

Show that you are able to listen and understand – and that you want to help them bring their skills into play. Just as you will help avoid their concerns being realized. In general, beware to balance talking vs. listening – and being open minded vs. making demands.

Also tell them that you expect them to contribute with their knowledge and viewpoints – ask them to bring them into play for the common good of the project.

It is also wise to align expectations about their time allocation to the project – and to have this aligned with their immediate manager. In this way, you have a good common starting point to work from.

Plan the workshop and process

Just as in the project, it is crucial to be clear what you want to get out of the workshop. And not least to understand the starting point – so you have an idea of the gap that the workshop will have to cover.

On the content side, we enter the workshop with a relatively clear project purpose – a direction for the project. The desire is to come out with a project that we believe can realize the purpose – with deliverables, plan, risk and stakeholder analysis. As regards the team, we want to come out with a team that is ready and motivated to go out and implement the plan and work together as a team.

Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider process, surroundings, how well they know each other already and where they 'mentally' are in relation to the project and each other before entering the room. So, are they looking forward, are they nervous or reserved, or do not fully understand why they should participate. The harder the starting point, the more focus you need to have on process and team time. I am often inspired by Implement's design star when preparing workshops.

The design star contains 5 relevant areas to be considered (1. Purpose, 2. Participants, 3. Surroundings, 4. Form and 5. Roles). To me it serves as a great check list to not only consider content but also form and setting frames right to get the wanted outcomes as a team.

Also remember to talk about process and expectations with your owner as he (M/K) plays an important role at the beginning and end of the workshop.

Conduct the workshop with timely involvement of your project owner

Once you have introduced the purpose, agenda and your role as a facilitator for the workshop, let the project owner set the scene and show importance. It works really well if he presents the left side of the objectives hierarchy: Tell what the business wants to achieve based on the background for why this is so important.

Make proper space for this part in your agenda. Instruct your owner to be enthusiastic and signal the importance of the project – as well as openness to their questions.

It gives a good start that everyone understands why we are starting this project – and that they hear it from the 'horse's mule' – just as they can ask questions about to ensure common understanding.

Make room for team formation

After thanking the owner, you will then send him out of the workshop (for now). And then you can start content and team formation. I have good experience starting with a round in the team, where each person shares wishes for contributions (one by one) – followed by concerns about being part of the project. The topics you've talked to them about in the 1-to-1 meetings.

Because you've had the initial dialogues, you're prepared for what's coming. And you can focus on creating a safe space - a space where it is allowed to share viewpoints openly.

Your role and how you play it here is quite crucial. You want to be perceived as someone who listens and picks up on what is said – and ensures common understanding. And help them  focus- first oneverything they're looking forward to - and then on the concerns. And finally, getting the concerns parked (e.g. by writing them on a flipchart). Moreover, concerns can be raised again when you talk about project risks.

Remember to also think about your own wishes and concerns. Use this as an opportunity to speak up about your expectations in a good way.

Spend proper time defining project content - together

Then you can start producing content. It is natural to start by defining the project deliverables that you as a team believe are required to realize the project purpose. In other words, to go from left to right in the objectives hierarchy by asking 'how'.

And a little trick here is that you start 'from a blank page'. Even if you (and your owner) have suggested deliverables, helping to define them from scratch is much more motivating for a team. You may not have an overview of all the deliverables needed. And the team members are the experts, so let them define the deliverables.

At the end you can bring out your own suggestions if you think something is missing. Before moving on, remember to take a step back and review if you believe that the listed deliverables will realize the desired purpose and success criteria. And if not, ask yourselves what is missing and add it to the objectives hierarchy.

Then you can start creating the plan to produce the deliverables. Risk and stakeholder analysis can be prepared where you find it most relevant.

Round off with practicalities and de-brief with the owner

Before you end the workshop, we recommend reserving time for two matters. One is to talk practically about how we want to collaborate. One thing is having a milestone plan on a brown piece of paper. It requires so much more to bring it to life. So, agree who is responsible for what and how you will work together and meet to ensure progress of the plan. It's important to have that dialogue together in the team. And especially if the team is geographically spread, I suggest you have a talk about e.g. frequency of physical meetings.

The second thing is invite the owner to join the de-briefat the workshop. Let him join the last half hour and present the output to him – i.e. deliverables, plan, stakeholder and risk analysis. Split the presentation among team members for visibility. Instruct your owner to be positive and constructive – so you end the workshop ‘on a high’.

Follow up on quickly after the workshop

As part of your planning of the workshop, naturally you have thought about how the format you produce (deliverables, plan, etc.) can easily be picked up electronically afterwards (and who does it). As well as having  sat aside time for your summing things up right after the workshop. In this way, you get the agreed progress meetings, 1-to-1 meetings, work meetings, etc. in the calendar immediately.

That’s a way to signal fast progress - and you're already at it...

What does all this require of you as a project manager – and how did we get here?

First and foremost, it requires you to take on the management task and the responsibility. Even if no one asks you to. First do it in relation to your project owner. He needs your help to define a clear direction. Both help to address the need to do so – and the practical help to get it done.

You need to ask open and curious questions about the strategy – and know your objectives hierarchy tool well so that you can complete the left side after your dialogues (as well as take note of input on the right side). And do it in such a way that the project owner will perceive you as a good sparring partner who manages to listen, understand the business and summarize your dream and ambition in a simple format. Then you will have a common starting point and based on that you will be able to tell the same story about what you want to achieve with the project.

And then, depending on how structured and ‘project experienced’ your owner is, you have to tone down the 'project terminology'. Let the objectives hierarchy be the natural summary of your dialogue – rather than a template to fill out. The better a process you have around this, the more trust you will create. And the more trust  you create, the more  freedom to operate you get to drive the project forward the way you see fit.

Apply a similar approach with your team. Start by listening and understanding before 'pulling out project templates’.

But of course you should also make demands. Not for the sake of making demands, but because you as an experienced project manager know what it takes to succeed. Both to your project owner and your team. Tell them what it takes to succeed. Tell them what you expect from them and what to expect from you to succeed in creating great results together. Show that it works and take the mandate – but do it on step at a time. Suggest what to do instead of waiting to be asked. It is a great help for all parties that you take lead on bringing the project forward.

I am sometimes asked – is it really necessary to spend 1,5 days on such a workshop. And my answer is, it depends on your level of ambition in terms of how far the workshop should take you. In our experience, the topics we have time to deal with in that time frame save time and frustrations afterwards. And that's especially because the team can get started right away.

When I first arranged a kick-off workshop in VELUX, we did it in one day. And I didn't ask, but suggested it – with good arguments and conviction in my voice, of course. There was a lot of positive feedback on an effective process together in the team. But the clear experience was also that there was not enough time. We had flown colleagues in from abroad and it was a shame to send them home with the feeling that we needed half a day more to get to the finish line.

I took this experience with me to the next workshops – and on average we have recognized that 1,5 days is a good length. Thus, we have succeeded in making it acceptable to conduct workshops in this way and for that duration. By trying it out and showing that it works – and, by the way, learning from what doesn't work. And by daring to take leadership and do what you think is needed to succeed.

Trust your experience and judgement and don't wait for the mandate to be given to you. Then you might have to wait for a long time. And your project doesn't have time for that...//

Written by Tine Kragh Nielsen, April 2019

Sources

The design star is mentioned in the book 'Facilitation – skab resultater gennem involvering' by Line Larsen, Cecilie Van Loon & Henrik Horn Andersen.