Posted by Angel Hernandez on Thu, May 28, 2009 @ 03:00 PM
Hello America. It's time for another fireside chat.
After a likely exhausting bid or RFP process, we find many participants eager to get started with the project. Behind the scenes, we're assigning a project manager to handle the lifecycle of the implementation. We're also laying out the general milestones, etc. In our process, we make a few calls to "transition" the contract from their Account Executive to the Project Manager...and soon we meet the project team.
In the beginning, we're excited to meet new faces and learn more about their organization. Sometimes the client doesn't quite reciprocate. Their anticipation is usually inversely proportional to their participation in the selection process. For many, this may be the first time they have even HEARD there is new software on the horizon. This would be one of those great first Impression moments.
So how important is a project kickoff? And what makes for a good one?
Easy...bring food. Sure, sure. Introductions, background, and a few words on timelines all play a key role. But what about creating an environment for success? (I'll pause for a moment to let you know that no campfires or guitars will be involved in the following...)
By the end of a kickoff session, your clients need to know that you are there to make this a successful endeavor. Think of it as needing them to impart their trust in you (Which is probably minimal at this point). Achieving any semblance of trust will be just as important as making it to your final "Questions" slide with the quintessential coffee bean clipart. Since we all know how to click forward in that presentation, let's think about how we can earn trust.
I offer two of many ways:
1) Present yourself as a humble expert. You know your product and while you understand jails, there's much to learn about THEIR jail. Repeat: Jack is the only thing I know about this facility.
2) Let the team know what to expect. Speak about your role. Verbalize what is needed from them, the pace, the timeline and what they will have at the end of this process. Oh, and for Pete's sake...Deliver!
Remembering this will show that you are open to share in the work as well as the success. You also expose a need on your part (be strong, I know you can do it). This need emphasizes that cooperation is really not an option. You acknowledge that while change is not easy, what your client knows is key to moving forward. And YOU cleared the fog to see that horizon more clearly.
The kickoff meeting sets the tone for the rest of the project. Building rapport is the art to the science of a successful implementation. So in the end (or beginning in this case), a shiny suit and a PowerPoint do not a successful kickoff make.
It also might not hurt to find the local favorite donut shop.