Project kick-offs and first impressions

The old adage of not judging a book by its cover is something that we are much better at saying than actually doing.  We all fall into the trap of very quickly stereotyping people we meet based on what they look like, how they speak and their mannerisms.  It is important to recognise when performing a project kick-off meeting; this is how people will judge you too.  They will quickly make judgements about what type of person you are and whether they like you or not.  Opinions are formed very quickly but can take time to change.

As project managers and business analysts we attend many project kick-off in our careers where we are often meeting the stakeholders for the first time.  We want to establish ourselves in a position as trusted advisers and to do that, we need to hit the ground running and be completely prepared for project kick-off session knowing that these very first impressions are vital.  We need to be clear as to what we want out of the kick-off session and play the part required for us to deliver success.

"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances." - Shakespeare

Playing the part does sound very theatrical and in many ways it is.  Try to imagine the type of person you want others in the kick-off meeting to see you like and then act out being that person.  I am sure you want to come across as confident, knowledgeable and as someone who has done this before.  You need to establish trust.

These are the steps I go through for that very first engagement meeting on the project to try to ensure that the first impressions are positive and to establish trust early in the engagement.

1. Be Prepared - I know, my inner Scout coming out.  Seriously, the first thing to do way before you arrive for that kick-off meeting is to research the most you can about who you are meeting in the kick-off session and be clear about what you intend to get across to them as a message.  If this is the first time you are meeting stakeholders then look them up on LinkedIn or search elsewhere to find out what you can about them.  This will help you also to remember their names when you are introduced  and may give you an ice breaker conversation; such as where they schooled.  People love the sound of their own names so make sure you learn them beforehand so that you can use them when you meet.  Also, you must know what key messages you want to get across.  This is a kick-off session, so not everything is going to stick especially if this is their first exposure to the project for the attendees.  Understand your audience and pick your messages carefully.  Don't completely overload them with too much which may leave them walking away perplexed.
2. Dress to impress - Research shows that the clothes you wear change the way you actually perform.  We need to feel sure of ourselves and portray a confident image.  Wearing the right clothes is like assuming the write costume of an actor entering stage.  However, make sure you know your audiences as the dress code in different organisations can be quite particular.  You do not want to over dress or under dress for the occasion.  The right attire will also impact your own psychology and can make you feel more confident and secure.
3. Psych - I know this makes it sound like you are going into a boxing match rather than a meeting but you need to be in the right state of mind.  To master personal effectiveness we need to control our emotions and be in the appropriate emotional state for the job. If you are busy stressing about things or feeling depressed and down - you need to snap out of it.  You need to approach your meeting with confidence without arrogance; calmness without indifference; and positivism without insincerity.  Negative attitudes will be quickly picked up by others so whatever is troubling you from home - forget it.
4. Smile - "Smile and the world smiles with you", as they say. Always greet people with a smile but make sure the smile is sincere as forced smiles will be picked up as a negative attitude. People generally like happy and positive people and before you even open your mouth to say anything, people will react positively to a facial image that represents happiness.
5. Ice breaker - In many project kick-offs, the people you will be meeting may be feeling anxious because they have never been involved in this type of project before.  It is not only new for you - it is new for them too.  One of the best ways of lightening the mood is to have an ice breaker ready.  Knowing your audience will help here but good  conversational subjects are usually sport, tech gadgets or bizarre stories in the news.  Try to keep away from subjects that could get emotional; such as politics.  Unless talking about Trump classifies as bizarre.  Remember also that people like talking about themselves so if the ice breaker results in someone opening up and divulging a personal story, then make sure you listen attentively as this will give them a good feeling of being accepted.  Building a personal relationship is critical in the journey to becoming a trusted adviser so make an effort to complete this stage.  Lighten the mood before jumping straight into the gory project details and you will feel the audience is more receptive.
6. Be adaptive - it is always difficult when meeting people for the first time to understand their background, experience, attitude and level of understanding.  It may be what you wanted to pitch in the kick-off is going right over their heads.  Or perhaps, unknowing to you, the kick-off participants already have a negative attitude towards the project before you even start and what you are saying is only irritating them further.  You need to watch their body language and tell-tale signs as to whether they are engaged with you or not.  If you losing the plot, then adjust it and change tact.
7. Be self-conscious - You need to pay attention to the pace of your speech, the tone, your mannerisms and your body language.  Speaking to quickly or in a raised tone can give across the message that you are anxious and not confident.  Look at the body language of others and mirror them.  That is, if everyone is sitting very straight backed and formally then do not slouch in front of them.  If they have taken a more relaxed posture then do not sit there all stiff as it will come across as arrogance.
8. Conclude - When concluding the kick-off meeting summarise the key points, review any actions taken and finish on an affirmative message.  For example, let them know how excited you are to have this opportunity to work with them on this project and that you are looking forward to the next steps.  Always finish on a high.
9. Follow-up - Always send a thank you message to follow-up from the meeting thereby again reaffirming the positive messages of commitment.  If you have taken actions during the meeting, you must make sure you complete them and notify the attendees.  One of the rules of becoming a trusted adviser is that you do what you said you were going to do.  It takes time to build trust but can be destroyed quickly so at least make sure this early engagement is off on the right track.

Although I wrote these 9 points with a project kick-off session in mind based on my years of experience in kicking off ERP projects, most of these points could be applied to various other meetings where you meet people for the first time.  For example, for an interview you may wish to follow all these points although you hopefully would not pick up any actions.

I would be interested to here your thoughts and ideas of how to make these first meetings effective and better received by the attendees.


Abdul-Wahid Paterson is a director in Hitachi Solutions and works as a programme manager on Microsoft Dynamic implementations.  He has a passion for helping develop the next generation of leaders and empowering everyone to achieve the most out of life.  To find out more about Microsoft Dynamics and how it could help your organisation then please visit the Hitachi Solutions page.