As a project management thought leader and instructor for nearly two decades, I’ve compiled a list of ten key questions (in no particular order) that leaders should address during their kickoff meetings.

1. What are the project objectives?

A famous proverb reminds us, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Certainly, teams without clear objectives end up taking many different roads. Even if there’s a published objective statement, it’s worth taking the time to check in with team members to ensure that everyone has the same understanding. An activity that I recommend to clients is asking each core team member to document their understanding of the project objective(s) on an index card, and then collect those cards and review the statements aloud. You’ll often be surprised how much variation there might be within the responses.

2. Who is our project sponsor?

The project sponsor is typically a senior executive with funding authority over the project. Sponsors are called on to provide a range of resources and critical project support particularly when problems or conflicts arise. Too often project teams don’t engage project sponsors until there is a dire situation, so be sure the sponsor has been clearly identified and engage them early to enlist their support as a vocal champion and advocate.

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Read the full Forbes report here

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