So you’ve been assigned a project and now the real work begins, and, like with most things, setting the stage at the beginning is critical to the project’s success.
A project kick off meeting helps bring the customer and the team together to start building a successful relationship. It can work as a catalyst to break the ice and jump start development.
Here are 5 tips for your first kick off meeting
It’s good to have a short kick off meeting with the team members who are going to work on the project. If the team members are remote, it is a good idea to ensure you have a video call in place.This will help establish a better connection to the rest of the team. Here is a list of individuals who you should include in the meeting:
· Developers
· UI/UX
· Architects
· Team leads
· Testers*
*Be sure to also include an Integration testing team member if there is a separate integration testing environment.
Setup a project “Team Room” in a live chat environment like Slack to make sure your team is always connected and get responses quickly. If you don’t use Slack, you can also setup a Skype or Whatsapp group to keep communication open.
During the kick off meeting, be sure to have the team agree on the following items:
· Sprint duration (preferably 2 weeks)
· Start of first Sprint
· Sprint demo date
· Demo environment
· Feedback session or an “Informal Show’n’ Tell,” where feedback is given on the ongoing development of stories.
· Scrum call cadence. Ideally, scrum calls would happen daily. However, you can agree upon a different cadence that works best for your team in which they share updates, especially any impediments. Avoid using email if possible.
Establish who will be working at 100% capacity and for those working part time, be sure it is agreed and clear to everyone which days and times they will be available.
It is a bonus if you are able to have the actual customer join the meeting to discuss priorities, expectations and what this release/project means to them. This can provide a better mental context for the team as to why they are building this, for whom, and the impact it will have for the customer.