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Stakeholder Kick-offs

Kick-offs are where you set the tone. Each group gets their own. Don’t mix them — different audiences, different priorities. Use this alongside Stakeholder Stakes to capture commitments early.

Internal Kick-off – Knights (Delivery Team)

  • Make sure everyone agrees on deliverables and timeline.
  • If not, raise it now. Better here than being blindsided at customer kickoff.
  • The Alchemist (PM) must walk away with a plan they’re happy with.
    • Could be an adapted plan from earlier projects.
    • Could be new — in which case, expect another planning session before or right after kickoff, but always before the customer session.
  • The plan doesn’t need to be perfect. It’s a living doc.
  • Ambiguities should be documented.
  • Take these to the customer with a timebox proposal if needed.

Customer Kick-off – Custodian (Customer KDM)

Focus on the stakeholder with the budget — the one who signs off the work.

  • Present the project overview, team, milestone plan.
  • Get agreement on KPIs and deliverables.
  • Identify owners of each task and confirm their availability.
  • Document potential blockers with the Gatekeepers (3rd Parties & Blockers) in mind.

Warning: customer perception may differ wildly from what was sold or how delivery is structured. The Alchemist (PM) must judge: is this a semantic mix-up, or a fundamental misalignment?

Dealing with Misalignment

  • Bucket approach

    • If they just want “hands on deck,” treat it as a bucket of days.
    • Outcome changes to: work for X days with no guarantee of full product.

  • Subbing approach

    • If one component is disputed, work with Knights (SMEs) to refactor it into another deliverable.
    • Document it, sub it into the plan, get agreement.

  • Kick it back to Sales

    • If irrecoverable, the Envoy (Sales) must step in.
    • Could mean refunds, freebies, or convincing the customer they bought the right thing.

  • Bucket and spade approach

    • If project shape is wrong, convert it into another project type entirely.
    • May require another internal kickoff and planning round.

Partner / 3rd Party Kick-off (Optional)

  • Only if customer has 3rd party contractors.
  • Ideally, they bring key people into their kickoff — often they don’t.
  • Make it clear: this is a customer-led initiative anchored by the Custodian (Customer KDM).
  • Document work orders needed and coordinate with the Gatekeepers (3rd Parties & Blockers).
  • In most cases, the customer milestone plan is enough. A separate partner plan is optional.

Hostility Check

At any kickoff, note down any hostility towards the project. Escalate to the Custodian (Customer KDM) as soon as possible.

Common sources of hostility:

There may not be anything that can be done, particularly regarding politics. But documenting this can be added to 'evidence', which is useful later if the project derails.

Kick-off Checklist

  • Internal kickoff done, plan drafted (living doc).
  • Customer kickoff run, KPIs + deliverables agreed.
  • Task owners and availability documented.
  • Blockers identified and logged.
  • Misalignments handled (bucket, sub, sales, spade).
  • Partner kickoff done (if needed).
  • Hostility logged and escalated to the Custodian (Customer KDM).