Your first meeting can be either in person, or conducted using a teleconference application such as Google Hangouts, WebEx, GoToMeeting, etc. Don’t let distance get in the way. The other critical step before your team meeting is to make sure the project has a Champion or Sponsor who is 100% behind the project. As we say in the Lean Six Sigma world, “No Champion, no project.” If the project has backing from leadership then it’s time to convene the team. Below are some potential agenda items for your first team meeting.
- Determine best weekly (or biweekly) meeting time for the project team.
- It’s critical to create a “drumbeat” of regular meetings.
- Meetings become a time to get work done as well as a form of deadline.
- Review and Refine the Project Charter.
- Any more detail available for the Problem Statement?
- Has the Scope been defined? Start/Stop as well as What’s In/What’s Out?
- Any additional Constraints or Assumptions?
- Has the Goal Statement at least been outlined even if the numbers are not solid
- Create the SIPOC, high-level map, with the team
- Do this even if you’ve already created one
- Allow the team to understand the high-level process
- Give them a chance to own the process and engage in the project
- Plan for collecting Voice of the Customer data
- Consider both output requirements and service requirements
- Make sure the requirements are measurable
- Determine the vehicle (survey, interview, meeting, etc.)
- Determine project stakeholders and begin Stakeholder Analysis
This may take more than one meeting depending upon the time available, but these are some of your first orders of business. I hope this was helpful and we wish you luck on your project!
