Getting Off On The Wrong Track
What is the most important meeting you'll have?
If you are a Project Manager, there is only one answer to this question - The Kick-Off Meeting.
In Senior and Executive Leadership, you will often lead Strategic Initiatives I call Programs. Here, the set-up couldn't be more crucial.
Yet, this one seemingly simple piece of communication is either not happening, or at least, not happening effectively.
Starts Matter
In 2020, I wrote about how starts determine trajectories. (Why Starts Matter, Dec 2020).
If conditions are favourable when we start, we do well.
When we lead projects or programs, every ounce of attention, effort, and energy we put into the launch will give a high ROE (Return on Effort) and ROI (Return on Investment).
But it is being skipped over by too many leaders.
The Convenience of Excuses
The brilliant thing about excuses is that there are so many of them.
There is never enough time or notice. Constraints around tech, location, and corporate policies are a constant challenge.
Then there is the un-fair-ness. It's unfair how many problems land on our desks. It's unfair how everything comes at once, and why I need to do everything.
On top of this, we are "too busy." Busyness and a lack of time are such common experiences they have moved well beyond a cliché.
And the best bit? These excuses are socially acceptable. They act as a warm, cuddly security blanket.
You Have Time
Laura Vanderkam's research shows us that there is always time for priorities.
The problem is, when we label something a "low priority",we are taking ownership of that choice.We aresignalling to someone that they don't matter (awkward...), or we are boosting our own ego by letting everyone know how slammed we are (code for: "Damn, I'm important").
None of these reframes are socially acceptable, and they force a level of self-reflection we detest. So, we just resort to: "I don't have time."
But in the words of Vanderkam:
"There is time. Even if we are busy, we have time for what matters. And when we focus on what matters, we can build the lives we want in the time we've got."
So, a Kick-Off Meeting, Project Briefing, or Info Pack at the start of an initiative must be elevated in our priorities. Making it a non-negotiable is the only way to protect your ROE.
ROE is a Trainline
If we get the comms wrong at the beginning, what are the risks?
That is the only question you need to ask. In a split second, your mind can see the cascade of horrendous outcomes that will prevail.
Most of the problems will land right back at your desk. The team will work harder. Anxiety levels in clients and stakeholders will spike, resulting in an influx of emails, meetings, and frantic calls. Errors will be made. Rework becomes inevitable.
All of it pushes you and your team back towards Extinction/Isolation in the ROE model (above).
A lot of it is entirely avoidable.
Taking our comms to a pro level means investing the time, attention, and energy (aka. effort) to clearly relay the vision, meaning, and basic info involved with a new initiative or project. It means repeating it a few times if need be, in different formats or scales.
Most leaders can improve on this front. A small tweak for large rewards.
When you start a project, it is placed on a trainline it cannot easily get off. The line is either smooth, quick, and enjoyable, heading toward a wonderful destination - or it's slow, constantly interrupted, and ends with a bus replacement service to nowhere.
Do everything in your power to get the start right, and everyone involved benefits.
