“Not planning for success is the same as planning to fail.”
If you’re running projects without formal kickoff and closeout meetings, you’re leaving money, quality, and client trust on the table. In my experience, 80% of project meetings should involve kickoff and closeout activities — yet most MSPs skip them entirely.
Pre-Meeting Preparation
Before involving stakeholders, hold a brief 15-minute internal team meeting. This preparation ensures clarity on the project approach and demonstrates organizational competence when the stakeholder joins the formal kickoff.
Walking into a kickoff meeting without internal alignment signals to the client that you’re winging it. Don’t do that.
Conducting a Kickoff Meeting
Once the scope of work receives approval, schedule the kickoff promptly. Virtual meetings work as effectively as in-person gatherings while saving time. The kickoff agenda should address four primary areas.
1. Introductions
Establish context by explaining why the project matters. Simon Sinek’s principle of “start with why” applies here. Address regulatory requirements, strategic initiatives, or other factors driving the engagement. Introduce team members and highlight their relevant experience to build stakeholder confidence.
2. Review Scope
Formally reviewing the scope of work protects against scope creep. Clearly articulate what’s included, excluded, start dates, end dates, and the desired end state. Low-maturity organizations either lack written scopes or skip detailed reviews with clients, creating misalignment risks.
This is your insurance policy. When the client asks for something outside scope three weeks in, you point back to this conversation.
3. Review RACI
RACI clarifies responsibility assignments:
- Responsible — Who executes the work
- Accountable — Who owns overall delivery
- Consulted — Who provides input
- Informed — Who receives updates
Specify individual tasks and assignments. More complexity requires greater detail. Don’t leave anyone guessing who owns what.
4. Reporting
Establish a regular status cadence — typically weekly 10-minute calls. The project manager should report project status as green, yellow, or red, based on prepared information. For non-green status, outline corrective actions.
If you’re asking your team for an update with the client on the line, you’re wasting everyone’s time. Come prepared.
Early-stage projects merit actual meetings rather than email updates due to higher risk of scheduling conflicts and equipment issues.
Conducting a Project Close
Once deliverables are complete, formally close the project. This meeting measures performance against the kickoff vision. Peter Drucker’s observation applies: “What gets measured gets managed.”
1. Review Completed Deliverables
Confirm all deliverables from the kickoff are complete. Document any scope changes, particularly additions, and highlight obstacles overcome. This is where you demonstrate the value delivered.
2. Obtain Formal Client Closeout Agreement
Have clients formally acknowledge project completion through signed documentation, email confirmation, or verbal agreement. This protects against later claims of missing work and provides footing for addressing post-project requests.
Skip this step and you’ll find yourself doing “just one more thing” for free six months later.
3. Request Specific Feedback
Rather than asking open-ended questions, pose targeted inquiries:
- Were you kept informed about project progress?
- Did your team raise any concerns?
- What would improve the experience if we repeated this project?
Watch for hesitation, pauses, or body language suggesting unrevealed concerns. Follow up privately if needed.
4. Review Budget Performance
Measure project performance against budgeted hours. A 10% variance is acceptable for fixed-fee work. Variances exceeding 10-25% suggest profitability problems. Investigate significant variances and develop preventive processes.
Continuous Improvement
Set goals, measure performance, make plans for improvement, repeat.
Mature organizations analyze variances, identify root causes, and implement process improvements rather than hoping for better results. Project closure reviews should provide objective performance assessment without rationalizing shortcomings.
The pattern is simple: kickoff sets expectations, close measures against them, and the gap between the two tells you exactly where to improve next time.