Project MeetingsProject meetings cause more problems than any other aspect of project management. We often confuse the different kinds of project meetings.

We generally divide project meetings into three different categories:

The Kick-Off Meeting gets us started; it introduces the project team, confirms the overall purpose and objectives of the project, determines the roles and responsibilities of the team members, and establishes ground rules for working together. The most important purpose is to get commitment to the scope and objectives of the project.

The Planning Meeting identifies tasks and activities, estimates resource requirements, assigns responsibility, schedules tasks, and manages risk. This meeting also plans for performance of individuals and the team and resolves conflict as it occurs. The purpose is to encourage project team involvement and participation, to take advantage of team knowledge and experience, and to gain a deeper understanding of project tasks, timing, and resource requirements.

The Project Review Meeting monitors the progress of the project, modifies the project, modifies individual or team performance, and evaluates and closes-out the project.

Kick-Off Meeting

The kick-off meeting launches the project. It builds initial excitement; it introduces the people who are on the team and explains why they were chosen; it identifies the customer or user and verifies his or her requirements; it clarifies major roles and responsibilities; and it establishes the ground rules for the project.

Since anything that starts well has a better chance of ending well, the kick-off meeting must be well planned.

Plan the Meeting

Consider the following questions when establishing the meeting agenda:

What issues will be discussed? Who should attend? When should the meeting be held? Where should the meeting be held? What equipment and materials are required at the meeting?

Distribute the meeting agenda to each participant in advance.

Conduct the Meeting

Always start the kick-off meeting on time. It will set an example for subsequent project meetings.

State the purpose of the meeting. Provide background information. Who is the customer? What is the problem we will fix?

What is the opportunity for doing something better, faster, or cheaper? What alternatives have been considered? Who has initiated the project and given approval to proceed? Who will support the project if it gets in trouble?

Introduce the participants, indicating why each member of the team was chosen (technical skills, project management skills, people skills) and their roles on the project.

Establish the project ground rules under which the team will operate. Present the broad project objectives (end results or deliverables, resources, restraints or

limitations, assumptions), adding missing objectives where offered, clarifying objectives when appropriate, and prioritizing objectives when necessary.

Build commitment and enthusiasm by soliciting input wherever possible: you want this to be their project, not just your project.

Document the Meeting

Record the project mission statement and objectives in the minutes. These may change in the first planning meeting.

List the project team members, their roles and overall responsibilities, their daytime telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. Make copies for everyone.

Confirm all decisions and follow-up actions (What, Who and When). Confirm the planning meeting date and agenda.

Planning Meeting

We choose project team members for their knowledge, skills, and experience. We can also build their commitment to the project by involving them in planning meetings.

Confirm project objectives List project tasks (work breakdown structure) Assign responsibility (who provides input, who does the work, who reviews or approves

the work) Schedule the tasks Review the plan Negotiate resource commitments Determine how to monitor the project

We gather the required information and come to a common understanding about the project by asking questions:

What questions: for determining the work breakdown structure and resource requirements Who and when questions: for planning the project, i.e., scheduling and assigning

responsibility How questions: for monitoring and evaluating the project

And we listen carefully to the responses.

Project Review Meeting

Imagine a project review meeting. What tends to happen whenever a project issue arises? In most project review meetings we immediately begin to discuss the issue. What is the chance that this will be the most important issue to be discussed? What is the chance that everyone in the room will share a common understanding of the issue? What is the chance that the right people will be in the room to resolve it? What is the chance that all the right information will have been gathered to address the issue? And, yet, the desire is to discuss it and try to resolve it.

Effective project-oriented organizations have identified two different types of project review meetings: the project status meeting and the resolution meeting. The project status meeting

identifies project-related problems and opportunities; the resolution meeting identifies the right people, gathers the right information, and resolves the issues identified in the project status meeting.

These two meetings are linked.

Status Meeting Resolution Meeting

Timing

Held on a regular basis

Purpose

Share key project information Update the issues log Identify new issues

Process

Identify and anticipate issues Clarify for common understanding Set priority Plan the resolution (what issue, what

information required, who participates, when resolved)

This meeting is then over and results in one or more resolution meetings

Timing

Held on as-needed basis

Purpose

Resolve the issue(s)

Process

Gather the required information Analyze the information Decide on the best possible response Act, if you have the authority, or

recommend action to others for their approval

This meeting is then over and results in an update of the outstanding issues log

This two-meeting format greatly simplifies project review meetings. The review meeting becomes a status meeting. Several resolution meetings can then be scheduled to resolve the issues that arise. Once resolved, we update the project issues log.

Tips on Planning Status Meetings

If you takes the role of project manager, you must be ready to plan and conduct project meetings on a regular basis. This will be part of your project management duties. Project meetings help you make sure that the project is progressing as planned and that any problems are being solved in the right way.

The following project meeting planning tips are designed to help you understand how to organize the meetings and what essentials are required to make your effort more effective. Here’re the tips:

1. Set Objectives. This project meeting tip assumes that if you don’t set clear meeting objectives, the meeting is doomed to fail because it gives no results, and no solution will be generated. Before deciding on scheduling a meeting date, make sure you have set a series of SMART objectives. SMART means Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.

2. Write a Meeting Agenda. Developing and following an agenda allows you to make the status meeting shorter yet more effective. You get more chances to finish the meeting with expected results and in a timely manner. You’ll need to produce an agenda 2-3 days before the start date

and include a list of events that are scheduled and prioritized. Meeting scheduling software will help do so.

3. Keep Documents Organized. That means you need to make the meeting documents as shorter as possible. When you use piles of paper to hold the meeting, you’re likely to fail because multiple documents can de-motivate and mislead your team and cause a mess. That’s why you should try to keep 1 or 2 sheets of paper to maintain the meeting. Also it’s recommended to use a review meeting template that includes general items of your agenda and describes what issues are to be addressed.

4. Invite the Right People. Members of your team are obviously the major attendees of your project management meeting. However, from time to time some meetings require someone from the seniors. Following this project meeting planning tip, you should know in advance if the participation of senior management is required and then make sure that every person concerned is notified of the upcoming meeting and the problems to be addressed. For convenience, you can use meeting planning software to make notes in your to-do list and agenda.

5. Create an Appropriate and Comfortable Physical Environment. Note that your project meeting should be conducted in a comfortable and well-ventilated room, especially if it’s summertime. Do not forget to give your participants ice cold water, tea, coffee or/and some non-alcoholic beverages that make your listeners feel more comfortable. Following this meeting planning tip, you should add records to your to-do list and create a list of all the beverages to be prepared in advance prior to the meeting start.

6. Start and Finish the Meeting on Time. People do not like if an event goes out of schedule, and probably there is no anything more frustrating than late meetings. This project meeting tip says that you should make sure every attendee is aware of the start and finish time. It’s recommended to send (either oral or written) notifications to the attendees. Also you can use your meeting planning software to set email reminders and send electronic notifications.

Meeting Types and DescriptionsOrientation Meetings (Your Individual Orientation Meeting & Gatherings for New Grantees)

These meetings are the cornerstones of our partnership, scheduled once you sign your letter of agreement. They are opportunities to meet our staff and artists, to ask us questions about our contract and system of support and to discuss how to get your project made. We have these meetings with every awardee because we want you to take advantage of our support and services. This is our chance to make our system of funding, meetings and services clear at the outset.Note: We make every effort to meet with our new awardees in person. When possible, we will pay travel costs to a regional orientation meeting. Individual orientation meetings can also be conducted over the phone.

Retreat Project Meetings

During your first retreat, you will have the opportunity to review your Creative Capital project with consultants who can help you plan, produce, develop and promote your project. These meetings clarify goals and expectations and help to identify actionable items.

Update Meetings

It’s important to update us regularly on the project. If an opportunity or challenge for the project (or your practice) arises, we encourage you to arrange a meeting.

Stakeholder Meeting - Initial (optional)

Initial Stakeholder Meetings can be convened if you have partners identified early on in the development of a project. It may be useful to gather together and discuss strategies going forward. These meetings are moderated by Creative Capital staff and may be attended by those involved in the project, including funders, collaborators, work-for-hire participants, representatives from presenting venue(s), consultants, etc.

Stakeholder Meeting - Premiere

We’ve found that as a project gets closer to presentation and premiere, it’s helpful for Creative Capital to facilitate a meeting among the various parties involved to jointly clarify goals and expectations. You designate which presentation or event you want as your Creative Capital premiere. We recommend scheduling your stakeholder meeting at least 6 months prior to project's premiere. When you know your preferred premiere event, please let Artist Services staff know as soon as possible. During this meeting, staff will discuss additional funding available at this stage of the project. These meetings may occur in person or by phone. Please note that a Stakeholder Meeting is a prerequisite to apply for Premiere Funding.

Post-Premiere Meeting (Expansion or Exit)

Just as we try to meet six months before a project premieres, we also try to meet three to six months after the project’s first presentation. This helps us determine whether or not the project is complete or if it has a continued life after its premiere.

Project Closure Meeting

Tied to the Final Report, this is our chance to assess the impact of your project and to recommend Alumni opportunities.