It’s been said that the two hardest parts of a project are the beginning and the end.  In the middle, it’s often perfectly clear what should have gone differently at the start.  But when you’re kicking off a project, you’re often so preoccupied trying to establish cordial working relationships and understand the nature of the project that some of the trivial but essential details get neglected.  That’s too bad, because it’s often the trivial essentials that build trust.

Below, I share my list of things to do at the beginning of each project. Most of these items were added to my list in a jagged, bloody scrawl mid-way through a project—which is to say that are born from the painful backlash of minutia neglected. But enough about me! I’d love to hear what you’ve learned about how to successfully start projects. Please share. (N.B.: Below, I use the term “client”  a lot. Insert “project sponsor,” “product manager,” or other head honcho title of choice.)

Planning

1. Ask the client about review cycles. Ask who will be involved in reviewing the work and how long they’ll need to digest and give feedback. Are they quick decision makers who give feedback in the same meeting? Do they need private time set aside to consider what you’ve shared, and then a follow up meeting to give their feedback? Whatever they need, quantify it (e.g., 12 hours, 1 day, 3 days) and then account for it into the project schedule.
2. Plan for a mid-point triage period. Even if you think things will go swimmingly, you’ll need it. Treat this as unstructured time for resolving lingering design questions. If possible, this should be face-to-face time when you get the the whole team together (including clients) and poke a stick at the designs (in the interest of making them better, of course!).
3. Identify dedicated roles on the client team. At a minimum, you need to know who has 1) project management responsibilities, and 2) sign off responsibilities. We have these roles on the AP side of things, but we also ask our clients to fill these roles on their side.

Pre-Kickoff

1. Agree on a file naming convention. My current favorite is [client]_[deliverable]_[OPTIONAL subpart]_[date].[ext]. Whatever you pick, make sure everyone on the team is on board with it.
2. Agree on software you’ll be using as a team. We go back and forth a lot between Omnigraffle and various Adobe CS products. That’s ok project-to-project, but within a project, that just adds overhead for unnecessary file wrangling.
3. Create a big calendar. Put it somewhere where everyone can see it, like a whiteboard or a flip chart. Put the basic project timeline on the calendar, including week number, deliverable dates, work holidays, and when people will be out of the office. Encourage everyone to add notes to it as the project goes along.
4. Setup your project management system. We use Basecamp, but of course there are lots of good systems out there. Try to remember that your client may have a strong focus on deliverables as the measure of the how the project is going, so figure out a way to make it very easy for them to find (and then refind) the latest version of the deliverables. In Basecamp, that might mean creating a message for each deliverable and then keeping a history of the deliverable in the comments of that message, with the latest version always attached in the body of the message.
5. Set up a recurring meeting with the buyer or project sponsor. Even if you don’t know what you’ll talk about, it’s good to have that face time on the calendar. It establishes a precedent and a way to get in touch with them if and when you really need it.
6. Decide on an issue management protocol. Will there always be a an issue list that lives in some discoverable place? Who has final say on whether an issue is closed, and on what schedule will issues be reviewed?
7. Identify known risks. Brainstorm activities or tools to mitigate them.
8. Create “this week” and “next week” signs. Pick a prominent spot on the wall and put up 2 signs: one that says “this week,” and one that says “next week.” As the weeks roll on, put whatever you’re supposed to be working on this week in the “this week” spot. And put whatever you’re supposed to be working on next week in the “next week” spot. When you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work left to be done, look at the “this week” sign and feel calm.

Week 1

1. Review the plan with the client. Sit down with the client or project sponsor and talk through the statement of work. (Presumably you did this with them before they agreed to start the project, but do it again anyway.) Point out maximums and minimums. Explain what each activity and deliverable is. Show examples from past projects so they have a picture in their heads of what they’ll be receiving. Call attention to points in the project that are likely to be sticky. Assure them that this is common, and you’ll guide them through it. Ask them to have patience and a sense of humor. Promise you’ll do the same.
2. Get a list of everyone who will be involved in any way. Ask the client to provide a list of all people on the project team. Ask them to indicate who should be interviewed as a stakeholder, who has veto power, who has all the information, who’s likely to disagree with the project goals, etc.
3. Gather inspiration. Begin collecting screenshots, clippings from magazines, photos snapped with your camera phone—anything that gives you even a morsel of an idea for your project. With your project on your brain, try to thoughtfully observe the world.

During

1. Communicate a lot. Use the back channel. Call people up and ask them how they think it’s going. If you have important information, try to think of everyone who will be impacted by it, and then try to share it, in whatever form is appropriate. Give senior or influential people previews before any “big reveals” to avoid unpleasant surprises during the Big Presentation.
2. Think in terms of “us,” not “them.” Remember that your most important responsibility is to help the rest of the team be successful. A rising tide lifts all boats.