Project Kickoff Worksheet

Agree on purpose, scope, people, dates, risks and success measures on one page before the work starts, so nobody discovers halfway through that they were planning a different project.

Who it is for

• Business owners starting a change such as a new service, a second location or a new booking system.

• Office and operations managers asked to lead a project alongside their usual work.

• Shift leads and supervisors given their first project and wanting a clear way to start it.

• HR and training professionals running a rollout that affects several teams.

The problem it solves

Most projects that go wrong start with different people holding different ideas of what the project is. The gap shows only when the work is half done, when it is expensive to fix. This worksheet brings those differences into the open in one short meeting. The guide explains each of the seven parts (purpose, scope, people, timeline, risks, success measures and ways of working), shows weak and strong versions, and gives you a 45-minute meeting plan with the words to open and close it.

What is inside

Project Kickoff Worksheet (PDF, 11 pages)

• Copyright and License (1 page)

• Contents, plain-language terms and how to use it (1 page)

• What a kickoff settles: the seven parts and what goes wrong without each (1 page)

• Purpose, scope and people, with weak and strong examples (1 page)

• Timeline, risks, success measures and ways of working (1 page)

• The one-page kickoff worksheet with prompts (1 page)

• Filled-in example from a physical therapy clinic (1 page)

• Filled-in example from a warehouse (1 page)

• A 45-minute kickoff meeting plan, opening and closing words, and adjustments for retail, clinics, restaurants, trades, offices and warehouses (1 page)

• After the kickoff, common mistakes and a final check (1 page)

Project Kickoff Worksheet (Word, 8 pages): the worksheet with grey prompts, ready to type into, plus the clinic example and the final check.

How to use it

1. Read the four guide pages (about 15 minutes).

2. Fill in a draft of the worksheet yourself.

3. Review the draft with everyone involved, using the 45-minute meeting plan.

4. Send the agreed page within one day, and bring it to every check-in.

Formats and file types

• PDF (US Letter, print or screen), 11 pages

• Word document (.docx), 8 pages, opens in most word processors

• Licensed for use within your organization

Frequently asked questions