Unboxing Video Vs Kick Off Meeting

Quality, Consequences and the Construction Industrial Complex (part 142).

Ever get the feeling that everyone at the project kick off meeting is just going through the motions so they can tick it off as a milestone done?

If you have led a kick off meeting and people are looking at their phones and not paying attention to your delivery, they are one short stop from ignoring you completely and slipping into a coma. A total waste of time and money.

Recently, a property developer “Obi-Wan Kenobi” gave me some great insight about the humble project kick off meeting. He felt the kick off meeting should be a bit like an unboxing video! What does he mean?

A good unboxing video:

• builds excitement;
• provides great first impression;
• revels layers;
• sets the tone going forwards;
• leaves you wanting more because, it is fun!

My favourite unboxing videos are from my fellow Canadian, Lewis Hilsenteger at www.unboxtherapy.com. They are funny, informative and honest. They leave you wanting more. This IMHO, is how a project kick off meeting should be.

Going forwards I will be trying to make my project kick off meetings more like “unboxtherapy”. I want clients to “feel” that working with me will be awesome, just like taking delivery of a new car or unboxing a new smart phone is awesome.

Note, I used the word “feel” and not “know”. The older I get, the more I realize how emotional and survival mode oriented most people are. How I feel is how I am. If I feel good, dare I say happy, about the project and myself, then my internal “stories” are good. Turns out, feelings actually matter, even in the work place. BTW, I am not a hippy or SJW, I am just trying to make sense of the world I live in.

Therefore, going forwards, my objectives for project kick off meetings are:

1. So good, nobody looks at their phone.

2. Informative and educational, everyone should leave having learned something new.

3. Exciting, everyone should leave feeling excited about working with my team.

4. Set expectations for success, accountability and fun.

Is this all some Jedi mind trick from my “Obi-Wan Kenobi”? I guess I will find out, but in the mean time “may the force be with you”!

Twitter: @BLDWhisperer

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