As a leader in your organization, you want to do everything you can to ensure the successful results of your work groups and project teams. You know that investing in a great beginning pays dividends as the work continues.
Liftoff is the unexplored, often ignored, Agile project practice. As the first act of flight, a rocket launch requires an entire set of systems to successfully lift a vehicle into orbit—not just the vehicle itself, but all the systems needed for smoothly moving off of the ground into space. Likewise, your project work needs its entire set of supporting systems in place to begin a successful journey to delivery. Whatever we call it (project kickoff, bootcamp, inception, or jump start), the liftoff sets your team on the best trajectory, and launches your project. This critical practice informs, inspires, and aligns everyone to deliver successfully. You too can launch successful projects!
Why you need an effective Liftoff:
In a Liftoff workshop session, product managers and project leaders work with teams to bring the work systems into alignment. Leaders introduce the team to its purpose–its reason for existing–then collaborate with team members to refine and clarify the work until everyone makes a solid commitment to achieving the intended value. The work may require one team or many to accomplish the results. Starting with an aligned understanding takes on even greater importance when several teams need to coordinate closely to negotiate dependencies and interactions.
Liftoff Objectives:
- Clarify project purpose and business case
- Accelerate project or work team through the forming stage
- Identify and work through potential stumbling blocks
- Establish clear measures of ongoing success
- Develop an initial draft working charter for each team
- Create the foundation for trust and collaborative work culture
- Set the context for iterative and continuous improvement