i hate sports but i love kickoffs: how to create a successful project culture, from the first...

#kickoffs@kevinmhoffman

HATE SPORTS.I

HATE SPORTS.I DON’T

SPORTS.I DON’T

UNDERSTAND SPORTS.I DON’T

How to create a successful project culture, from the first meeting.

Does a great kickoff meeting guarantee a great project?

Does a lousy kickoff guarantee project problems?

1First impressionsare powerful & lasting.

First impressionsare powerful & lasting.

Roles are unclear or hidden.

First impressionsare powerful & lasting.

Roles are unclear or hidden.

Time & money is wasted.

Trust.

Good Meeting Design

Meeting Basics

Is a neutral servantDoesn’t evaluateDoesn’t contributeCoordinates/Manages

Facilitator

Facilitator Creates group memory

Records publiclyIs silentFollows up afterwards

Recorder

Facilitator

Contributes ideasStays positiveIsn’t defensiveChecks/balances

Group Member

Creates group memoryRecords publiclyIs silentFollows up afterwards

Recorder

Facilitator

Contributes ideasStays positiveIsn’t defensiveChecks/balances

Group Member

Designs the meetingSelects attendees & rolesDecides upon goalsBecomes a group member

Leader

Creates group memoryRecords publiclyIs silentFollows up afterwards

Recorder

Good Meeting Design

Good MeetingKickoff Design

Kickoff

1 Open process

Kickoff

Open process

Actionable meeting goals

Kickoff

Open process

Good ideas are everyone’s job

Kickoff

Open process

Good ideas are everyone’s job

Kickoff

4 Learn more than people’s names

Conference1

Conference

Business Strategy

Design Studio

Conference

Business Strategy

Design Studio

Conference

Business Strategy

Culture

Conference1

★ Editorial direction

Conference1

★ Editorial direction★ Divide and conquer

Conference1

★ Editorial direction★ Divide and conquer★ Open but custom attendance

Conference1

★ Editorial direction★ Divide and conquer★ Open but custom attendance★ Sufficient preparation

Conference1

Conduct your full stakeholder interview phase before you hold your kickoff meeting.

This provides content for kickoff exercises and a framework for you to test the expectations of stakeholders against the larger organization.

Stakeholder “Frontloading”

Find a personal connection to the subject early.

Gather specific expectations regarding features and functionality.

Be sure to inquire what are risks for project failure.

Maintain an “off-the-record” tone.

Stakeholder “Frontloading”: Tips

Stakeholder “Frontloading”: RolesThis technique requires:

Recorder

Group Member

Facilitator

Kickoffs at Happy Cog are never a single meeting.

We define a core team, and then branch out from that core team into meetings that tackle the different layers of a project in different, appropriately sized and staffed sub-groups.

Multiple Meetings

Multiple Meetings: RolesThis technique requires:

Recorder

Group Member

Facilitator

Leader

Business Strategy2

Business Strategy★ Identify must-haves

Business Strategy★ Identify must-haves★ Work across the organization

Business Strategy★ Identify must-haves★ Work across the organization★ Assess fit between groups

Business Strategy★ Identify must-haves★ Work across the organization★ Assess fit between groups★ Surface points of contention

Card sorts aren’t just for building sitemaps.

A variation on the poker game “Pass the Trash,” you can use this technique to assess the priorities of a large organization, and if you play your cards right, assess the amount of variance between two organizations.

Prioritization Card Sort

Prioritization Card Sort: Step 1

Prioritization Card Sort: Step 1Topic 1 Topic 2 Topic 3 Topic 4

Topic 5 Topic 6 Topic 7 Topic 8

Topic 7 Topic 8

Topic 4Topic 1 Topic 2 Topic 3

Topic 6Topic 5

Topic 7

Topic 8Topic 4Topic 1Topic 2Topic 3Topic 6Topic 5

Topic 7Topic 8Topic 4Topic 1Topic 2Topic 3Topic 6Topic 5

Prioritization Card Sort: Step 4Topic 7

Topic 8

Topic 4

Topic 1Topic 2Topic 3Topic 6Topic 5

Prioritization Card Sort: Step 5 Variation

Topic 7Topic 8Topic 4Topic 1Topic 2Topic 3Topic 6Topic 5

Prioritization Card Sort: Step 5 Variation

Topic 7Topic 8Topic 4Topic 1Topic 2Topic 3Topic 6

Topic 5

SAVEREMOVE

Topic 5 Topic 6Topic 7 Topic 8

Topic 5 Topic 6Topic 7 Topic 8KH KH KH KH

1 2 3 4

Prioritization Card Sort: AnalysisTopic Passes Average Client Avg. Happy Cog Avg. Variation

Donate to a Specific Program 8 1.31 1 1.67 -0.67

Get Help 1 5.23 5.42 5 0.42

Integrated Events Calendar 12 1 0.14 2 -1.86

Reviews of New Technology 2 3.38 4.71 1.83 2.88

Services Organized by Topic 2 6 3.57 8.83 -5.26

Sign Up to be a Volunteer 0 1.53 1.28 1.83 -0.55

Simulations 0 2.31 3 0.33 2.67

Volunteer for a Specific Program 1 0.46 0 1 -1

Out of 10, n=13 Out of 10, n = 7 Out of 10, n = 6

Prioritization Card SortThis technique requires:

Recorder

Group Member

Facilitator

This is something we picked up from Henning Fischer at Adaptive Path’s UX Intensive.

Have all participants evaluate a list of proposed features on a scale of 1 to 5, but limit the total allowed points to 3X the number of features. Plot the results.

Priority & Feasibility Plot

Priority & Feasibility Plot: Step 1Feature or Functionality Priority Feasibility

Donate to a Specific Program 2 5

Get Help 4 5

Integrated Events Calendar 5 1

Reviews of New Technology 3 1

Services Organized by Topic 1 3

Sign Up to be a Volunteer 3 3

Simulations 4 4

Volunteer for a Specific Program 2 2

Must total 24 24 24

Priority & Feasibility Plot: Analysis5

1 2 3 4 5

Priority

Feasibility

Get Help

Simulations

Volunteer

Donate

Volunteer for a Specific Program

Priority & Feasibility MatrixThis technique requires:

Group Member

Facilitator

Design Studio3

Design Studio★ Develop shared vocabulary

Design Studio★ Develop shared vocabulary★ Volume of ideas

Design Studio★ Develop shared vocabulary★ Volume of ideas★ Low risk

Design Studio★ Develop shared vocabulary★ Volume of ideas★ Low risk★ Build something!

Design studios have been around for awhile, but Todd Zaki Warfel made them sexy with his Prototyping book.

Everyone starts with a blank grid, a pencil, and a time limit. Have them prototype, form groups of 2, present, then critique.

Repeat until you get down to two large groups.

Design Studio/Prototyping

Design Studio/PrototypingUnited States Holocaust Memorial MuseumNovember 9, 2009

Your Name: United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumNovember 9, 2009

Your Name(s):

Design Studio/PrototypingUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Design Studio/PrototypingThis technique requires:

Group Member

Facilitator

Group Member

Recorder

Based in part on their recent O’Reilly book Designing Social Interfaces, Social Mania is a card game created by Christian Crumlish and Erin Malone that allows encourages players build & ship hypothetical social experiences.

It’s a great way to help “non-web” people understand the social web. Make sure you have prizes.

Social Mania

Social Mania!This technique requires:

Group Member

Facilitator

Group Member

Social Mania!This technique requires:

Group Member

Facilitator Facilitator

Group Member

Culture4

Culture★ Create a new culture

Culture★ Create a new culture★ Explore and define values

Culture★ Create a new culture★ Explore and define values★ Build trust & relationships

Culture★ Create a new culture★ Explore and define values★ Build trust & relationships★ Identify challenges & colleagues

Show someone a series of websites. Give them 20 seconds to score their reaction to that site on a scale of 1 to 5.

Compare the overall averages, averages by organizational division, and then follow up with folks on high and low scorers.

20 Second “Gut” Test

20 Second “Gut” TestExample

A Rate your reaction to this website:

1 2 3 4 5Dislike Like

20 Second TestThis technique requires:

Group Member

Facilitator

We adapted the basic framework behind Austin Govella and Livia Labate’s User Experience Health Check to evaluate the visual aesthetic of individual functional components.

Uses a methodology similar to the 20 second test, but evaluates individual interface components outside of their larger context.

Design X Health Check

Design Experience Health CheckExample Rate this element:

Importance1 2 3 4 5

Aesthetic Appeal1 2 3 4 5

Bad Good

Design Experience Health CheckThis technique requires:

Group Member

Facilitator

Design Experience Health CheckThis technique requires:

Group Member

Facilitator

Leader

Projects excel when you can identify shared values between you and your client.

Internally, agree upon your own values about a particular aspect of your work, for example visual design. Then prepare an open discussion based on examples of each value.

Values Exploration

Values ExplorationHappy Cog Visual Design ValuesBeautiful TypographyUsabilityLess is MoreUnderstand Convention to Innovate

Values ExplorationThis technique requires:

Recorder

Group Member

Facilitator

Leader

A FewContinuity.

A FewAdaptation.

A FewDepth.

A FewTrust.

http://www.goodkickoffmeetings.com

@kickoffmeeting

hoffman@happycog.com

i hate sports but i love kickoffs: how to create a successful project culture, from the first...

hate sports

culture explore

kevinmhoman

kevinmhoman

kevinmhoman

kevinmhoman

core team

silent coordinatesmanages

Design

qa reviews, kickoffs e desk checks por estória

i shall not hate

i hate reading!

why i can't hate steroids

i hate school

ten things i hate

ch1 i hate myself_1 who am i

i hate you then i love you

i hate church intro

i hate vegetables!

field research election: october 21 · 10/5/2019 · and...

why i hate powerpoint

i hate indians

10 reasons i hate school

what i hate about wordpress

actually, i think i might hate it

i hate selling

= i love = i like = i don’t like = i hate

i hate comic sans

why i hate drupal