What’s on Your Project Open Checklist?

Kick Off a Custom Learning Project With Confidence

We all want a project to end well, right? To do that, we measure the outcome against the goals that were set and determine if the project was a success. Hopefully, we have checkpoints throughout the project to determine if it’s on track or if course corrections are required. But what about the preparation required at the starting gate? If you aren’t careful, your exuberance to get started might tempt you to zoom right past key steps that will help you reach the successful end goal you’re so excited about.

At Innovative Learning Group (ILG), every custom learning project I manage starts with completing a Project Open Checklist.

This checklist helps me focus my enthusiasm and kick off my project with confidence. If you aren’t using a checklist for your internal or external learning projects, I’ve outlined some steps below you can use to create a project open checklist of your own.

Project Open Checklist Steps

Establish what you already know about this client and/or project. Capture all the details so they’re not lost once the project starts moving at full speed. This is especially helpful for new team members who may be added throughout the project.

Share your exuberance! Just because there’s some nitty-gritty to work through, you can share the “win” of kicking off this project with your team members. At ILG, every time there’s a “win,” we post it on our intranet. Even if I’m not on the team, I find that when a colleague shares a win, it encourages me too. Maybe this project has been two years in the making, maybe it’s a record for the team member who oversaw the sales process, maybe it’s a first-time department win, or a 100th win; regardless, celebrate now and start your project off on a note of encouragement.

Start to build your team. Be clear about roles and responsibilities (e.g., stakeholders, subject matter experts, reviewers, approvers, etc.). If you’re working on an external project or using external resources, get contracts out. Set people up in the internal or external systems they may need access to (e.g., a file sharing platform or a time recording system). Is special software required? Request all the permissions and licensing provisions needed. Pause to track info about individual team members (availability, limitations, etc.) This can be done by creating a simple table or logging notes into a database.

If you’re working with a global team, are there any special considerations, limitations, or specific needs regarding this? Special considerations can include time zone differences (When’s the best time to hold meetings?) or more serious considerations regarding taxes, fees, or right-to-work laws between countries. Identifying and resolving these issues mid-workstream can be very frustrating, so don’t overlook them at the beginning.

Clarify the artificial intelligence (AI) policy. I’ve seen the full gamut here, ranging from zero tolerance for use of AI in the development of materials to “If AI will get it done faster, use it.” Both approaches need clarification and guidelines. Again, pausing mid-stream to reconcile disconnects on the use of AI can be very frustrating and overwhelming, so ask the tough questions up front.

Confirm project budgets and financial report outs. Be sure to confirm the PO (if working with an external client), the invoicing guidelines (how to bill back to a department if working with an internal client), and the cadence required for budget updates and who needs to see them (internal within your team, external to your client, or both). Use your project open checklist to track these various requirements. Then, set reminders to follow through. A project can be humming along beautifully, but if stakeholders aren’t up-to-date on the budget status, the project can inadvertently and unnecessarily create anxiety or take on a sour note.

Create a step-by-step schedule and share it with the team. Based on the dates, identify when team members need to be brought in. Certain tasks/requirements may be weeks away, but you need to be proactive and schedule/book/alert the appropriate team members to reserve the dates/hours necessary. If the schedule changes, notify all team members as soon as possible. Be sure everyone on the team understands any fixed deadlines in relation to vacation time, business travel, or general inability to assist with the project.

Hold a team kickoff and a project kickoff. Use the team kickoff to share all the known details, such as project history, goal, and scope. Also clarify the team availability and roles if you haven’t done so already. On the project kickoff with the team-at-large, make the necessary introductions and  confirm all the project logistics, timing, and deadlines. Confirm scope, templates, file transfer platform, meeting platform preference, branding guidelines, or anything else that may still be unclear (i.e., AI preference and/or corporate policy or where to send the invoices if working with external resources).

After the kickoff meetings, document any new learnings and revise or update the project plans if necessary before updating the team.

NOW you’re ready to begin!

Phew! This can seem like a lot, and it may even seem like it will reduce the wind under your sails. But don’t let it! Tackling each of these items is integral to the overall success of your project. All the attention to detail and communication required to check each item off the list go a long way to immerse you into the needs and goals of the project while simultaneously facilitating the strong team building and the positive relationships needed to see you through to (successful) project completion!