Chapter 4 - Start the Kickoff Meeting and Write Your Goal

Question 1

What is the recommended format to write a goal using Map It?

Answer 1

A measure we already use will increase/decrease number% by date as people in a specific group DO something on the job.

Question 2

What is the goal of the kickoff or ‘discovery meeting’

Answer 2

The goal of the kickoff meeting is to help the client and SME clearly define their problem and begin to solve it.

Question 3

How should I start the first discovery call?

Answer 3

Identify some aspect of the problem that’s interesting to you, or say that it’s great to be working on something so worthwhile, or find some other way to express genuine enthusiasm for solving the clients problem.

Question 4

How can you outline the first two steps of the process in your first discovery meeting?

Answer 4

1. The goal of this meeting is to help me understand the problem.
2. The content you gave me helped me see what you need people to do. Now I’d like to make sure I understand what they’re doing wrong and why they’re doing it.
3. We will use a simple, visual process to examine the problem. We often find quick and powerful solutions this way.
4. First we’ll write a goal for the project. It will describe the change we ant to see and give us a way to measure our success. (draw a goal symbol in the middle of the white board)
5. Then you’ll help me understand what people need to do on the job to reach that goal. (draw lines radiating from the goal and write DO)
6. Finally, we’ll look more closely a the most important things that people need to do. We’ll try to identify why they aren’t doing them or what might make it had.
7. We’ll end up with a lot of ideas for how we can help people change what they do.
8. Everything we do will help bring us to the goal.

Question 5

What is a business goal?

Answer 5

A business goal is the ‘What’s in it for me’ for the organization. It justifies the existence of the project in business terms.

Question 6

How can you communicate the goal is not a promise/ scare SMEs

Answer 6

Reassure people that the goal is for internal use. The goal you’re writing is a promise made among the stakkeholders to keep the project focused and measure its effectiveness. It might be shared with higher-ups when the budget is approved.

Question 7

What is a problem with this goal: “Within two years, our company will be listed in first place in the widget world magazine’s list of best places to work as managers use the Nurture your Team Model.

Answer 7

That goal depends too much on an outside force, the editorial board of Widget World, to be useful for our analysis.