Kickoff & Alignment

Purpose

The kickoff establishes shared understanding and momentum.

It aligns leadership on:

• Why the sprint exists
• What success looks like
• How the work will run
• What is explicitly out of scope

This meeting is about framing and trust.

The Kickoff Is Large by Design

Its purpose is to:

• Introduce the sprint team and establish credibility
• Allow the executive sponsor to socialize the effort
• Put functional leaders at ease before their 1-on-1 interviews
• Signal visible leadership backing

Do not attempt to gather detailed signal here. The room is too big and people will not speak candidly.

Real discovery happens in functional interviews, which are small, private, and one-on-one.

Attendees

What Must Happen in This Meeting

1. Why We're Doing This

Clear articulation from leadership that:

• The organization needs an AI strategy
• The goal is practical leverage
• Speed and responsibility matter

Key framing:

Faster decisions, less manual work, better use of data.

2. Scope Discipline

Reinforce that this is:

• A 30-day sprint
• Interview- and analysis-driven
• High-level and non-invasive

Explicitly state:

• No software implementation
• No tool mandates
• No production access

This prevents expectation drift later.

3. Initial Strategy Lenses

Establish 2-4 starting lenses to guide discovery.

Common lenses:

• Revenue or growth enablement
• Cost reduction and efficiency
• Planning, forecasting, and operations
• Automation of back-office work
• Data integrity and source of truth
• Security and responsible AI use

These lenses help leaders orient their thinking before interviews.

4. Guardrails and Constraints

Surface constraints early and publicly:

• Data security and governance
• External tool usage restrictions
• Risk tolerance by function
• Where experimentation is acceptable

This avoids unrealistic recommendations later.

5. Data Reality Check

Acknowledge upfront that:

• Data is fragmented
• Multiple systems exist
• Trust and consistency are issues

Frame this as:

• Normal
• Solvable
• Often upstream of AI value

This creates psychological safety and honesty in interviews.

6. Interview Plan and Urgency

Confirm:

• Which functions are in scope
• Initial interview targets by function
• Expectation of quick scheduling

Emphasize:

• 30 days is tight
• Delays cascade
• Participation matters

Outputs of the Kickoff

Tone to Set

Success Signal

The kickoff is successful if:

• Leaders agree on why this matters
• Scope boundaries are clear
• People know they will be interviewed soon
• There is visible executive backing

If alignment is fuzzy here, fix it before interviews begin.