How to get the most from your B2B project kick-off workshop

What’s the difference between a kick-off meeting and kick-off workshop?

Imagine you’re starting a new project. It could be enhancing a current feature or flow, launching a new feature, or something more complex – like redesigning an entire digital product. Whatever the challenge, every new project can benefit from a kick-off workshop.

But, what’s the key difference between a standard kick-off meeting and a kick-off workshop?

A standard kick-off meeting is usually a one-way conversation, focused on listening to and interviewing the client, and asking follow-up questions. Typically, nothing is created during this meeting.

In contrast, a kick-off workshop (like most other workshops) is about collaboration and contribution. In this instance, tangible outputs are generated. It’s vital to understand that during a workshop, all voices and ideas matter. This is not a one-way interaction.

As you’d expect, the best time for a kick-off workshop is at the very start of a B2B project. It’s also part of what we call the discovery phase. In UX design, this phase is like a “getting to know you” stage in creating a digital product. This is when we delve into the project’s foundation. We analyse the brief to understand business goals, user needs, technological possibilities, timeframes, and other critical aspects of the product, as well as constraints. It’s an excellent way to gather key stakeholders to align their thoughts and set the stage for the work ahead.

What are the roles and responsibilities in a kick-off workshop?

• Facilitator: the facilitator is a member of the Torpedo UX team who leads the workshop. Their responsibilities include organising and conducting the workshop, as well as recording and distilling its outputs. A key aspect of their role is extracting the best contributions from attendees by asking probing questions and guiding discussions productively. The facilitator remains neutral, refraining from sharing personal ideas or giving feedback. In larger workshops, often with more than 10 participants, a co-facilitator may assist, particularly in managing time, providing additional materials, and supporting various activities.
• Participants: in a workshop, participants are stakeholders actively engaged in the activities and discussions. These stakeholders are typically team members involved in the project, such as product managers, developers, customer support specialists, marketers, and designers. Those participants are also decision makers. Experts in the subject matter of the project may also be invited. Their involvement and feedback are vital for the workshop’s success and the effective implementation of its outcomes.
• Notetaker: this person is responsible for documenting the workshop’s discussions, decisions, and key points. They play a vital role in ensuring important information is captured accurately. Their notes are shared with participants and used for future reference and follow-up actions.

How can a kick-off workshop benefit B2B clients?

• Agree on objectives and roles. The most crucial benefit is the alignment of objectives, roles, and expectations for the project. The workshop helps everyone grasp the project goals, what is expected, and what success looks like.
• Collaborate and energise. Workshops are a fantastic way to bring everyone together, collaboratively. We often see great outcomes afterwards, as all team members can share their ideas and vision. Participants can speak openly and transparently, resulting in stronger rapport and trust, which is crucial for long-term business relationships. Nothing unites people like working together.
• Broaden understanding. B2B projects often involve complex solutions requiring domain knowledge, gathered from all stakeholders – and having them share their expertise – can broaden the team’s understanding of customer needs and challenges. In just a couple of hours, participants can learn alot of new information. Often, clients share their feedback, saying that they leave these workshops enriched with knowledge about their customers’ entire journey.

How to get the best out of a kick-off workshop

• Stick to the objectives. To maximise the benefits of a workshop, it’s essential to keep in mind its objectives. During the workshop, we may notice some additional topics appear. These may shake the workshop agenda. If this happens, we note down those additional objectives, then schedule another meeting or workshop where we can discuss it. To get the most out of the kick-off workshop, we stick to the plan and to the objectives.
• Preparation is key. Participants might be asked to complete certain tasks before the workshop itself. This “homework” could range from reading materials and answering questions to familiarising yourself with specific tools. This preparation not only accelerates the workshop’s pace but also ensures you don’t miss the opportunity to contribute valuable information.
• Be active. During the workshop, be open to new ideas and work collaboratively. Workshops are platforms for sharing experiences and working together. As a participant, your role is to contribute actively without taking on a leading role – that’s reserved for the facilitator. You’ll likely engage in various activities like brainstorming, responding to questions, expressing opinions, and jointly creating artifacts with other stakeholders. Active participation leads to more fruitful outcomes (this is not a time for shyness or multi-tasking).
• Share your point of view. Your input, especially as a client, is vital. Provide constructive feedback during activities and discussions. This helps the UX team understand your needs and challenges. Kick-off workshops also serve as a fast and effective way to build new relationships, fostering better collaboration and understanding for future projects.
• Act after the workshop. Take time to reflect on what was learned and discussed after the workshop. The facilitator typically shares notes and action items. Plan how to integrate these insights into your work and communicate them with your team for effective implementation.

What to expect during the kick-off workshop

• Introduction and ice breaking. The workshop session starts with introductions led by the facilitator who outlines the workshop’s objectives and plan. An initial ice-breaking activity, such as a warm-up exercise, is often used to energise the group and focus their attention. This also fosters a comfortable and friendly atmosphere, promoting open idea sharing.
• The workshop includes a variety of activities tailored by our UX team at Torpedo, aligning with the workshop objectives. These activities can range from discussing specific topics, engaging in writing tasks and participating in open discussions, to collaboratively creating specific artifacts.
• Staying focused. The workshop is centred around a particular business goal, with the facilitator ensuring the session adheres to the planned agenda and timings, and that discussions remain on topic. One of the challenges is balancing the time for each activity with the overall duration of the workshop. If time permits, a reflection activity may be included at the end for participants to share their feedback and key takeaways.
• Mitigate risks. In online workshops, technical issues are a common challenge. We typically use Miro for its reliability, but it’s important to have a contingency plan in case of technical difficulties.

What’s next? How to use outcomes from the kick-off workshop

• General outcomes. Depending on the workshop’s goal and the upcoming project objectives, outcomes may vary. These include (but are not limited to): initial ideas, concepts, priorities, a match between business goals and customer needs, project timelines and milestones, roles and responsibilities. At Torpedo, we ask clients to share the brief with us and join an initial call to understand the key problem and expectations beforehand so we can plan the workshop accordingly.
• Shared understanding. One of the best outcomes is a shared understanding of the project goals. We at Torpedo see how clients refer to the kick-off workshop at every stage of product development. It provides a solid foundation for future collaboration and trust within the team.
• Feature prioritisation. Based on discussions about user needs and business goals, we prioritise features and functionalities for the product. This helps focus efforts on what is most important and valuable. While we might not detail specific user stories immediately after the first meeting, we can certainly provide guidance and prioritise feature development.
• Roles and responsibilities. Important outcomes include defining roles and responsibilities (post-workshop), decisions made, and next steps for each participant. For instance, the design team might conduct additional research or start the wireframing process, while the development team might run a proof-of-concept based on key ideas.
• Project timeline. Following this, another key deliverable is a project timeline. We agree on how much time each individual needs for their next steps, setting key milestones and deadlines.

At Torpedo, we have witnessed first-hand how these workshops positively impact the entire project lifecycle. They are not just meetings, they are the launchpad for innovation, efficiency, and excellence in digital product development.

For any B2B project aiming for success, the kick-off workshop is an indispensable step, one that we are passionate about facilitating and perfecting.