Alignment with Project Sponsor

1. Purpose

Once the research charter has been drafted together with the sponsor and the team manager, take the opportunity to meet with the sponsor again before the project kicks off. The purpose of this meeting is to finalise the research charter, clarify open questions about the team and the project, and align expectations.

The setup meeting has the following agenda:

1. Discussion of the Research Charter (e.g. motivation, scope, team)

2. Discussion on how the team members will be relieved of their daily tasks for the duration of the project so that they can devote the necessary time to the project

3. Brief recap the procedure for qualitative interviews (if applicable). Ensure that the sponsor is fully aware that the project team will be contacting and talking to customers and non-customers, and that he/she personally discusses this with the sales team before the project starts.

4. Get to know the operational and strategic background information on the project

5. Alignment of expectations of sponsor, innovation manager and team lead

6. Brief planning of the motivational speech of the sponsor at the beginning of the Kick-off Workshop

7. As an experienced coach, you may anticipate issues for the project team (e.g. research focus too broad) and can provide an assessment of the resulting challenges. Share this with the sponsor.

The team manager documents the outcomes of the meeting by sending a short email to the coach and the sponsor right after the meeting.

2. Duration

60 min.

3. Participants

• Team Manager

• Project Sponsor

• Team Coach