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Today we explore key strategies for clear and concise conversation kickoffs. We’ll ensure your upcoming cross-functional calls are both efficient and productive.
Our Supercharge of the Week pairs well with next week’s newsletter where we’ll dive into cross-functional conversation wrap up strategies.
⚡ Supercharge of the Week
Whether it’s a 15 minute call or a 90 minute call, Remote Octopus recommends clearly kicking off each cross-functional conversation.
What do we mean by a kickoff?
Typically the first 2-5 minutes of a conversation.
Effectively kicking off the conversation ensures it will be a positive use of personal and company time anchored in the specific conversation objective. It orients the entire conversation moving forward. 🧭
If you have an agenda for the conversation, then include the kickoff section on it. For example, you might call this section:
Welcome, Objectives, & Agenda
Conversation Kickoff
Today’s Conversation
This kickoff is typically facilitated by the person who is leading the call. This might be the project lead or a team lead – or colleagues might choose to rotate the responsibility. Prior to the conversation, ensure this person knows they will be facilitating the kickoff and that their name is clearly labeled on any agenda.
On some calls, you might kick off right at the start time. On others, you might spend the first few minutes connecting and chatting with cross-functional colleagues. In this later case, the facilitator will hop into the conversation after a few minutes pass to get everyone started.
The facilitator might start by saying:
“It’s awesome to see everyone today! Let’s dive into our objectives and agenda for today’s conversation together.”
During the kickoff, the facilitator will:
Start on time. Allow for several minutes of chatting & connection as needed.
Anchor the team in positivity. See positive emotional contagion.
Try: “It’s awesome to see everyone today!”
Try: “Excited to see our progress today!”
Instead of: “I want to start by reviewing my objectives and agenda.”
Try: “Let’s dive into our objectives and agenda for today’s conversation together.”
Identify the conversation’s objectives. Conversation participants are set up for success and can enter the conversation with higher levels of trust & clarity by knowing the conversation objective.
Emphasize the WIIFM. Clearly outline the high-level WIIFM for colleagues to ensure everyone knows how the conversation will positively impact their work.
Give a quick overview of the agenda, including time for a wrap up. Highlight how the flow will go including any breakout rooms and/or actual breaks. Ensure everyone can access the agenda doc, including a quick link drop in the chat if needed.
Clarify note-taking. If you’re taking notes, share that you’ll be multitasking. It might look like you’re not paying attention – because you’re taking notes. This helps build psychological safety.
Emphasize that all voices are important to hear. Highlight accessibility options available.
Be authentic. Kick off the conversation with your own voice adapting as needed to best meet the needs of your team.
It seems like a long list! But with a little practice you’ll blaze through it in a few minutes. 🔥
Setting aside time to effectively kick off cross-functional conversations is a quick strategy to drive operational excellence, orient the team around the key objectives, and set a positive tone for collaboration.
🚀 Remote Octopus Resource of the Week
You spend a lot of time every week in meetings – whether it’s 18 hours or 32.9 hours, it feels like too much.
So many of these meetings feel unnecessary or unproductive.
Maybe you’ve even tried canceling recurring meetings or standing the entire time, but your conversations are still feeling unproductive.
Try supercharging your cross-functional conversations with a quick agenda template.
Check out The Agenda Template!
Looking for additional Remote Octopus resources? Explore here.
📬 Can’t get enough Remote Octopus? Read our past newsletters here.
👋 Want to connect? Find us on LinkedIn.
📚 Read the Remote Octopus Disclaimer.
