Скачать или смотреть Project Kickoff is Critical to Success

The first 20% momentum of your new project will determine the final 80%.

How many times have you walked into a new project trailer with a slow startup, only to hear, 'Superintendent still waiting on submittals'? No POs issued. Foreman asks, "So what exactly did we include in the bid?"

The subcontractor who submitted a proposal six months ago is now requesting $4 million; they are asking for $4.6 million because you waited too long.

The estimator!!! Haven't seen them since the handoff email. Not even a full legit meeting.

This is how projects die before they start.

Everyone talks about momentum in construction. You don't BUILD momentum at the end of a project. You either CAPTURE it at the start or you spend the rest of the job chasing it.

Day one through the first few weeks or months, depending on the duration of the project, is your window.

The team is assembled. Energy is high. Everyone wants to win. This is your shot. CAPITALIZE on this great time frame!!

But most companies waste it.

They do the handoff meeting. The estimator talks for 45 minutes (if even that). Shows some drawings. Mentions a few "tricky items." And that's it. The field team walks out with a title and a target budget, but zero understanding of what the estimator was actually thinking.

Then the estimator disappears back to the next bid.

Meanwhile, your PM is scrambling to figure out subcontracts. Submittals are "in progress." Purchase orders are "coming soon." And that excitement you had on day one?

It's turning into frustration by day fifteen.

Hopefully, they even care about putting together a schedule!

Here's what changes the game:

The estimator doesn't hand off and run. They explain every line item that matters. They answer the "why did we do it this way" questions until there are no more questions.

And titles come with outcomes (not just warm bodies), not just org charts. You're not just "Project Engineer" you're responsible for getting all submittals approved in 30 days. That's your mission. Own it!

Then you attack the administrative work with the same intensity you'd bring to a critical path activity. Subcontracts executed. POs issued. Submittals submitted. Not next week. NOW, before the first shovel hits the ground.

When your team has clarity, resources, and no administrative anchors holding them back, they move quickly.

And speed at the start creates the rhythm for everything that follows.

I've watched it play out hundreds of times: the first 20% of a project's duration sets up the final 80%. Companies that nail the start struggle A LOT less at the finish. Companies that stumble out of the gate spend the entire project in recovery mode.

So here's my question: Are you treating your project kickoff like the most important phase of the job?

Or are you treating it like just another meeting before the "real work" starts?

#proaccel #constructionoperations #constructionconsulting #shorts