How to Stick the Landing After Your Kick-Off Meeting is Over

Updated: November 25, 2024

A kick-off meeting is just the beginning—it sets the tone, sparks excitement, and aligns your team for what lies ahead.

But what happens next?

The success of your kick-off doesn’t end when the meeting wraps up. In fact, it’s what you do after the meeting that can make or break your team’s momentum.

11 Things You Should Do After Your Kick-Off Meeting

Without follow-up, your team risks losing focus, becoming unaligned, or failing to deliver on what was promised during your kick-off meeting.

So, don’t just host your kick-off meeting and walk away. Instead, take the steps necessary to maximize its impact.

1. Send Out a Summary

Your first move after the meeting should be to share a detailed summary with your team. This helps solidify key takeaways and ensures everyone has a shared understanding of what was discussed.

Keep your summary clear and concise, covering:

• Key decisions and action items.
• Project goals and milestones.
• Roles, responsibilities, and deadlines.

Want to make it engaging? Go beyond plain text! Add photos, videos, or infographics to bring the summary to life.

2. Stay in Touch

Communication doesn’t stop after the meeting—it’s just getting started. Maintaining regular contact ensures that everyone stays on track and feels supported as they move forward.

Here’s a quick guide for post-kick-off communication:

• Daily: For time-sensitive projects or critical tasks, daily check-ins help avoid delays and miscommunication.
• Weekly: Use weekly updates to monitor progress, discuss strategies, and address challenges.
• Monthly: Schedule a deeper review to assess overall progress, evaluate performance, and adjust plans as needed.

Make sure your team knows how often to connect and has access to each other’s contact information. Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or even shared project boards can streamline communication.

3. Bring Back Reminders

Keep the momentum alive by creating physical or digital reminders of your kick-off meeting. These can serve as touchpoints to reinforce the goals and accomplishments your team discussed.

For example, Hologic’s team crafted a custom 3D wooden sculpture as part of their team building activity during a meeting.

Now, it’s proudly displayed in their office, reminding everyone of their shared achievements and the creativity they brought to the project.

Other ideas for reminders:

• Display flipchart notes or whiteboard highlights in the office.
• Share a digital gallery of photos or key slides from the meeting.
• Create a shared document with inspirational quotes or themes discussed.

Visual cues can make goals feel tangible and keep your team motivated.

4. Schedule Follow-Ups

Your kick-off should really only be the first of several meetings that you schedule with your team.

To maintain alignment and accountability, schedule follow-ups at key intervals throughout the project.

Here’s an example timeline:

Having structured follow-ups builds accountability and ensures your team stays on track.

5. Keep Your Team Accountable

According to the Harvard Business Review, 5,400 upper-level managers say that “holding people accountable” is the biggest thing managers try to avoid. You can have the best kick-off meeting in the world, but it won’t make a bit of difference if no one feels accountable afterward.

. Here’s how to foster responsibility and ensure follow-through:

• Set Clear Expectations: Define roles and deliverables so everyone knows what’s expected of them.
• Use Data and Analytics: Track progress with measurable metrics to highlight what matters most.
• Create Action Plans: Work with individuals or teams to develop clear plans and timelines.
• Provide Support: Be available to address questions, offer guidance, and remove obstacles as needed.

When accountability becomes a shared responsibility, your team is more likely to stay motivated and deliver exceptional results.

6. Leverage Technology to Streamline Follow-Ups

Tools like Asana, Monday.com, or Trello can help track action items, assign tasks, and set deadlines. AI-driven features in these platforms can automate reminders, flag delays, and provide progress insights, ensuring your team stays aligned effortlessly.

For virtual or hybrid teams, tools like Miro or Notion enable collaborative workspaces where meeting notes, project plans, and resources can be centralized for easy access.

Integrating technology doesn’t just save time—it keeps everyone on the same page and fosters a culture of transparency.

7. Foster Psychological Safety

A kick-off meeting sets the tone for collaboration, but it’s what happens next that determines whether your team feels empowered to succeed. Building an environment where individuals can share ideas, admit challenges, and ask questions without hesitation is critical.

To create psychological safety:

• Invite Honest Feedback: Use anonymous surveys or direct conversations to uncover team concerns and insights.
• Dedicate Time for Reflection: During follow-ups, encourage your team to discuss roadblocks, successes, or areas needing clarification.
• Model Openness: Be transparent about your own challenges or mistakes—it sets the stage for others to follow.

Psychological safety fosters trust, creativity, and stronger collaboration, keeping your team aligned and engaged.

8. Prioritize Inclusivity and Flexibility

Not everyone on your team works the same way or operates in the same time zone, but that doesn’t mean they should feel left out. After your kick-off meeting, thoughtful inclusivity ensures that every team member stays connected and aligned, no matter where they are.

Some ways to make your follow-ups more inclusive can include:

• Accommodating Different Schedules: Record meetings for asynchronous viewing and provide written summaries.
• Centralizing Resources: Use tools like Notion, SharePoint, or Google Drive to store important files where everyone can access them.
• Ensuring Accessibility: Add features like live captions or translations for virtual meetings to support diverse communication needs.

These small adjustments can have a big impact, helping every team member feel valued and included.

9. Define and Celebrate Micro-Wins

Big projects can feel overwhelming if the finish line seems too far away. Breaking your goals into smaller milestones helps keep your team motivated and focused on progress, not just the end result.

Here’s how to celebrate along the way:

• Weekly Updates: Call out team or individual successes during regular check-ins to build momentum.
• Visual Progress Tracking: Use a shared progress board or digital dashboard to track achievements and highlight wins.
• Celebrate Creatively: Organize virtual coffee chats, surprise rewards, or team shout-outs to mark significant milestones.

Acknowledging micro-wins gives your team a sense of accomplishment and keeps the energy high throughout the project.

10. Tie Outcomes Back to Larger Purposes

AYour kick-off meeting might focus on the details of a project, but don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. When your team understands how their work contributes to broader goals—whether for the company or the community—it can spark deeper motivation and pride.

Connect your project to purpose by:

• Highlighting Impact: Share how the project benefits customers, improves workflows, or supports the company mission.
• Linking to Core Values: Reinforce how your team’s efforts align with key organizational principles, like innovation, sustainability, or inclusivity.
• Encouraging Reflection: During follow-ups, ask team members to share how their contributions are making a difference.

A strong sense of purpose inspires not just commitment, but excitement about the work ahead.

11. Invest in Post-Kick-Off Team Development

The best teams don’t stop building connections after a kick-off meeting—they continually invest in growth. Providing opportunities for development helps reinforce skills, strengthen bonds, and keep momentum alive.

Ideas for ongoing team development:

• Workshops and Training: Organize skill-building sessions tailored to your team’s needs, like communication strategies or creative problem-solving.
• Collaborative Challenges: Host engaging activities like team trivia, brainstorming sessions, or even outdoor challenges to foster creativity and camaraderie.
• Regular Check-Ins: Use team-building follow-ups to assess progress, revisit project goals, and reconnect.

Investing in your team after the kick-off isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a key strategy for long-term success.

A successful kick-off meeting isn’t just about what happens in the room—it’s about how you carry the momentum forward. By sending summaries, fostering communication, scheduling follow-ups, and building accountability, you can ensure your team’s efforts translate into meaningful outcomes.

Want to learn more about team building activities for company kick-off meetings?

If you’d like to infuse your kick-off meeting with a team building element, you can book a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable Employee Engagement Consultants.