Initiate Project with Sponsor

Why this matters

Your Sponsor is the only person who can tell you why this project exists, what it's really for, and who is going to resist it. That information doesn't live anywhere else, and you can't build a credible project charter without it. Skip or rush this meeting and every phase after it gets harder.

How to do it

Review what you already know

~20 min
Gather any available project information: emails, proposals, prior meeting notes. Sketch a rough One-Page Charter from it. Don't worry about accuracy, and don't try to finish it. This sketch is a preparation tool for you, not a deliverable for anyone else. You're mapping what you know so the gaps become visible.

Build your question list from the gaps

Use the Sponsor Questionnaire to turn every blank field in your sketch into a question. The gaps are your agenda. Send the Sponsor Invitation Email with a short agenda attached so your Sponsor knows what to expect.

Run the Sponsor Kickoff Meeting

Focus on listening. Walk your Sponsor through their role on the project, then work your question list. Your goal is to walk out with three things: enough information to keep building the charter, a list of key stakeholders, and a starting list of potential team members. Don't try to finalize anything in the room. This is a listening and learning meeting.

Capture and confirm

Same day, while it's fresh: update your charter sketch with what you learned, write up the key stakeholder and team member lists, and send your Sponsor a short recap with agreed next steps. This recap is your first proof that the project is in capable hands.