JP Training · Practical Project Management

Many project execution failures stem from
rushing through the work prior to the kickoff.

The First 20% framework is built on one idea: the quality of the work prior to the kickoff will greatly impact the quality of your outcomes for the remainder of the project.

The First 20%
5
Critical Success Factors
20+
Years in Project Leadership
PMI
Certified PMP & ACP
80%
of outcomes shaped in the first 20%

The Framework

What happens before kickoff
sets everything else in motion.

Project teams spend enormous energy managing execution problems — scope creep, stakeholder misalignment, runaway risk. But most of those problems were created upstream, in the decisions made (or not made) before the first status meeting ever happened.

The First 20% Framework identifies five Critical Success Factors that, when addressed before kickoff, fundamentally change the trajectory of the remaining 80% of the project.

This isn't a planning checklist. It's a performance hack that will change how well you execute projects.

Five Critical Success Factors

Stakeholder Identification & ClassificationKnow who matters and how much
Needs-Based Customer RequirementsWhat stakeholders need, not their initial requests
Scope as a DecisionDecided boundaries kept visible, not filed away
Adaptive Leadership Throughout the ProjectMatching the project needs, not your default style
Risk Management Based on HazardsIdentify the hazards that generate potential risks

About Jeff Panning

Built from the
field, not the classroom.

Jeff Panning has led projects for over two decades — across IT, manufacturing, and engineering — in environments ranging from regional distribution to Fortune 500 global operations.

The First 20% Framework came out of pattern recognition: the same failures appearing in different industries with the same root cause. Work that didn't happen early enough.

Jeff teaches, speaks, and writes to help project teams fix the right problem — earlier than they think they need to.

PMP ACP Trainer (PMI Contractor) Certified Facilitator
"If your projects keep running into surprises late, the fix usually lives earlier than you think."
— Jeff Panning, JP Training

Get in Touch

Interested in learning more about
The First 20%?

Get custom training for your team, facilitation for an upcoming workshop, or help in defining your problem at hand. Reach out below and Jeff will get back to you directly.

Thanks — Jeff will be in touch. In the meantime, connect on LinkedIn.
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