MLT Cadence (80%)
Mattermost Leadership Team (MLT) consists of Mattermost department heads plus the CEO
This section outlines:
The VPMOM for MLT cadence summarizing purpose and measures
The operations of administrative, tactical and strategic meetings
Process for alignment and cascading communications
Process for quarterly business reviews, planning and board meetings
MLT Daily Admin
The purpose of MLT Daily Admin is to clear day-to-day administrative items from our other MLT meetings and from disruptive interruptions during the day.
MLT Daily Admin consists of:
Standup Post: A concise summary of Asks, Heads-ups, and FYIs for MLT peers from your department posted on working days
MLT Sync: A Zoom meeting for entire MLT up to 10 minutes starting at 8:31am Palo Alto time on working days.
MLT After Sync: Spontaneous cross-departmental follow-ups not relevant to entire MLT after end of MLT Sync until 8:55am Palo Alto time via Zoom or phone among MLT leaders
Topics for MLT Daily Admin
Topic
Definition and Examples
Where to share in MLT Daily Admin
Asks
MLT-level administrative ask (e.g. headcount plan late)
Escalations (e.g. help on urgent customer issue)
Stand-up Post
MLT Sync
Heads-up
Change in expectations (e.g. something may not delivered)
Information needing emphasis (e.g. press item, staff change)
Note: Standup post should include links when appropriate
Stand-up Post
MLT Sync
FYI
MLT-level FYIs for yesterday or today
Include links to detail for people to learn more
Stand-up only
Sensitive issues
Item that is not appropriate to be written before it is discussed (e.g. personal issues)
Omitted from Stand-up before MLT Sync, please add a note after meeting so the information is archived
MLT Sync only
Stand-Up Post
Any time up to 12 hours before 8:31am Palo Alto time on weekdays
Before meeting use /standup command to post updates to peers in the channel of what’s important:
If you post incorrectly, use the “Edit” option to update.
Most updates will look something like this:
If there’s a lot to talk about, use this format:
MLT Sync
8:31am to 8:41am Palo Alto time
Meeting starts promptly at 8:31am SF time
Each MLT member has ~60s for updates
Meeting ends at 8:41am SF time
MLT After Sync
8:42am SF time to 8:55am Palo Alto time
8:42am to 8:55am offers 14 minutes to talk through cross-team communication and administrative items outside of meeting
Use Zoom in DM channel or phone
MLT Weekly Tactical
Tuesdays 10:00am to 11:30am Palo Alto time with MLT The purpose of MLT Weekly Tactical is to keep MLT team on track to quarterly and annual targets. Discussions held in MLT Weekly Tactical Channel.
Process
(0:00) MLT Sync - Complete MLT Sync and queue any last items for Weekly Tactical
(0:11) Scoreboard Review - Review Thematic Goal
Discuss red/yellows on Defining Objectives and Standard Operating Objectives
Check that all objectives have measures and due dates
(0:45) Tactical Agenda - Discuss queued items, 5m max per topic. Choose:
Discuss now
Discuss later (another Monthly Strategic or at another Weekly Tactical)
Discuss 1-1/outside of MLT
(1:10) Decisions/Actions - Summarize decisions/actions in writing
(1:20) Cascading Communications - Decide what to communicate broadly
This includes Customer Obsession Meeting announcements
If meeting ends without agreement, Vice-Chair notes this in MLT Weekly Tactical channel with an
@allmention
MLT Monthly Strategic
The purpose of MLT monthly strategic meeting is to achieve clarity and closure on strategic issues through review, discussion and decision on queued topics.
Meeting is monthly for 2-4 hours with Mattermost Leadership Team.
Ad hoc meetings may also be called for strategic discussions using same format.
Pre-work
(Vice-Chair) Agenda drafted based on queued topics in MLT Monthly Strategic channel
(Vice-Chair) Agenda posted in MLT Monthly Strategic Scratch document
(MLT) People who queue topics post relevant materials in Agenda 24 hours before meeting
Meeting Cadence
MLT reviews, discusses, adjusts as needed, and agrees on Agenda for time allotted
MLT discusses each topic and reaches decisions for clarity and closure
(20m before end of meeting) Decisions/Actions are summarized
(10m before end of meeting) Cascading Communications are agreed
MLT Planning
The purpose of target setting is to confirm targets, plan and budget for MLT departments for the period.
The MLT plan consists of:
Company and department fiscal year 1-page VPMOMs
Quarterly plan, in the context of fiscal year VPMOM
Financial plan, including revenue
Headcount plan
We’re currently focused on quarterly plans and will move to halves
Plan Expectations
Quarterly plans are locked for the quarter–Changeable only in MLT team meeting
Progress on quarter plans reviewed at the start of next quarter
Okay to reduce targets prior to 20 days before quarter end (except revenue & pipeline)
Quarterly plans are in context of annual VPMOM
Plan Process
Drafting MLT Plan
T-Minus 4 Weeks to announcement.
The following should happen within a 2 week period, with 1-2 iterations in each step:
CEO discusses company and department VPMOMs 1-1 with department heads to ensure alignment
If applicable during the period, sales, CEO and finance set or adjust the revenue targets
People meets with department heads to discuss current and future org structure
Include discussion on performance, potential and any FYIs
Finance works with department heads to discuss headcount and program spend budget
Include budget variance
Department heads social plans with their teams
Review WIP Plan
T-Minus 2 Weeks to announcement.
At Monthly Strategic Meeting:
WIP VPMOMs, quarterly plan and proposed orgs reviewed by MLT
MLT shares feedback on each VPMOM and quarterly plan
Cross-department dependencies documented
Draft agenda
Review of MLT Plan Process
Company VPMOM & Q2 plan
Sales VPMOM, Q2 plan and proposed org
R&D VPMOM, Q2 plan and proposed org
Marketing VPMOM, Q2 plan and proposed org
Customer Success VPMOM, Q2 plan and proposed org
Finance VPMOM, Q2 plan and proposed org
People VPMOM, Q2 plan and proposed org
MLT socializes updates to high-level plan with their departments
Finalize Plan
T-Minus 1 Week to announcement
Company and VPMOMs updated given feedback
Financial plan adjusted
Headcount approvals published
Plan Shared
Week of announcement
Company VPMOM shared at all-hands
Department VPMOMs are posted
MLT presents company plan to their departments
Quarterly Leadership Review (QLR)
Each quarter we review process towards our VPMOMs and discuss achievements and opportunities.
QLR VPMOM
TBD
Quarterly Leadership Checkin
QLR is an exercise to increase output through concise, efficient review of quarterly goals for company and department in the context of VPMOMs.
Time and People
Scheduled monthly for 3.5 hours with Mattermost Leadership Team.
Prior to Meeting
Materials for QLR agenda are shared by Friday prior to the QLR meeting.
Agenda
(CEO) Reviews MLT Cadence VPMOM (10 minutes)
(Each department head) Reviews quarterly goals in the context of VPMOMs, including the following (15 minutes per person):
Goals for previous quarter
Previous quarter achievements and opportunities
Goals for current quarter
Cross-department dependencies
Hiring plan and org chart
(MLT) Break (10 minutes)
(MLT) Deep dive into GTM (90 minutes)
(CEO) Wrap-up, including follow-ups (10 minutes)
Quarterly GTM Review
QGR is a quarterly drilldown on sales, marketing and customer success in the context of VPMOMs. Agenda to be determined.
Quarterly Product Review
QRR is a review of product vision, near term roadmap and long term roadmap in the context of VPMOMs. Agenda to be determined.
Quarterly Operations Review
Review of non-GTM, non-R&D departments in context of VPMOMs. Agenda to be determined.
QBR follow-ups
As reviews happen, follow-up items are noted in RAPID format and meetings scheduled based on RAPID assignments.
Board Meetings
Between 21st and end of the month
Scheduled 18 months in advance
Board deck is sent to Board 3 calendar days before Board meeting
Meeting Structure
General session: Includes leads from Mattermost team, usually sales, occasionally CS, product
Closed session: VP Finance and CEO update Board
CEO and Board: Board gives feedback to CEO
Board without CEO: Board discusses feedback among themselves, then one board member delivers feedback to CEO
Debrief Calls
25 minute debrief scheduled with each board member same day or the day after board meeting via their admins.
1 hour debrief with MLT scheduled same day after board meeting.
Fiscal Year Planning (1%)
Preparation for the annual plan and budget for the next fiscal year begins in the second half of the current fiscal year.
Q3 Planning for next fiscal year
In Q3 we have three goals:
50% VPMOM for company and departments based on our latest thinking
Prioritized issues to solve before we lock 99% plan at end of Q4–largely coming from Obstacles in 50% VPMOM
After aligning with MLT, begin to discuss 50% VPMOMs with departments to develop into 99% in Q4
Typically there is not pressure for budget or headcount discussions in Q3, focus is strategy.
Q3 Punchlist for Next Fiscal Year Planning
The company 3-year aspirations are reviewed
A 1% MLT VPMOM for next fiscal year is drafted by CEO and reviewed with MLT department heads
Department heads draft 1% Department VPMOMs for next fiscal year and review with peer stakeholders and CEO
At Q3 Planning Offsite, MLT reviews 50% MLT VPMOM for next fiscal year developed from 1% draft
At Q3 Planning Offsite, department heads present 50% Department VPMOMs, reviewed by peer stakeholders and CEO
Action items are documented and developed around Obstacles to success of next fiscal year
50% MLT and Department VPMOMs, plus Obstacles, are presented to department leaders
Q4 Planning for next fiscal year
The focus of Q4 is arriving at a 99% draft of the plan for next fiscal with alignment across MLT and departments, with key Obstacles mitigated, and headcount and budgets reviewed.
MLT and middle managers work through key Obstacles for next fiscal year
Finance works with MLT to draft financials plan for next fiscal year
CEO works with MLT to develop MLT VPMOM from 50% to 99%
Department heads work with their teams, peer stakeholders and CEO to develop Department VPMOM from 50% to 99%
99% MLT VPMOM is reviewed by MLT and agreed
99% Department VPMOMs are reviewed by MLT peers and CEO and agreed
Plan for next fiscal year is locked based on VPMOMs
MLT VPMOM Review Process
VPMOMs, quarterly plans and proposed orgs are reviewed by MLT. Use the following order to review VPMOMs:
Measures
Priorities
Vision
Obstacles
Methods
MLT shares feedback on each VPMOM and quarterly plan. Cross-department dependencies documented.
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