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:

  1. Standup Post: A concise summary of Asks, Heads-ups, and FYIs for MLT peers from your department posted on working days

  2. MLT Sync: A Zoom meeting for entire MLT up to 10 minutes starting at 8:31am Palo Alto time on working days.

  3. 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:

/standup

- Met with Alice Evans from Gartner - [Notes posted](XXX)
- Carter Lee starts today as Director of BizOps 

If you post incorrectly, use the “Edit” option to update.

Most updates will look something like this:

##### Status Update for Tuesday 16 April 2019

- Met with Alice Evans from Gartner - [Notes posted](XXX)
- Carter Lee starts today as Director of BizOps 

#standup-20190416 #standup

If there’s a lot to talk about, use this format:

##### Status Update for Tuesday 16 April 2019

Heads-up 

- CTO of ABC Co escalating ask for custom SAML provider, blocking purchase. Need R&D's help 

FYI 

- Met with Alice Evans from Gartner - [Notes posted](XXX)
- Carter Lee starts today as Director of BizOps 

Asks

- @john.smith can you share where things are with the Twitter issue brought up yesterday?  

#standup-20190416 #standup

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 @all mention

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:

  1. Company and department fiscal year 1-page VPMOMs

  2. Quarterly plan, in the context of fiscal year VPMOM

  3. Financial plan, including revenue

  4. 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:

  1. 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

  2. People meets with department heads to discuss current and future org structure

    • Include discussion on performance, potential and any FYIs

  3. Finance works with department heads to discuss headcount and program spend budget

    • Include budget variance

  4. 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

  1. General session: Includes leads from Mattermost team, usually sales, occasionally CS, product

  2. Closed session: VP Finance and CEO update Board

  3. CEO and Board: Board gives feedback to CEO

  4. Board without CEO: Board discusses feedback among themselves, then one board member delivers feedback to CEO

Debrief Calls

  1. 25 minute debrief scheduled with each board member same day or the day after board meeting via their admins.

  2. 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:

  1. 50% VPMOM for company and departments based on our latest thinking

  2. Prioritized issues to solve before we lock 99% plan at end of Q4–largely coming from Obstacles in 50% VPMOM

  3. 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

  1. The company 3-year aspirations are reviewed

  2. A 1% MLT VPMOM for next fiscal year is drafted by CEO and reviewed with MLT department heads

  3. Department heads draft 1% Department VPMOMs for next fiscal year and review with peer stakeholders and CEO

  4. At Q3 Planning Offsite, MLT reviews 50% MLT VPMOM for next fiscal year developed from 1% draft

  5. At Q3 Planning Offsite, department heads present 50% Department VPMOMs, reviewed by peer stakeholders and CEO

  6. Action items are documented and developed around Obstacles to success of next fiscal year

  7. 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.

  1. MLT and middle managers work through key Obstacles for next fiscal year

  2. Finance works with MLT to draft financials plan for next fiscal year

  3. CEO works with MLT to develop MLT VPMOM from 50% to 99%

  4. Department heads work with their teams, peer stakeholders and CEO to develop Department VPMOM from 50% to 99%

  5. 99% MLT VPMOM is reviewed by MLT and agreed

  6. 99% Department VPMOMs are reviewed by MLT peers and CEO and agreed

  7. 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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