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OPS-SOP-017: Quarterly Planning Standard Operating Procedure
Effective Date: 2025-01-05 Revision: 1.1 Owner: Operations & Strategy Department
1. Purpose
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlines the structured process, timeline, and responsibilities for the company's quarterly planning cycle. The goal is to ensure alignment from the executive level down to individual contributors, enabling focused execution on strategic priorities.
2. The Quarterly Planning Cycle: A 6-Week Process
The planning cycle begins 4 weeks before the start of the new quarter.
Week 1: Retrospective & Strategic Input (4 Weeks Out)
- Activity: The leadership team conducts a retrospective of the previous quarter, analyzing performance against OKRs, financials, and market conditions.
- Inputs: Final performance dashboards, financial reports, market analysis from Sales/Marketing, and product usage data.
- Output: A "State of the Business" summary and a draft of 3-5 high-level strategic priorities for the upcoming quarter.
Week 2: Priority Finalization & Cascade (3 Weeks Out)
- Activity: Leadership refines and finalizes the strategic priorities. These are then communicated to department heads.
- Output: Finalized and communicated company-wide priorities.
Week 3: Departmental Draft OKRs (2 Weeks Out)
- Activity: Department heads work with their teams to draft departmental Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) that directly support the company-wide priorities.
- Guideline: Each department should aim for 2-4 objectives, each with 2-4 measurable key results.
- Output: Draft departmental OKRs submitted for review.
Week 4: Cross-Functional Review & Dependency Mapping (1 Week Out)
- Activity: Department heads present their draft OKRs to their peers and the leadership team. This session is focused on identifying cross-functional dependencies, potential resource conflicts, and ensuring alignment.
- Output: Feedback on draft OKRs and a list of identified dependencies.
Week 5: OKR Refinement & Finalization (First Week of New Quarter)
- Activity: Departments refine their OKRs based on feedback and dependency discussions.
- Output: Final, locked-in departmental OKRs are entered into our performance management system (e.g., Lattice).
Week 6: Company-Wide Kickoff (First Week of New Quarter)
- Activity: A company-wide all-hands meeting is held where the CEO presents the strategic priorities and each department head briefly presents their top-level objectives.
- Output: The entire company is aligned and informed for the quarter ahead.
3. Key Roles & Responsibilities
- CEO & Leadership Team: Set strategic priorities, approve final plans, and remove major roadblocks.
- Department Heads: Own the creation and execution of departmental OKRs.
- Operations & Strategy Dept: Facilitate the entire planning process, manage the timeline, and ensure tools are ready.
- Finance Department: Provide budget guidance and financial projections.
4. Deliverables
- A set of 3-5 approved company-wide strategic priorities.
- Approved departmental OKRs for every department, stored in the performance management system.
- A high-level resource and budget allocation plan.
5. Related Policies
- Project Kickoff Procedure (OPS-SOP-018)
- Performance Review Process (HR-POL-005)
6. Revision History
- v1.1 (2025-10-15): Added more detail to the weekly timeline, defined roles and responsibilities more clearly.
- v1.0 (2025-01-05): Initial version.