Quarterly kick-off
“Half the company doesn’t know what we’re trying to do this quarter.”
The all-hands that closes the last quarter and opens the next. The leadership team shares what you learned and what’s changing, and each team says what it will do about it. Everyone leaves knowing the plan, and why.
Sound familiar?
“The leadership team knows the plan. Nobody else does.”
It’s clear in the room where it was agreed, and fuzzy everywhere else.
“Our all-hands is a slideshow of updates.”
People sit through it, and go back to what they were doing.
“Looking back at the quarter turns into a blame session.”
Too long on the misses, and everyone leaves flat.
“We never stop to say what we learned.”
The quarter ends, the next one starts, and the wins go uncelebrated.
What we do
The all-hands that closes the last quarter and opens the next, in three parts. First, the wrap: the people who own each goal share the actual results, give credit for the wins, own the misses and say what they learned, briefly. Then the strategy: the CEO revisits it, what’s changed and what’s new, and takes plenty of questions. Then the kick-off: the quarter’s goals are set out, with the highlights of each team’s plan. Most of the time goes on the future, so it turns into results.
What it looks like when it works
Everyone hears the quarter’s goals in the same room, and knows why their work matters to them.
The quarter’s results are clear, with no complicated scores.
Wins get credit, misses get owned, and the lessons get used.
People leave feeling appreciated, and ready for the next quarter.
How it runs
1
Before: with the leadership team, the story of the quarter: what happened, what you learned and what’s next.
2
The kick-off: one session for the whole company, in person or online. I design it with you, and can run it with you.
3
After: I follow up when we agree, to see what’s working and what isn’t, and support you as much or as little as you need.
You leave with
A company that knows the plan, and why.
Formats
I design it with you, and you run it, or we run it together
One session for the whole company, in person or online, from an hour to half a day
A dry run with your managers first, so they can answer their teams’ questions afterwards
A short talk or keynote from me, if you’d like one
Case studies
OKRs that took the company up-market
Series D data SaaS scale-up, about 250 people
A Series D data SaaS scale-up whose product had stopped selling refocused on the world’s biggest customers, got on budget, and stopped pulling its CEO into everything.
Read more
+
From a strategy on paper to a confident strategic call
Series A B2B software startup, leadership team
A Series A B2B software startup's leadership team turned a strategy on paper into OKRs they still run, and found the confidence to make a big strategic call.
Read more
+
From silos to a leadership team that owned the strategy
Series C deep-tech scale-up
A Series C deep-tech scale-up got its leaders out of their silos and owning one strategy together, then launched a major new product and became cash-flow positive.
Read more
+
Who you’ll be working with
I spent six years at Google, then two at Amazon, where I led a 100-person organisation. Since then I’ve worked with 16 startup leadership teams, as a facilitator, trainer and coach.
I run every session myself.
What usually comes first: Quarterly planning
What usually comes next: Mid-quarter review
Know someone this would help?
Richard helps a startup run its quarterly kick-off: the all-hands where everyone hears what you learned, what’s changing and what each team will do.
Next steps
Start with a free, 20-minute Clarity Call. Confidential, and no preparation needed.