Quarterly Planning Guide
Quarterly planning helps TMxG leaders meet expectations without burning out. This guide breaks the process into small steps that can be done in 15–30 minute blocks.
Approximate time: 2–3 hours per quarter, spread over several weeks.
For detailed internal templates and “how‑to” flows (including example plans), see the TMxG Leaders Resource Hub in Google Drive.
Why plan quarterly?
Quarterly planning helps you:
- Align with GitLab’s fiscal quarters and business rhythms.
- Be intentional about cultural observance months and DIB partnerships.
- Request budget at least 4 weeks before you need it.
- Avoid last‑minute stress.
GitLab fiscal year:
- Q1: Feb 1 – Apr 30
- Q2: May 1 – Jul 31
- Q3: Aug 1 – Oct 31
- Q4: Nov 1 – Jan 31
Step 0 – Map your year (15 minutes)
- Identify relevant cultural observance months for your TMxG.
- Note partnership opportunities (other TMxGs, divisions, ESG/Foundation).
- Check your own bandwidth – busy work periods or PTO where you should plan lighter activities.
Many TMxGs anchor their quarterly initiative to a cultural month in that quarter.
Step 1 – Choose your quarterly focus (15 minutes)
For each quarter, choose one pillar to emphasise:
- Career Development
- Community Engagement
- Allyship
This defines the theme for your quarterly initiative. Your monthly activities can remain simple and flexible.
Step 2 – Map monthly community engagement (15 minutes)
For each month in the quarter, choose one simple activity:
- Existing social call or coffee chat.
- Async Slack discussion or Q&A thread.
- Cultural celebration post or spotlight.
You can reuse formats that already work well for your group.
Step 3 – Design your quarterly initiative (30 minutes)
Answer:
- What format?
- Speaker, panel, workshop, storytelling, listening session, async campaign.
- When?
- Month/week; avoid large conflict dates and ensure time‑zone coverage where possible.
- Who’s involved?
- Co‑leads, DIB partner, potential speakers, other TMxGs or pods, Executive Sponsor.
- What support or budget do you need?
- Speaker fees, swag, accessibility adjustments, partnership fees, etc.
If you need budget, you’ll use this information when submitting your budget request. TMxG funding is primarily allocated via the DIB TMxG budget, with some initiatives also supported by Executive Sponsors or divisional budgets. Your DIB partner can help you decide which route is appropriate.
Step 4 – Submit your budget request (15–30 minutes)
Deadline: Submit requests at least 4 weeks before funds are needed.
Include:
- Event title and date range.
- Estimated costs and what they cover.
- Which pillar this supports and how it ties to TMxG goals.
- Expected audience and participation.
Submit through the DIB team’s agreed channel (for example, help request + tag to your DIB partner). See the internal finance how‑to for system‑specific steps.
Forecasting your budget for the year*
On a quarterly basis, each TMxG lead is responsible for updating the TMxG Budget Tracking Spreadsheet with expected expenses for the remainder of the year. Forecast updates are due in the middle of:
- January
- April
- July
- October
TMxG budgets operate on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. Any funds not assigned or requested by the forecast deadline will be reallocated by the DIB team to other initiatives, TMxGs, or external partnerships. Keeping your forecast up to date ensures your group retains access to the budget it needs.
Step 5 – Align with your Executive Sponsor (10–30 minutes)
At least once per quarter, share:
- Your quarterly plan (monthly activities + initiative).
- Where you’d like sponsor support (event participation, visibility, barrier‑removal, budget advocacy).
You can use the Executive Sponsor Meeting Agenda template (see Templates & Tools).
Step 6 – Document and share your plan (15 minutes)
Use the Quarterly Planning Template (or equivalent) to record:
- Monthly community engagement activities (all 3 months).
- Quarterly initiative details.
- Budget requested/approved.
- Key dates and DRIs.
Then:
- Share with your DIB partner for feedback.
- Add planned events to the GitLab team calendar.
- Communicate upcoming activities in your TMxG Slack channel and Loop page.
After planning: execute and adjust
Once you’re in execution mode:
- Use the Event Planning Guide for any “bigger” event.
- Log each completed activity in the shared activity tracker.
- At quarter‑end, use your tracker to complete the Quarterly Report (see Measuring Impact).
If things change (for example, speaker cancels, bandwidth shifts), update the plan, not your expectations of yourself. The goal is sustainable impact, not perfection.
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