A Closer Look at MR Preparation

The first phase of a Management Review (MR) is the preparation phase. Here, I discuss that phase for either a first-time or follow-on MR. In either case, the participation of a Facilitator – an outside consultant or an internal staffer – is assumed. As you read this, you might be thinking, “why the low-level detail? This is not that hard.” The reason is that when using overhead money, most companies need to get the plan right the first time.

A kickoff meeting

Once a CEO has decided to hold an MR, he will want to launch the preparation phase with a kickoff meeting. During this meeting, he will invite his Facilitator and key staffers (COO, BDM, CFO, etc.) to establish a schedule, an agenda, a venue, and a budget for the three phases. The schedule must begin at the end, the date when the Review (the “real” meeting) will be held, and then work backwards. Ideally, this date is convenient for all concerned and has some greater significance (e.g., the start of a new fiscal year or a major new contract). Enough time must be allocated – generally, 3-5 weeks – to make all preparations.

The initial agenda will reflect the scope of the meeting. It will normally include briefs by the CEO, the Facilitator, and project/program managers. In addition, it may include staffer briefs and guest speakers. The venue should be convenient, available, well equipped, and large enough to accommodate all invited personnel. It should allow for food and beverages to be delivered and served. The budget, as defined in this meeting, will constrain the scope of the meeting and the resources to be allocated for the three phases.

Venue choice and reservation

It is recommended that the venue be reserved as soon as the decision to hold the MR has been made. Normally, this will allow the announcement (below) to be made just once.

Announcements

A small but critical next step will be an announcement from the CEO, including schedule and agenda, to all actors that an MR will be held. The announcement will make clear to all actors that the MR is a mandatory company event. To enable the Facilitator (and the MR) to be successful, the CEO must make clear that the Facilitator is his agent, acting on his behalf.

Template preparations

The Facilitator will draft templates for all briefers; the CEO will review the drafts. In general, the CEO may add a slide or two to the templates; however, the Facilitator is likely to suggest that all templates motivated by ISO 9001 be retained.

Briefing preparations and review

The Facilitator will distribute the approved templates and then work with each briefer to assure that 1) he understands each slide template, 2) generates a slide, according to the template, that provides the information requested, and 3) submits his final slide pack in time for final review and assembly. Every effort should be made to make all briefing materials accessible to the CEO prior to completion of his brief; he may wish to include information from the other briefers. The Facilitator’s brief should be part of the package which the CEO reviews.