Template

Budget review meeting template

Spending against the plan, line by line where it matters, and the decisions that follow.

60 minutesFor Finance leads, department heads and foundersAgenda room

The agenda, with a time for each part

The headline: over or under, and by how much5 min
- Are we over or under for the year so far?
Where we are over15 min
- Is this a one-off, or the new normal?
- What would it take to get back to plan?
Where we are under8 min
- Did we save it, or have we just not spent it yet?
What is coming12 min
- What will we have to pay for that is not in the budget?
Decisions15 min
- What do we cut, move or approve today?
Who does what5 min
- Who tells the people affected?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Headline. 6% over for the year so far, almost all of it in cloud costs.

Under. Hiring: two roles not yet filled, so not a saving.

Decision. Move $20,000 from events to infrastructure. Approved.

Running it well

Look only at lines that are more than a set amount off. Reading every line aloud is how the hour goes.
Ask whether an underspend is a saving or a delay. They look the same in a spreadsheet.

Ways to change it

Monthly, one departmentThirty minutes: the three lines furthest from plan.

Setting next year's budgetStart from what you want to get done, not from last year's numbers plus five percent.

When to skip it. In a month where every line is within the range you agreed. Send the one-page summary.

Questions

What is a budget review meeting?

A regular meeting to compare what was spent with what was planned, understand the differences, and decide what to change.

How often should you review a budget?

Monthly for most organisations, and quarterly with the board.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

More templates

Decision meetingOne decision, the choices on the table, and a written record of what was chosen and why.Quarterly planning meetingOnce a quarter: look honestly at the last three months, choose a few things for the next three, and check there are enough people to do them.Daily standupFifteen minutes, three questions, everybody once.Weekly team meetingThe numbers, everybody's one priority, and the decisions that cannot wait.All-hands meetingThe whole company in one call: where things stand, what is next, and any question people want to ask.Leadership team meetingThe people who run the company, once a week: the numbers, what is stuck, and the decisions only this group can make.OKR planningThree goals for the quarter, how each one will be measured, and what stops to make room.Project status meetingWhere the project is against the plan, what changed, and the decisions needed to keep it moving.

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