This article comes from Mike Lee’s insightful talk at our San Francisco 2024 Revenue Operations Summit. Check out his full presentation and our wealth of OnDemand resources.

What if annual planning wasn’t just a necessary evil, but one of the most powerful levers for connection in your organization?

That might sound like a stretch. But after years of working across retail, consulting, and now leading global revenue operations at Reality Labs, Meta, I’ve come to believe that planning – when done right – isn’t just about setting goals or getting your numbers in on time. It’s about creating clarity, building relationships, and enabling teams to move faster, with purpose.

It’s been a journey, and if there’s one thread that’s run through it all, it’s this: connections. That’s what I want to focus on here. Because whether you call it SalesOps, RevOps, or business planning, our role is the glue. We connect dots, people, and processes across a business – and that’s an incredibly powerful place to be.

Today, I want to share how we’re using annual planning at Meta as a tool to deliver value beyond just setting targets. Because good planning isn't just about better slides. It's about driving real connection and clarity across the business.

Let’s dive in.

What annual planning really looks like behind the scenes

Let me paint you a picture. Two years ago, as we planned for 2023, we struggled to get our plans locked in. We were nearly halfway through the year before we had final alignment. Imagine trying to mobilize an entire global sales organization without a plan in place. That’s the level of complexity we were facing.

And we had good reasons. Roadmaps kept shifting. Financial inputs came in late. Strategic priorities weren’t locked when we needed them. Every cross-functional partner was on their own timeline. And each "node" on our planning map? That wasn't just a person. It was often dozens or hundreds of people, led by directors or VPs, each with their own objectives.

In other words, planning wasn’t just about getting numbers into a spreadsheet. It was about orchestrating a massive, interdependent machine.

Future-proofing growth: How to build a winning customer-led growth strategy
What’s your company’s plan for growth in today’s market? If your strategy revolves around mass acquisition, you might be in trouble.
Revenue Operations AllianceCharlie Sonnenberg