Like all groups at GitLab, a working group is an arrangement of people from different functions. What makes a working group unique is that it has defined roles and responsibilities, and is tasked with achieving a high-impact business goal. A working group disbands when the goal is achieved (defined by exit criteria) so that GitLab doesn't accrue bureaucracy.
Roles and Responsibilities
Role
Required
Responsibility
Facilitator
Yes
Assembles the working group, runs the meeting, and communicates results
Executive Stakeholder
Yes
An Executive or Senior Leader interested in the results, or responsible for the outcome
Functional Lead
Yes (for each function)
Someone who represents their entire function to the working group
Member
No
Any subject matter expert
Guidelines
An executive sponsor is required, in part, to prevent proliferation of working groups
A person should not facilitate more than one concurrent working group
Generally, a person should not be a part of more than two concurrent working groups in any role
It is highly recommended that anyone in the working group with OKRs aligns them to the effort
Process
Preparation
Create a working group page
Assemble a team from required functions
Create an agenda doc public to the company
Create a Slack channel (with #wg_ prefix) that is public to the company
Schedule a recurring Zoom meeting
Define a goal and exit criteria
Gather metrics that will tell you when the goal is met
Organize activities that should provide incremental progress
Ship iterations and track the metrics
Communicate the results
Disband the working group
Move the working group to the "Past Working Groups" section on this page
Update the working group's page with the close date and any relevant artifacts for prosperity
Archive the slack channel
Delete the recurring calendar meeting
Participating in a Working Group
If you are interested in participating in an active working group, it is generally recommended that you first communicate with your manager and the facilitator and/or lead of the working group. After that, you can add yourself to the working group member list by creating a MR against the specific working group handbook page.
