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OKRs are objectives and key results. It’s a way for organizations to set a goal and measure its progress toward success. 

This is the time of year when organizations often talk about setting goals – whether it’s on a company level, department level, or individual level. But sometimes what they miss in goal setting is attaching a measurement or metric to identify that the goal was achieved. 

For example, a company might say, “We need to increase profits.” Okay – then the question becomes by how much? The organization needs to reach consensus on an acceptable increase in advance. Otherwise, the organization will increase profits by 5% and someone will say, “I didn’t agree to that. It’s not enough.” This is confusing and frustrating. 

So OKRs are a method for setting an objective and then identifying the key results for success. I recently listened to a LinkedIn Learning session on managing OKRs lead by Jessie Withers from the people development team at Google. What I liked about this session was it provided a great introduction to OKRs for those who aren’t familiar as well as a nice refresher for those who are. There was one area that really stood out for me, and it was focused on getting started with OKRs.

Identify and prioritize. Typically, when we set goals it’s to fix a problem or do something better. One of the challenges with goal setting is that we often set too many goals. Then we don’t have enough time and resources to accomplish them. So, identify those areas you want to focus on and then prioritize them. Everything does not have to be the priority. 

Start small. This ties into the previous step about prioritizing. Consider initially setting some OKRs that allow the organization to get comfortable with the process. This can be a boost for the organization and give them the confidence to start setting and managing larger goals. 

Focus on progress, not perfection. Sometimes OKRs are smaller milestones within larger goals. For instance, the organization might have a big goal to implement a technology solution. Within that big goal, are smaller goals related to data cleansing, policy development, etc. While we need to focus on the big goal … recognizing progress toward goal accomplishment is critical. 

Identify a single point of contact. If you’re implementing OKRs for the first time OR you feel the organization needs a refresh, having a single point of contact could be helpful. By single point of contact, I mean someone who can answer questions about developing OKRs – like a subject matter expert. This will bring consistency to the process.

Be consistent. Speaking of consistency, OKRs work well when the organization is using them consistently. If every department is doing their own thing … well, it becomes difficult to measure results. And that’s the whole purpose of OKRs – results. 

Regularly review and revise. I view this step as two-fold: first, organizations should regularly review their OKR processes to make sure they are working well and being used consistently. Second, organizations should review the OKRs they’ve set for themselves and make sure they are good objectives with attainable key results. 

Communicate results. Organizations should let everyone know that the OKRs they’ve set are being accomplished. They should talk about how the process is working. Because if employees can see that the process is working, then they’ll be excited about using it. 

OKRs can help organizations identify the goals they want to accomplish and keep them focused on results. Having a consistent process for goal setting and measurement is the first step. Implementing an objectives and key results methodology does take time, so having a roadmap for getting started will help.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Las Vegas, NV
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24/11/2024 – 12:06 /Sharlyn Lauby
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