OKR stands for Objective and Key Results. It is an outcome-focused goal-setting framework that Intel and Google first used, and now has overtaken methods like SMART goals in popularity.
The Objective is a short statement describing the goal you want to achieve in usually a quarter (90 days) or a year, and Key Results (usually 1 to 3) describe how you will measure the Objective’s success. The basic idea is that you must achieve all of the Key Results to achieve your Objective.
There are many ways companies choose to use OKRs. I would like to show you the one that is most likely to produce the changes in performance and behaviour you are seeking.
A bet, in the context of OKRs, is a commitment of our most valuable resources—time, attention, focus, energy, and money—towards achieving a specific, high-impact objective. It’s a calculated risk that acknowledges the uncertainty inherent in pursuing ambitious goals while providing a framework to manage that uncertainty.
Unlike traditional gambling, where outcomes are left to chance, these bets are carefully crafted hypotheses about what will drive the most significant impact, backed by data and insight.
So OKRs represent a deliberate choice to prioritize certain initiatives over others, focusing on the wildly important rather than trying to do everything. By framing OKRs as bets, the intention is to create a sense of urgency, encourage bold thinking, and foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.
The most significant rewards come not from playing it safe but from making fewer, bigger bets on the opportunities that truly matter.
At their core, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are simply goals. They describe a future state that is desirable for you to achieve. When you set OKRs, you say, “This is where we want to be, and this is how we’ll know we’ve gotten there.”
By setting OKRs, you create a roadmap to achieve great things together. You are not just hoping for a better future but actively building it.
As you embark on your OKR journey, remember that these aren’t just checkboxes to tick off. They’re powerful tools for transforming aspirations into achievements, for turning the abstract into the concrete.
I’d like to ask that you embrace them not as a bureaucratic exercise but as a way of sharing your ideas on how we can achieve our vision, serve our customers, grow, and share success.
To set and achieve your OKRs, you need to align on how you will all act and behave from quarter to quarter. When we train you, we suggest a set of guiding principles that are proven to correlate with OKR progress and achievement. Each principle is a stepping stone towards excellence. By embracing them you’re helping to reshape your entire organization. For example, a good principle is:
At the heart of your team culture lies psychological safety. This concept, pioneered by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, refers to a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.
In a psychologically safe environment, team members feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, asking questions, admitting mistakes, and proposing new ideas without fear of negative consequences.
OKRs are how you will execute your strategy. The best OKRs have outcomes as Key Results. The best outcomes are leading indicators, often originating from a Data Model. Data models use tools like KPI/metrics trees to understand how more leading metrics and levers influence lagging KPIs.
We can include creating a Data Model in any OKR training engagement. If you choose to use our software, we can also build and manage the model there, integrating it with tools and spreadsheets for easy updating.
This is how we’d suggest you initially start to use OKRs:
To help you achieve your Mission and Strategy, you can set goals at a company and team level at the following cadence:
These are the few OKRs deemed vital to progressing on to execute your strategy, and as such, they will be resourced by dedicated/near-dedicated cross-functional teams.
Business-as-usual (BAU) refers to a team’s core, day-to-day operations and responsibilities, essential for maintaining current performance levels and delivering expected outputs. These routine activities keep the business running smoothly and form the foundation of a team’s work.
Key characteristics of BAU:
Each team in you organization should have a KPI/metrics scorecard that tracks team health and performance. This scorecard:
In contrast to BAU measurement via KPI/Metrics, BAU Optimization Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are used for setting ambitious, transformative goals that drive significant change and progress beyond maintaining current operations.
Key characteristics of BAU Optimization OKRs:
A clearly defined statement of what you aim to achieve.
OKRs, when chosen well and resourced for success, will be dynamic. Week-to-week changes in progress, confidence levels, plans, issues and opportunities will happen naturally. If there’s nothing to update or talk about, you’ve probably got a problem.
Beyond the initial OKR setting training and facilitation we do, our work shadowing and mentoring OKR leads and teams through these early check-ins is where we can add a lot of value. If you have not lead an OKR before, you will find that it’s new and nuanced. Being trained and coached is always welcomed.
OKRs are more than just another goal-setting framework. They’re a transformative approach to driving progress and innovation. Born in the halls of tech giants like Intel and Google, OKRs have now spread across industries, igniting a revolution in how we think about and achieve our most ambitious goals.
At its core, an OKR consists of an Objective – a bold, inspiring statement of what you want to achieve – and Key Results, the measurable milestones defining success. But OKRs are so much more than just objectives and metrics. They’re a mindset, culture, and way of thinking that can revolutionize your organisation’s operations.
Think of OKRs as strategic bets. They’re not about playing it safe or maintaining the status quo. They’re about making calculated risks, backed by data and insight, on the opportunities that truly matter. You create a sense of urgency and excitement by framing your goals as bets. You encourage bold thinking and foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.
Imagine the energy in your organization when teams are no longer afraid to think big, when they’re empowered to take smart risks and learn from both successes and failures. This is the power of OKRs – they transform goal-setting from a bureaucratic exercise into an inspiring journey of growth and achievement.
But OKRs aren’t just about setting ambitious goals. They’re about aligning your entire organization towards a shared vision. They serve as a collective compass, guiding everyone from the C-suite to the front lines towards the same north star. With OKRs, you’re not just hoping for a better future – you’re actively building it, together.
To truly harness the power of OKRs, organizations need to embrace a set of guiding principles. These principles aren’t just rules to follow – they’re the foundation of a high-performing culture. Take the principle of “Everyone Rows in the Same Direction.” This isn’t just about alignment – it’s about creating an environment of psychological safety where every team member feels empowered to contribute their best ideas, voice their concerns, and take smart risks.
OKRs are most powerful when they’re part of a larger strategic narrative. They’re not isolated goals – they’re the building blocks of your organization’s future. By tying OKRs directly to your strategy, you create a clear line of sight from high-level vision to day-to-day execution. This connection gives meaning to every task, every project, every initiative.
One of the most powerful aspects of OKRs is their ability to balance ambition with focus. By distinguishing between strategic, transformative OKRs and business-as-usual activities, organizations can ensure they’re not just maintaining the status quo, but driving real, meaningful change. Strategic Cross-functional OKRs push the boundaries of what’s possible, while BAU Optimization OKRs ensure that even routine operations are continuously improving.
Implementing OKRs is a journey of transformation. It’s about changing not just what you do but how you think. It’s about fostering a culture of ambition, focus, and continuous improvement. It’s about empowering every member of your organization to contribute to something greater than themselves.
As you embark on your OKR journey, remember that it’s not about perfection – it’s about progress. It’s about learning, adapting, and growing together. It’s about daring to dream big, and then turning those dreams into reality.
OKRs have the power to transform your organization. They can align your teams, focus your efforts, and drive unprecedented levels of achievement. But more than that, they can change how your people think, work, and collaborate. They can unleash creativity, foster innovation, and create a culture of excellence.
Are you ready to revolutionize how your organization sets and achieves goals? Are you ready to embark on a journey of transformation? If so, OKRs might just be the key to unlocking your organization’s full potential. The future is waiting. Let’s build it together, one ambitious objective at a time.
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Glen has scaled and exited several companies. He helps customers develop their strategies, use OKRs, and execute their plans.
His deep understanding of sales processes and AI enablement makes him a great fit for customers with challenges in those areas.