OKRs as an Enterprise Adaptive Tool

OKR is a strategic framework and is a method in which enterprise can break down their goals into smaller sub-goals and translate these sub-goals into measurable short term actions.OKR is a simplistic, black-and-white approach that uses specific metrics to track the achievement of a goal.

OKRs features:

• Individual Objectives although should be ambitious but some individuals may feel uncomfortable , discuss with leads/managers.
• Define Key Results , they are measurable and are measurable ie gradable in numbers (Google uses a scale of 0–1.0)
• OKRs are public , everyone in the enterprise can see what others and self are working on. Print and Put on desk
• OKR grade is 60% — 70%; if they are consistently being met, then the OKRs aren’t difficult enough and you should change or think bigger
• Low grades should be viewed as data to help refine the next OKRs
• Make sure that OKRs are not synonymous with employee evaluations
• OKR is not a checklist
• OKRs are not perspective , rather they are what to achieve ie what the impact an individual or team wants to see rather than a shared to do list.

Individual OKRs :

• Pick 3 to 5 objectives @ enterprise level and chose 3 key results for each Objective
• Avoid objectives that don’t connotes new achievements, e.g., “continue doing X.” “maintain support docs” etc
• Use objectives that shows endpoints / states, e.g., “develop feature X.”, “ Improve customer online performance by 5%”
• Define measurable Objectives or milestones
• Key results should show Outcomes and not Activities. For example “ Improve Performance by 5%” is an measurable outcome and not “ Improve Performance”
• Outcome/ milestones should have a completion , should be credible, and discoverable.

Team OKRs

One way to set team OKRs is to have all of the team leads meet to set goals for say a Q. These goals should match to the Enterprise/LOB OKRs.

• Define Objective to Org key results?
• Should be successful in achieving the Org OKRs?
• Check with teams , check for missing items that the team should be working on
• Check if there are more than 3 priorities.

Example for Team ORKs : Objective : Accelerate Growth , Key Result : “Launch Product X to all users by Q1” , Objective: Establish Product Leadership” , Key Result : “Gain Product momentum in 2 Verticals” etc

OKR Timelines : Check the diagram below for details management and introduction of OKRs. It’s self explanatory .

Ending Note : Note that all above and the timelines helps to make enterprise more challenging to adapt to its environment and can be used as a tool to offset the environment variables. Since they are more decisive to the objectives defined at enterprise level, they are more conducive to bring changes to