Employees who can measure their own progress ot contribution are going to develop a greater sense of personal responsibility and satisfaction than those who cannot.

OKRs Definition

Objectives and key results(OKR) is a framework for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes. It has been used by several major companies including Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Uber. The OKR framework aims to define company and team “objectives” along with linked and measurable “key results” to provide “a critical thinking framework and ongoing discipline that seeks to ensure employees work together, focusing their efforts to make measurable contributions.” OKRs are typically set at the company, team and personal levels and may be shared across the organization with the intention of providing teams with visibility of goals with the intention to align and focus effort.

Steps of Using OKRs

  • Set objectives: Objectives are more ambitious, not necessarily specific and mesurable, and setted from top to bottom.
  • Set key results for every objective: Effective key results are SMART crietia.
  • Work for completing key results: Focuses on key results.
  • Review and Score: Open for everyone.

Characteristics of Effective OKRs

  • Results are not tasks: Tasks appear on a “to-do list” and can typically be completed in a day. Key results reflect measurable progress by a target date and cannot get done in a day.
  • SMART crietia: Effective key results are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.
  • Less is more: Each set of OKRs should include at most 5 objectives focusing on 1-3 key results for each objective.
  • Owned: Your objectives should originate from you, the OKRs owner, and not corporate mandate. Instead of copying a corporate mandate or your bosses objectives, you should consider an objective that is within the control of you or your organization and phrase it accordingly. You achieve more when you design and own your OKRs.
  • Graded: Effective key results include grades that clearly communicate targets and manage expectations.

Benefits of Using OKRs

  • Disciplings thinking: the major goals will surface, and let’s everyone to think what can I do for achiving the objective.
  • Communicates accurately: Let’s everyone know what’s important and what others are doing now.
  • Establishes indicators: For measuring progress.
  • Focuses effort: Keeps team in step with each other.

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