Stefan
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OKRs are a great way to communicate what your team is working on. I even do ‘personal OKRs’ to manage – and track progress toward – my personal goals
However, doing OKRs well can be tricky. So here are my 4 dead sure tips to write great OKRs. If you like a deeper explanation on OKRs you can see my previous blog post on the topic here.
Tip 1: Resolve jargon
Jargon are terms local to a small group of folks who are ‘in the know’. Often these terms mean little to folks outside of the group. Since OKRs are a communication tool, you run the risk of folks making assumptions about what you mean. ‘Building milestone1’ could mean a lot to a lot of folks. Or ‘Learning Engine’ might be read in many different ways.
Tip 2: Answer the what and the why
Avoid an OKR tasklist as much as possible. Some KRs might be more ‘tasky’, but an O should never be to ‘launch feature X’. A simple question to ask is: What would be different (for the user, stakeholder, org, codebase) if feature X is available, and how would I measure the difference?
Tip 3: Remove KRs which are covered by your standard business practices
Maintaining a tasklist is not an OKR. Answering client requests might be, but not if this is an existing and known commitment. Try and avoid adding the how parts of your work to the OKR list, especially if they are part of your standard operating procedures.
Exceptions are one off business critical tasks which consume a lot of time. This is like ‘thinking fast and slow’: the fast part need not be in the OKRs.
Tip 4: Assign them to individuals
A lot of times the group owns the OKRs. The team. The area. But when it comes time to grade them,.someone needs to judge the progress. For the team level OKRs, assign them to individuals (the Product Manager and Tech Lead engineer), so you have a clear sense of ownership.
I got one more for you!
Tip 5: Define priorities to indicate what OKRs are in scope, and which one are not.
I use P0 as critical (must get done), P1 as highest priority which the team believes can be finished, and P2 as ‘we might get there’. Anything in P0 and P1 is ‘in scope’.
OKRs are a key process in home we communicate our work. Making sure there is clarity on tradeoffs and why you are working on what makes sense. Using them within your organization can help instill confidence that what is being worked on has the highest impact and is prioritized fairly.
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📅 If you ever have any questions, feel free to book time with me for a quick PM consultation session.
📚 To learn about OKRs and goal setting, I recommend Measure What Matters, by John Doerr. It really builds the foundation for understanding OKRs as a central planning tool, how it is implemented within and organization, and how it sits alongside other planning processes such ass performance management.
📚 Another great read on OKRs is Objectives and Key Results: Driving Focus, Alignment, and Engagement with OKRs, by Paul Niven & Ben Lamorte. Check it out to get an extra deep-dive on the subject as you master setting goals with your team.
📚 If you’d like a more ‘story driven’ version of how to set goals for a business as you build up your team and product org, I found High Output Management, by Andy Grove a great read. The stories he shares are timeless, the principles both highly practical & relevant.
