{"id":5315,"date":"2019-04-17T05:00:19","date_gmt":"2019-04-17T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bwblogdev.wpengine.com\/?p=5315"},"modified":"2023-08-08T08:23:59","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T15:23:59","slug":"introduction-to-top-company-objectives-for-okrs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betterworks.com\/magazine\/introduction-to-top-company-objectives-for-okrs\/","title":{"rendered":"Introduction to Top Company Objectives for OKRs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

All Objectives and Key Results (OKR) programs are different. This isn\u2019t to say, obviously, that there aren\u2019t common mistakes to avoid and best practices to help guide you to success<\/a>, but understanding that you can adapt the program to your culture will help you find the right rhythm for quarter-over-quarter success. When it comes to setting Top Company Objectives at the executive level, there are three different styles we see work for different organizations.
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The Sprint\/One-Vision-One-Focus Objective<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve read Measure What Matters<\/em><\/a> by John Doerr, then you\u2019re already familiar with this type of top company OKR in action, as he provides a number of examples. Essentially, when the business sees a strategic opportunity or threat so clearly that the singularity of focus on execution of that goal trumps all else, then your top company OKR should reflect that.
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Often, this is more common for smaller startups that face existential threats daily, but it can be relevant for any size company for certain quarters.
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Here are two examples:
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In his book, Doerr discusses Intel\u2019s response to the grave threat that Motorola\u2019s 6800 microprocessor posed to their business. In response, the whole company was asked to prioritize OKRs to align to the following:
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Corporate Objective:<\/strong> Establish the 8086 as the highest performance 16-bit microprocessor
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Key Results (As Measured By): <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Develop and publish five benchmarks showing superior 8086 family performance (Applications).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Repackage the entire 8086 family of products (Marketing).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Get the 8MHz part into production (Engineering, Manufacturing).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Sample the arithmetic coprocessor no later than June 15 (Engineering).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The window of opportunity was small but clear to Intel\u2019s leadership, and they developed the above OKRs to galvanize action.
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    As another example, imagine you\u2019re a seasonal business where the success of your year depends on one month or quarter. You might have plenty of work to keep the lights on throughout the rest of the year, but you can keep an eye on the future by focusing action on preparation <\/em>for this crucial season. This is another great reason to focus the whole company on that one purpose or event.
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    Sample \u201cTop Company Objective\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
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    To ensure our company is prepared for our greatest \u201cselling season\u201d yet:<\/p>\n\n\n\n