{"id":7297,"date":"2020-08-20T08:34:44","date_gmt":"2020-08-20T15:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bwblogdev.wpengine.com\/?p=7297"},"modified":"2023-08-29T03:09:33","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T10:09:33","slug":"4-ways-to-maximize-the-business-impact-of-okrs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betterworks.com\/magazine\/4-ways-to-maximize-the-business-impact-of-okrs\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to Maximize the Business Impact of OKRs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Organization-wide alignment around the top objectives of your company is critical in today\u2019s fast-paced business environment. Despite this, focus and commitment remain a challenge for many organizations. All too often, teams get siloed and get overly focused on their priorities, which makes them stop collaborating while also losing sight of how their work contributes to the top goals of the business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure clarity about what the business wants to achieve and execute on those objectives, we need to be specific about the who, the how, and the when. It isn\u2019t just about clarity, but also about finding an efficient and scalable way to set, manage and achieve goals across the whole organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One proven methodology to achieve this is with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OKRs require adopting measurable goals and reviewing them frequently, ideally quarterly. They also require transparency to ensure cross-functional alignment and timely communication around progress and roadblocks. With OKRs (when deployed properly) your team can have clear milestones and measurable results, which enables your organization to laser focus on the objectives that really matter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, here are four ways to maximize the business impact of OKRs and drive the results you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Get Support From the Top<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

OKRs require that your organization develops new processes and skillsets. Any change is hard in large and complex enterprises so it\u2019s important to start with the people who have the most influence in the company\u2014your leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OKRs work to drive alignment, provide clarity, and increase accountability across the organization. However, not every executive will be on board with transitioning to a new methodology; that\u2019s to be expected. The way you change this is by getting them to try OKRs for themselves and their team and see the benefits of using the system with their own eyes. Once they realize that the fuzzy thinking and fuzzy execution is gone, they will become the evangelists of the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t forget to focus on training and coaching your leaders because OKRs do have a learning curve and this will help them feel comfortable with the methodology and give them the confidence to roll it out to their teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Focus Your OKRs on Top Priorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We all know that if everything is a priority then nothing is a priority. Your managers may think they have 20 priorities, but adopting OKRs will help them to focus on the top 3-4 that will really move the needle.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

OKRs are not<\/strong> a to-do list\u2014 they are a strategic way of conducting business operations. However, these are the most critical objectives and it may be difficult to align everyone in the organization around a couple of OKRs so be prepared for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning is a critical element here. If you don\u2019t already have a process for establishing top company goals, this can be an important first step. Ideally, the organization has at least annual planning for top company goals where they set a strategy. This is followed by a quarterly goal setting at a departmental and team level to ensure on-going alignment and transparency throughout the year. This frequent and ongoing assessment of progress is critical for the business to feel confident it will achieve the objectives it sets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

OKRs are rooted in transparency. When everyone knows what everyone is working toward, you can all pull in the same direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology can be a huge help in this regard. We chose to use Betterworks to power our OKR program, and this transparency has increased the level of communication:<\/p>\n\n\n\n