{"id":73983,"date":"2021-02-19T08:07:02","date_gmt":"2021-02-19T16:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bwblogdev.wpengine.com\/?p=8928"},"modified":"2022-11-21T23:57:23","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T07:57:23","slug":"okr-templates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betterworks.com\/magazine\/okr-templates\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating an OKR Template"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The \u2018world of work\u2019 invariably looks different today, regardless of industry. Most businesses are operating in a virtual environment and anticipating a move to a hybrid workplace model when it’s deemed safe. HR leaders and C-suite executives are focusing on how to systematize and scale alignment, communication, and engagement. They\u2019re looking for the best tools and techniques that drive execution and productivity regardless of whether their employees are at home, at the office, or both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, the goal-setting methodology, Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), exists. OKRs <\/a>are designed to reach every level of an organization in any context (hybrid or not). They\u2019re proven to align employees with an organization\u2019s top priorities, help managers support their teams, and uncover critical workforce insights. Here are some of our best practices for implementing and writing goals within this context as well as OKR <\/a>templates to make it even easier to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are OKRs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned above, OKRs <\/a>are a collaborative goal-setting tool used by teams and individual contributors to set challenging, ambitious goals. What makes OKRs <\/a>different, and more powerful, is that the goals are designed to be measurable. In other words, OKRs <\/a>allow you to track progress, create alignment, and encourage engagement all while tethered to measurable outcomes. OKRs <\/a>apply to any type of company and to any role within an organization. They\u2019re so versatile they can be used at the company-, team-, and individual-level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To break it down further, an Objective is what you\u2019d like to achieve. An objective is concrete, action-oriented, and inspirational. A Key Result is a benchmark that guides how we accomplish the objective. Key results are measurable, verifiable, and are rooted in reality. They don\u2019t offer room to mince words\u2014you either meet a key result or you don\u2019t. OKRs <\/a>are time-bound (typically to a standard business quarter). They\u2019re set, but then routinely check-in on with flexibility to pivot or amend as environments change or new problems take priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of setting and documenting OKRs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most substantial benefits of implementing OKRs <\/a>into an organization is that they align employee motivation to organizational performance. Leadership sets high-level goals, managers and teams translate those into workable goals for themselves, achieving cohesion and nurturing a shared sense of purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The OKR <\/a>system is also scalable. Companies large to small or growing can adopt the OKR <\/a>methodology. The system is flexible and translates incredibly well to remote or hybrid workforces\u2014particularly if the organization is using a platform like Betterworks that collects, communicates, and measures OKR <\/a>progress in real-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OKRs <\/a>play a helpful role for managers as well. Managers are tasked with motivating their teams, understanding their struggles, and showing up for crucial conversations. On top of performing their core job, they\u2019ve got alignment, feedback, development, and recognition to keep in mind. Setting strategic OKRs <\/a>with a team gives managers a roadmap and a cadence to address those concerns that were before handled impulsive or ad hoc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes a strong OKR?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you understand the general benefits of OKRs<\/a>, how do you write them? What do clear, actionable, and aspirational goals look like? And, how do OKRs <\/a>vary by department, role, or function?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OKR <\/a>writing may seem daunting. Keep in mind that not only are OKRs <\/a>primed to be revisited and adjusted, once you begin to use them and understand how they\u2019re measured, writing them will get easier and easier.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When writing an Objective, think about the most valuable focus of the next quarter (or with whatever timeframe you decide). Less is more in terms of OKRs<\/a>, and we\u2019ve found that no more than 3 objectives are the sweet spot for teams to remember and work on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well-written Objectives are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n