Objectives and Key Results

Driving Focus, Alignment, and Engagement with OKRs

Paul R. Niven, Ben Lamorte

Publisher: Wiley, 2016, 204 pages

ISBN: 978-1-119-25239-9

Keywords: OKR

Last modified: Feb. 29, 2020, 7:52 p.m.

Objectives and key results (OKRs) are integral to connecting the goals of teams and employees with the strategy of the organization in order to drive focus, alignment, engagement, and execution. Objectives and Key Results is the first comprehensive guide for using OKRs to overcome today's sophisticated challenges, including the difficulties of executing strategy, building new organizations, sustaining growth, mitigating the risk of disruption, and prioritizing employee engagement.

In this A-to-Z guidebook for understanding OKRs and effectively implementing them at any organization, two leading experts walk you through the beginnings of OKRs at Intel in the 1980s to the innovative ways companies such as Flipkart, GoNoodle, and TaxSlayer are using OKRs to gain a competitive edge today. You'll find insightful coverage of this valuable critical-thinking framework for enabling teams and employees to reimagine what they can achieve, build their goal-setting muscles, and actually accomplish their full potential day after day. This turnkey program outlines all the steps you need to successfully launch OKRs and make them sustainable, including the specific times and types of reviews essential to an effective OKRs cycle. An in-depth look into the latest software solutions addresses the most beneficial ways to use modern tools, as well as providing the twenty critical questions to answer before investing in any software. Keep this convenient resource at your fingertips for:

  • All the know-how and strategy for winning the necessary executive support to successfully integrate OKRs into an organization
  • A detailed examination of the most up-to-date best practices for designing and sustaining a successful OKRs program
  • Firsthand insight into customizing the OKRs framework to perfectly connect the goals of your organization

Objectives and Key Results is your complete, one-stop resource for bringing this highly valuable method of defining, aligning, and tracking goals to your business.

  1. Introduction to OKRs
    • The History of OKRs
    • What Are Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)?
    • Objectives
    • Key Results
    • Organizational Challenges, and Why You Need OKRs
    • Benefits of OKRs
    • Notes
  2. Preparing for Your OKRs Journey
    • Why Are You Implementing OKRs?
    • Executive Sponsorship: A Critical Component of Your OKRs Implementation
    • Where to Develop Your OKRs
    • Special Cases
    • An OKRs Development Plan
    • Key Lessons for Successful Transformation
    • The Building Blocks of OKRs: Mission, Vision, and Strategy
    • Roadmap Strategy
    • Notes
  3. Creating Effective OKRs
    • Omaha
    • Creating Powerful Objectives
    • Tips for Creating Objectives
    • Objective Descriptions
    • Characteristics of Effective Key Results
    • Tips for Creating Key Results
    • Types of Key Results
    • Scoring OKRs
    • How Often Do We Set OKRs?
    • How Many OKRs Do We Have?
    • Do OKRs Stay the Same from Quarter to Quarter?
    • Can OKRs Change during the Quarter?
    • The Process to Set OKRs
    • Notes
  4. Connecting OKRs to Drive Alignment
    • A Critical Link
    • Connecting OKRs
    • How to Connect OKRs
    • Creating Alignment
    • Confirming the Alignment of Connected OKRs
    • Closing Thoughts on Connecting
    • Notes
  5. Managing with OKRs
    • The Cycle: Monday Meetings, Mid-Quarter Check-Ins, and Quarterly Reviews
    • Updating OKRs at the End of the Quarter
    • Software and OKRs
    • Let's Play 20 Questions!
    • Notes
  6. Making OKRs Sustainable
    • Don't Think of OKRs as a Project
    • Who Owns the OKRs Process?
    • OKRs and Performance Reviews
    • OKRs and Incentive Compensation
    • Top 10 OKRs Issues
    • How Not to Implement OKRs … and Where Consultants Can Help
    • Concluding Thoughts
    • Notes
  7. Case Studies in OKRs Use
    • Flipkart
    • Career Builder
    • Zalando
    • Sears Holdings Corporation (SHC)
    • Go Noodle
    • Tax Slayer
    • Note