Learn to Implement the OKR Methodology

Objectives and key to Results

It is impossible to see companies like Google, Intel, Twitter and Dropbox as failed institutions. Among the many policies adopted by each of them individually, there is a common feature to all of them in the way they plan their goals and strategy: the OKR methodology (Objectives and key to results). We will understand more about it and learn to put it into practice in today’s article. 

What is OKR?

The term in English means Objectives and Keys Result. Despite being adopted in large successful companies, the methodology is still little known and applied in Brazil. Basically, the OKRs are goals or objectives that are intended to be achieved, followed by metrics that indicate whether the results were achieved or not.

OKR and its benefits:

Within a company, there are few things as important as teamwork for business growth. The OKRs are bringing agility in the process of unfolding cycles, enabling the best adaptation and change, reducing the risks of crisis.

It is important that the goals defined are clear so that the team has full understanding of the objectives set, thus being able to devote more to the realization of these. A limited number of goals can increase the possibility of success, being that each individual of the team is responsible for a certain part in the effectiveness of the plan.

The great benefit of the OKR methodology is that the company can focus on the expected result and not on the efforts or difficulties on the road to success. In addition, goals must be drawn that take the team of collaborators out of their comfort zone without limiting their ability to contribute to overall growth. Despite appearing to be an arduous task, defining a plan of goals for your company based on OKRs is simple, as long as the reality of your business is adapted.

How to implement OKR?

It is indicated to implement the goals in short terms and in stages, until everyone is comfortable with the methodology. Defining quarterly OKRs is a good way to encourage the team and giving feedbacks as time goes by, so that everyone can suggest improvements and earn points for the effort.

The idea of implementing any new methodology is to make the changes in phases, starting with the highest team and, little by little, disseminating them in learning cycles. Following all these tips is very difficult that the team is not excited to meet the goals set.

In that sense, it may be that it makes sense at first not to implement individual OKRs, so that the entire team remains 100% focused on the company’s OKRs and the teams as a whole. Having said that, we are going to see a step by step and a timeline that can help you at the moment of implementing the Objectives and key of results in your company:

Step by Step

Step 1 – Determine what is the organization’s major goal for the year

Step 2 – Divide, for the next quarter, which are the most important objectives (up to 3)

Step 3 – Create 3 to 5 key results (maximum) for the objectives of the quarter

Step 4 – Measure the results of the results created weekly

Step 5 – Accompany the company’s key results monthly

Step 6 – At the end of the quarter (before the start of the next), repeat step 2 and 3