Getting Started with OKRs

Objectives & Key Results is a simple goal-setting framework used by world-renowned companies such as Google, Intel and the Gates Foundation to achieve business milestones. They help ensure your company focuses it’s precious resources (time, money, effort, expertise) on resolving the most prominent issues, increasing the odds of success.

Wowzers fully supports OKRs so that you can begin embedding this simple yet powerful framework into your business from day one.

Creating your first OKRs.

When it comes to getting started with OKRs, we recommend the following approach.

1 Identify what you want to achieve.

Brainstorm what you want to achieve over the coming months (Company OKRs) and how departments/teams (Team OKRs) and team members (Individual OKRs) can help you succeed. OKRs are hierarchical; an individual’s OKRs should help teams/departments achieve their OKRs, which in turn should help the company achieve its OKRs. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, it is possible for an individual’s OKRs to contribute directly to Company OKRs, especially if the company is small or just starting out. In short, don’t get hung up on OKR hierarchy. Just figure out what you need to achieve by when, and by whom. This should help you determine whether you are dealing with a Company, Team or Individual OKRs.

A quick note on OKR cadence. With the exception of Company OKRs, which can be set over the course of several years, Team and Individual OKRs are typically planned a quarter (3 months), but the exact cadence is up to you.

In OKR speak, what you want to achieve are termed ‘Objectives’. Once you’ve figured out yours, follow these steps to add objectives in Wowzers.

2 Define what success looks like.

One of the benefits of OKRs is that there are no ‘grey areas’. OKRs are either achieved or failed. This is facilitated by Key Results. They represent the milestones on the journey to achieving your Objectives. View Key Results as targets.

Typically you set 3-5 Key Results per Objective, but again, don’t get hung up on the numbers when starting out. Once all Key Results are attained, the Objective is achieved. Follow these steps to add Key Results to Objectives in Wowzers.

3. Plan for success.

Key Results provide a roadmap for achieving your Objective. To attain a Key Result, one or more Initiatives must be successfully delivered. Initiatives represent projects and tasks, and you’ll need to complete one or more Initiatives to reach your Key Result. Follow these steps to add Initiatives to Key Results.