OKR Examples
OKR Examples – How to write OKRs – There is no one-size-fits-all formula for writing good OKRs. However, there are some best practices for creating effective OKRs.
OKR Examples – How to write OKRs
There is no one-size-fits-all formula for writing good OKRs. The objectives and key results of your organization or team should be adapted to the context. However, there are some best practices for creating effective OKRs.
Tips for writing objectives
Objectives should be aligned with the mission. Without a sense of direction, it is harder to define goals. Therefore, if your organization or team hasn’t established its purpose yet, that should be the starting point.
Also, aim to define objectives that represent significant, inspiring, energizing, and concise changes. For example, the objective could be to “surpass the competition.”
On the other hand, try to define objectives that are easy to remember. Each team member should be able to retain their goals in memory without having to refer to documentation.
Finally, when writing objectives, remember that they should be realistically achievable. However, you can include challenging goals that allow the organization to reach new heights.
Adapt the style of the objectives to the organization’s culture. Phrases like “fun” or “groovy” might be suitable for some organizations but inappropriate for others.
OKRs should be a collaborative effort between management and teams. Determine goals collaboratively to create a culture of autonomy and engagement. Even if business objectives are already finalized, teams and individuals should define their own key results.
Also, objectives can be adjusted if they are not working. The implementation of OKRs is an iterative and empirical process.
Lastly, limit your KRs to two sentences. If you’re struggling to keep the text concise and/or simple, consider using text-writing tools to help.
Ensure there is a person directly responsible (DRI – directly responsible individual) for monitoring the progress of the OKR.
OKR Courses
Examples of Objectives
Some examples of OKRs from famous companies are:
YouTube – “Reach 1 billion hours of watch time per day (by 2016)”
Google – “We must make the web as fast as flipping through a magazine.”
Tips for writing Key Results
First of all, you should ensure that achieving the key results will allow the organization to achieve the defined objectives.
Additionally, your key results should be SMART. This acronym ensures that the results are:
- (S)pecific and verifiable – This means it should be possible to answer with a “yes” or “no” to the question of whether it has been achieved.
- (M)easurable because they have numbers or are quantifiable.
- (A)mbitious yet
- (R)elevant.
- (T)ime-bound – Set expected results for the short term to track progress toward success.
Furthermore, ensure that each objective has at least 5 key results.
Lastly, ensure that these key results are indeed “results” and not “tasks.”
Examples of Key Results
Some examples of key results from famous companies are:
YouTube – “Increase engagement with children and game watch time (X hours of watch time per day)”
Google – “Achieve 20 million weekly active users for Google Chrome by the end of the year.”
How to grade OKRs
Finally, you can assign a score to the OKRs to evaluate the effectiveness of each key result and its impact on the overall objective. Use a scale from 0 to 1, where 0 represents the lowest value, indicating a complete failure, and 1 represents the highest value, meaning total success.
For example, if your key result is to acquire 100 new customers, a possible scoring breakdown could be:
- 10 new customers – 0.0
- 20 new customers – 0.2
- 50 new customers – 0.6
- 70 new customers – 0.8
- 100 new customers – 1
This way, it will be clear which results are positive and which ones are negative.
About OKR
OKR Framework
Why are OKRs important for companies? This article explores the benefits of using OKRs.
OKR Course
What are the advantages of OKR training, what should an OKR course include, and who should take an OKR training?
Objectives and Key Results
How to implement OKRs? This article explores the process of implementing an OKR program.
OKR versus KPI
What Are the Differences? This article explores the distinction between OKRs and KPIs.