One for all and all for one: 4 steps to the OKR method and a common goal
Project management is full of methodologies with different approaches. Some are based on flexibility, others on rigor or collaboration.
The OKR method, which stands for Objectives and Key Results, is one of the best-known objective-based project management methods.
But what does this method actually involve? And how can you implement it in your company?
Don't panic! We're here to reveal all the secrets of this method.
What is the OKR method?
The OKR method, popularized by Google in the early 2000s, is a management method based on key objectives and results.
The aim of this method is to unite all employees around a common objective set by the company.
To achieve this, OKRs (Objectives Key Results) are set:
- At management level, this is where the company's vision and missions are defined. These are the corporate OKRs,
- At team level, each team contributes its own part to the common goal. Teams take ownership of the corporate vision and set themselves specific objectives: the team OKRs.
Why implement the OKR method?
The benefits of the method
If properly implemented, the OKR method will deliver numerous benefits:
- Concentration: if objectives are well defined in advance, and employees have been part of this organization, then everyone will be focused on the tasks at hand;
- Transparency: the definition of clear objectives and follow-up will enable each manager to monitor the actual work of his or her staff;
- Motivation: the goals set are ambitious (but still achievable), taking employees out of their comfort zone and giving them the desire to surpass themselves in order to reach them;
- Autonomy: teams are autonomous and work together towards a common goal. Everyone has their place and can propose solutions to achieve it.
Watch out for abuses!
Implementing the OKR method is not to be taken lightly. It's not enough simply to set a few random objectives and cross your fingers that they'll be achieved. To be effective, the OKR method requires rigor and preparation.
As a company, you need to ensure that :
- Managers do not use the OKR method as a spying or evaluation technique. The method should not be accompanied by sanctions, but rather by communication and optimization;
- Key results are understandable and easily measurable; if no measurements can be made, the method is useless;
- Communication is effective: all employees must be kept informed not only of progress towards objectives, but also of results.
4 steps to applying the OKR method
Step 1: set OKR objectives
The first step is to answer the question "where does the company want to go?"; the corporate objective and the OKRs of the various teams must be geared towards this goal. The efforts of each employee must be directed towards achieving the team OKRs, which themselves have a role to play in achieving the corporate OKR.
Each objective must be :
- Ambitious: to take teams out of their comfort zones. For example, an objective is considered to have been reached when 60-70% of it has been achieved, rather than 100%, in which case the objective was not ambitious enough. This is the philosophy of the OKR method: set ambitious goals and don't be afraid of failure;
- collaborative: in the OKR method, the notion of collaboration is also important, and objectives need to be set collectively to involve every member;
- temporal: objectives must have a start and end date, to help and motivate employees to achieve their goals.
Step 2: Define key results
In the case of the second stage of the OKR method, the question to ask is "how do we get there?"
In other words, how can we achieve the objectives listed above?
Each objective should have a maximum of 3 to 4 key results, referred to here as KRs, which are similar to KPIs.
These results, too, must have a number of characteristics:
- Be measurable: results should not be vague and imprecise, but quantifiable and measurable on a numerical scale,
- Achievable: if results seem unattainable, employees will be demotivated. Keep in mind that results are the means, tasks and methods used to achieve objectives,
- Be difficult to achieve: we need to distinguish between ambitious and unachievable. Like objectives, results need to take employees out of their comfort zones.
Step 3: Build work teams
The OKR method is based on collaboration, so building work teams is essential to the success of this new practice. As a result, the method is easier to implement in companies practicing Scrum or Agile methods, as teams are used to working under these conditions.
The OKR method involves :
- Trust: employees must trust their managers, and vice versa, so that everyone can express themselves and take initiatives without feeling pressured;
- Autonomy: trust implies autonomy, and each employee must feel free to innovate, propose solutions or be creative;
- Communication: it goes without saying that inter- and intra-team communication must be totally fluid, so that everyone, employee and manager alike, can assess whether objectives are being met.
Step 4: Measure results
This final step is essential for monitoring and evaluating the achievement of objectives.
As mentioned above, the aim of the OKR method is not to achieve 100% of objectives, but rather to find a way of achieving them. You must therefore focus on the impact of the actions implemented and their optimization.
💡It's advisable to regularly monitor OKR progress to improve and adapt your actions.
To easily deploy the OKR management method, certain tools have been developed. These include Zest by ZestMeUp, a digital platform designed to boost employee commitment. Thanks to its Success module, you simply define objectives and measurable results for each of them. Then, you visualize the progress of each OKR via an intuitive, color-coded dashboard. The tool also facilitates communication between employees and their managers, who can then better coach them along the way to help them achieve their objectives.
Applying the OKR method: 2 concrete examples!
Example no. 1: Improve your online reputation
| Corporate objective | Increase brand awareness on the web |
| Main objective defined by the marketing team | Increase our web presence |
| Key results |
|
Example 2: perfecting your corporate culture
| Corporate objective | Optimize our corporate culture |
| Main objective defined by the HR team | Improve work environment in line with corporate values |
| Key results |
|
In conclusion
The OKR method is a very interesting approach which enables you to connect each action to precise objectives.
To successfully implement this method, you need to keep in mind :
- set ambitious but achievable goals,
- limit key results to 3-4,
- regularly monitor progress,
- constantly adapt your actions,
Now you know all you need to know about the OKR method and its benefits. We hope we've given you some pointers for implementing this method within your teams!
Article translated from French