Tips To Practice The OKR (Objectives And Key Results) Framework
Recently, I read the book “Empowered” by Marty Cagan and I was inspired by the idea of OKRs as an alternative to roadmaps.
OKRs are used by companies such as Google, Amazon, LinkedIn, and Netflix to set their goals. However, I never had the chance to practice this method myself as a PM.
So, as 2021 had just begun, I challenged myself to apply this method successfully to my own life. Trying it out in my personal life is the fastest way to learn this framework, which many startups and even bigger companies are trying to adopt but not many succeed with applying it successfully.
How I Wrote My OKRs
I’ve been struggling with setting up personal objectives for Q1 2021 to improve my personal development in different areas of my life, from family to career path to things that I’m doing in my free time. So, I used the OKR framework, which requires you to set an objective and key results to measure whether or not you reach that objective.
For example, I’ve set an objective to relax my mind and body from time to time and one of the key results for that objective was to go to the beach at least 5 times this quarter.
The process of setting OKRs wasn’t easy, but it was very educational. I learned a lot just from creating the list of objectives and key results.
I promise to update you on my progress by the end of the quarter. In the meantime, here are my takeaways from the process of setting up objectives and key results:
- Don’t be too generic or too specific
When you set an objective, try not to be too generic. But on the other hand, don’t be too specific either. I used the five whys method to get it more specific till I got to the point where I was satisfied with my objectives. I repeated that several times till I read the objective and felt it was super clear to me. - Make it measurable with the key result
When I worked on the key results, I needed somehow to find a measurable metric. It wasn’t straightforward to find a feasible metric, but I’ve always found a way to set one by tweaking the definition of the key result. - Track progress regularly
To track my progress, I’ve decided to do weekly checkups to my OKRs. First, I thought about doing it daily, but that seemed to be time-consuming. So, to keep track of what I’ve achieved, I write notes throughout the week and check my progress at the end of the week. I can say for sure this method forces me to be data-driven! - Set high goals
Since I’m not planning to get 100% of my key results done, I wasn’t afraid to set high goals. If I reach 60% of my goals I’d be happy. The concept is to set goals that challenge yourself through your target.
Applying OKRs to a Corporate Setting
Unlike personal life, in a corporate setting, you have more factors to consider to set the right objectives and key results. Although my experiment was a good example of OKRs on a personal scale, applying this method to your product could lead to additional complexities like the following:
- NPI-New Product Initiative, you’ve many unknowns in your playground and you’re afraid to set the wrong key results that might mislead you in the wrong direction.
- If you want to set a business objective such as “20% increase the number of medium-size accounts of your SaaS B2B platform” and you’re working on high touch products it would be harder to achieve your goal because you need to influence sales and marketing to achieve the business goals.
- In a corporate setting, you’ll need to spend several days developing OKRs rather than just taking an hour or two to set personal OKRs.
- Additionally, you will need to review the OKRs with your teammates and other relevant stakeholders to ensure you are all aligned.
Learn More About OKRs
I’m sharing the Google Sheets template I’ve created to track my own OKRs so you can use it yourself.
If you would like to read more on OKRs, I advise you to visit the following sites, which have tons of information on this method:
- https://www.whatmatters.com — A book and a hub by the god of OKRs: John Doerr.
- https://felipecastro.com/en/ — An OKR trainer invented a method to avoid the most common pitfalls of applying OKRs.
- https://itamargilad.com/ — Ex-Google PM, specialized in coaching teams on innovative product frameworks.
What do you think about OKRs? Have you used this method before? Share your thoughts in the comments.
