A Two-Minute Crash Course Into What OKR Are!
OKRs date back to Peter Drucker’s MBOs. With his psychology and sociology studies at Intel, Andrew Grove transformed Peter Drucker’s MBO method to create OKRs. Transferring the model to John Doerr, who started out as an intern, and John Doerr’s transfer of OKRs as a system in many companies, it has become the formula for success. In his book, “Measure What Matters”, John Doerr cites the time when he purchased a 12% stake in Google for $11.8 million, citing, “I took my biggest gamble. I was committed to doing my best to help the company succeed financially and emotionally.” Thanks to John Doerr’s sense of responsibility and the OKR’s compliance with Google’s values of being plain and simple, Google still uses OKR today, despite growing from a group of just 30 employees to a workforce of 118,000 people. The strongest aspect of OKR is that regardless of the size of the organization, it focuses employees on the target and provides easy dissemination.
Let’s dive in “What’s OKR are”?
O = Objective:
“What” do you want to achieve, “Where” do you want to go? It is the definition of the target that inspires, motivates, and shows the solution. For example; “looking fit”.
K = Key:
“How” will you get, “How” will you go? It is the definition that defines the strategy that leads to the goal and reveals the success criteria and criteria. For example; “Reducing the rate of body fat”
R = Result:
“How much” will you get, How far will you go? Numerical parameters such as the number and date that will show how far you have to go to the target. For example; “Reducing the rate of body fat from 32% to 25%”.
At Myliba, we translate this into Turkish as “Target and Success Criteria”.
Objective= Looking fit
Key Result 1 = To implement an exercise program that I will enjoy at the end of Q1
Key Result 2 = Reducing body fat from 32% to 25% in Q4.
Key Result 3 = Ensuring 90% use of the menus I will prepare at home by enrolling on a course on healthy nutrition
Key Result 4 = Losing 3 kg at the end of each quarter.
Objective = To speak fluent English in the meeting with global Customers
Key Result 1 = To achieve a score of 6 in the IELTS speaking exam at the end of the annual course
Key Result 2 = To achieve a score of 7 in the IELTS listening exam at the end of the annual course
Key Result 3 = By the end of September, to create a study program for a conversation which I will enjoy
Objective = Developing a human-oriented corporate culture
Key Result 1 = To launch the inspiring end-to-end employee experience (employee fiber cycle) program in Q1.
Key Result 2 = To reduce employee turnover from 15% to 8% by the year-end
Key Result 3 = To be given the title of a Great Place to Work
Key Result 4 = To implement the OKR and CFR performance and potential management system throughout the company by the end of Q3.
Yes, it’s that simple. You’ve already learned the basics of OKR…
Just a small caveat in the words of John Doerr; “OKR is a collaborative goal setting protocol for companies, teams and individuals. On the other hand, OKRs are not a magic wand. There is no substitute for sound judgment, strong leadership and a creative workplace culture. If these basic elements are available; OKRs can take you to the top.”
We have clearly set the target, now we need to act. What will be the first attempt and the first action this week?
Ideas are easy, but execution is all. (John Doerr)
At this stage, “initiatives” come into play. Every step, every attempt, every action you take to reach your goal is your little step that determines whether or not you will be successful. In the OKR, these are referred to as initiatives. At Myliba, we called this “Actions”.
Let’s give an example in respect to the goals and success criteria that we defined above.
We need to navigate goals and success criteria, feeding them data and information to show us the right way forward and where we are. The trick here is to move forward with small actions to achieve big successes. Thus, it is possible to both reduce uncertainty and see progress. Let’s start with the goal of speaking fluent English;
Objective = To speak fluent English in the meeting with global Customers
Key Result 1 = A score of 6.5 in the IELTS speaking test
Action: Monday – List IELTS speaking subjects
Action: Tuesday – Read four articles on a topic from the list and write a summary
Sub-Action: “A sustainable world”
…
Action: Friday – Practice pronunciation of newly learned words with Ayşe.
Action: Saturday – A one hour Chat with Tina for Sustainability
Key Result 2 = To achieve a score of 7 in the IELTS listening test
Action: Tuesday – Draw up a list of podcasts on sustainability
Action: Wednesday – Listen to and recap four podcats
Sub-Action: “We’re talking about sustainability with Jake”
…
As you progress this way, stick to your plan strictly or take a break for a day or two from time to time. It is up to you if you want to share your English article and podcast summaries and receive feedback, or if you plan for two days or complete a plan for a month.
The important thing in this method is to never give up from trying to reach your goal! You just plan and let Myliba do the rest.