From the course: Measure What Matters: Succeeding with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

Are OKRs for my department?

From the course: Measure What Matters: Succeeding with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

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Are OKRs for my department?

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- I've been sharing OKRs with organizations from all walks, both for-profit and non-profit, for years now, and let me tell you, I've got the speech down pat. I've got my slide deck. I can anticipate nearly all the questions that'll be asked. And the one thing that never fails is that when I'm done, an enthusiastic person will come up to me and say, "Great presentation. OKRs are so exciting. I can't wait for everyone else to start using them." This comment typically comes from the departments and individuals that don't see the point of OKRs for themselves. Maybe their department delivers an internal service, like HR or legal, and sees their role as limited to keeping the trains running on time. Or maybe they're on a sales team and they think their quotas are sufficient enough goals. Or maybe they're on a software development team and they feel like they already have a goal-setting system, like agile project management. If your department or team is questioning the value of OKRs, I encourage you to consider the North Star of your organization. How can you contribute to achieving it faster, more easily, and better? For example, that sales team has their quota, but to really change how that team works, it needs to set an ambitious OKR. Something like win 100% of bids against our closest competitor. Same for HR or Legal. What changes or improvements can they make to help their organization win? All departments have a stake in making the organization's mission a reality. And if that isn't apparent to them, well, that's a conversation they need to have with the organization's leadership. But don't force any team to use OKRs just for the sake of using them. Like any tool, people will appreciate OKRs when they see that it actually helps them improve their performance. In our experience, even the steadiest state teams experience disruption. A policy shift triggers a change in the product line or contracts. Layoffs or rapid growth can also shift the ways teams should be thinking about what they need to accomplish. Or perhaps, there are critical improvements lagging behind the business-as-usual tasks. In each of these cases, steady-state teams can learn to embrace OKRs. Whether it's ensuring that your cash position supports the strategy or removing bottlenecks in the talent pipeline, there's a good chance your department has more of an impact on the big picture than it realizes. OKRs help frame the discussion and clarify how everyone is invested in your next big win.

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