How to set OKRs
OKRs are a nightmare to write.
Let's face it: writing OKRs is a grueling, time-consuming task that most managers dread. Every quarter, you're faced with the daunting task of setting ambitious yet achievable objectives for your team.
The burden of translating your company's vision into actionable goals weighs heavily on your shoulders. It's no surprise that 90% of managers struggle with setting and tracking OKRs.
And even after all of that effort, OKRs often aren't effective. 63% of employees don't understand their goals, which is a direct result of poorly written OKRs.
Your team is frustrated and unfocused.
Does this sound familiar? Your team is drowning in a sea of vague goals and confusing metrics.
Team members are unsure of their priorities, working at cross purposes.
Countless hours are wasted on fruitless endeavors.
Unattainable goals are demoralizing your employees.
Communication breaks down, deadlines are missed, and morale plummets. It's a downward spiral that can lead to a reduction in employee engagement.
Ultimately, you're left with a dysfunctional team, high turnover rates, and an inevitable decline in overall performance.
The Modern Work Method's fresh perspective on OKRs could change everything.
What if there was a new approach to writing OKRs that could turn the tide and reinvigorate your team? Imagine a method that simplifies the process and clarifies objectives, making it easy for everyone to get on the same page.
Achieve alignment and skyrocket productivity.
By embracing the principles of the Modern Work Method, you'll create an environment that fosters efficiency, transparency, and collaboration.
Your team will:
Streamline work through defined templates, roles, and processes
Actively seek feedback to continuously improve and refine your end work.
Begin collaborations with documents instead of meetings, minimizing disruptions and maximizing productivity.`
Cultivate a calm, sustainable team culture that minimizes surprises and fire drills, leading to faster results and higher quality work.
Prioritize delivering business value quickly and efficiently, while ensuring work remains sustainable and rewarding for team members.
With well-defined and coherent OKRs, your team will be more motivated, aligned, and focused than ever before.
Almanac's templates make OKR writing a breeze.
Enter Almanac: the ultimate solution to your OKR woes. With Almanac's workflow templates, you can streamline the OKR-writing process and ensure your team's goals are crystal clear.
Here's an OKR process you can automate with Almanac:
Step 1: Structure your OKR database
Create a database in Almanac for your upcoming quarter's OKRs
The first column should be for each objective - click inside to write context
Add additional properties for team, owner, etc.
Step 2: Draft OKRs
Set clear objectives:
Define high-level, qualitative goals that are aligned with the company's vision and strategy.
Objectives should be inspiring, concise, and actionable.
Example: "Improve platform stability and performance"
Identify key results:
For each objective, establish 2-5 measurable, quantitative outcomes that indicate progress towards the objective.
Key results should be specific, time-bound, and achievable, but challenging.
Example: "Reduce average server response time by 30% by the end of Q2"
Step 3: Ask your team for feedback
Use an Almanac Feedback Request to share each objective doc
Include relevant people on the Request with defined roles
The approver might be your boss
Add people who should have visibility as "viewers"
Set a due date across all the objectives, and give yourself time to respond to all the comments
Use the cleanup feature on a doc to breeze through
Step 4: Align and set priorities [how?]
Ensure that the engineering team's OKRs align with the objectives of other departments, such as product, sales, and customer support. This promotes cross-functional collaboration and supports company-wide strategic initiatives. Example: "Increase integration capabilities to support the sales team's target of onboarding 10 new enterprise clients in Q2"
Rank the OKRs in order of importance to help the team focus on the most critical tasks [using a new properties column].
This ensures resources are allocated effectively and prevents teams from becoming overwhelmed. Example: "1. Improve platform stability and performance, 2. Increase integration capabilities, 3. Streamline onboarding process"
Step 5: Final Exec Approval
Approval workflow
Step 6: Share with the team
Read receipts
Step 7: Monitor progress [how?]
Regularly track and review the team's progress towards key results. Adjust OKRs as needed to reflect changing circumstances or new insights. Share updates with the team and celebrate successes. Example: Conduct bi-weekly check-ins to review key result metrics and discuss potential roadblocks or adjustments.
Step 8: Monitor progress [how?]
Scheduled/recurring reviews
At the end of each OKR cycle, evaluate the team's performance, and identify areas for improvement. Use insights from this process to inform the development of future OKRs. Example: Hold a retrospective meeting to discuss successes, challenges, and lessons learned from the completed OKR cycle.
By following this process in Almanac, you can write effective OKRs that drive alignment, focus, and performance.
Say goodbye to the days of confusion and frustration, and hello to a future of cohesion and productivity.
Say goodbye to the days of confusion and frustration, and hello to a future of cohesion and productivity.
