Goals - OKR
by Allen Plummer
I recently listened to a TED talk by John Doerr. I discovered something that I’ve not heard before: a succint understanding of goals-objectives-metrics in such a way that makes sense.
The system (if it can be called that) is called “OKR”, or (O)bjectives, (K)ey (R)esults. This has been around for 30 years, and is the basis of Google and other forward thinking companies’ goal setting frameworks.
The concept is very simple:
Goals
As you think about your current goals and mission, discover the “Why”. Why is it important? Is it meaningful? Is it audacious? This is qualitative, not quantitative.
Goals are:
- inspirational
- significant
- action-oriented
- concrete, not abstract statements
Key Results
Key results map to goals, and describe the “How” the “What” will be measured as successful. How do you know that it’s accomplished?
Key Results are:
- Specific & Timebound
- Measurable & Verifiable
- Agressive yet Realistic
Other Frameworks
- SMART Framework: As you may have noticed, much of the “KR” above follows the “SMART” framework for goalsetting.
- 4DX: Popular book that describes the “WIG” (wildly important goal). The aspirational aspect of the goalsetting in the OKR framework reminds me of 4DX.