Objectives and Key Results (OKR)-based Planning Framework

An Objectives and Key Results (OKR)-based Planning Framework is a leadership framework that can be used to create goal alignment systems (that support organizational performance tasks).

• AKA: Objectives and Key Results Framework, OKR System, OKR Methodology, Goal Management Framework.
• Context:
  • It can typically define OKR Objective through okr aspirational goal statements that articulate okr desired outcomes.
  • It can typically establish OKR Key Result as okr measurable outcomes that track okr objective achievement.
  • It can typically guide OKR Implementation through structured okr deployment processes and okr review cycles.
  • It can typically measure OKR Progress using specific okr scoring systems on a okr numerical scale.
  • It can typically align OKR Cascade with okr organizational direction across okr organizational levels.
  • It can typically integrate OKR Values such as okr transparency, okr ambition, and okr focus.
  • ...
  • It can often provide OKR Communication Structure for discussing okr prioritys within okr organizations.
  • It can often facilitate OKR Performance Conversation through regular okr check-in meetings.
  • It can often support OKR Strategic Alignment by connecting okr company objectives to okr team objectives.
  • It can often enhance OKR Execution through okr visible tracking.
  • It can often improve OKR Organizational Focus by limiting okr objective quantity.
  • It can often promote OKR Stretch Goal setting to encourage okr ambitious targets.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Simple OKR Framework to being a Complex OKR Framework, depending on its okr implementation detail.
  • It can range from being a Quarterly OKR Framework to being an Annual OKR Framework, depending on its okr planning cycle.
  • It can range from being a Company-Level OKR Framework to being a Team-Level OKR Framework, depending on its okr organizational scope.
  • It can range from being a Rigid OKR Framework to being a Flexible OKR Framework, depending on its okr adaptation approach.
  • It can range from being a Traditional OKR Framework to being a Modified OKR Framework, depending on its okr organizational customization.
  • ...
  • It can have OKR Components including okr objective statements, okr key result metrics, and okr initiatives.
  • It can provide OKR Implementation Process through okr planning sessions, okr mid-cycle reviews, and okr retrospectives.
  • It can establish OKR Tools for practical okr framework application and okr tracking.
  • It can integrate with OKR Performance Management System for monitoring okr goal achievement.
  • It can evolve through OKR Framework Refinement based on okr effectiveness evaluation.
  • It can specify OKR Scoring Methods through okr grading approaches like okr 0-1.0 scale.
  • It can facilitate OKR Transparency Practices through okr public sharing.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • OKR Framework Implementations, such as:
    • Corporate OKR Frameworks, such as:
      • Google OKR Framework for okr company-wide alignment since the early 2000s.
      • Intel OKR Framework as the okr original implementation developed by Andy Grove.
      • LinkedIn OKR Framework for okr growth management.
      • Twitter OKR Framework for okr product development coordination.
      • Uber OKR Framework for okr rapid scaling.
    • Industry-Specific OKR Frameworks, such as:
      • Technology Company OKR Framework for okr innovation acceleration.
      • Nonprofit OKR Framework for okr mission delivery.
      • Education Institution OKR Framework for okr learning outcome improvement.
      • Healthcare Organization OKR Framework for okr patient care enhancement.
    • Team-Level OKR Frameworks, such as:
      • Engineering Team OKR Framework for okr development milestone tracking.
      • Marketing Team OKR Framework for okr campaign performance measurement.
      • Sales Team OKR Framework for okr revenue achievement monitoring.
    • OKR Framework Historical Evolutions, such as:
      • Intel's 1970s OKR Framework that established the okr original methodology.
      • Google's 1999 OKR Adoption that popularized the okr startup implementation.
      • Contemporary OKR Framework incorporating okr digital tracking tools.
  • OKR Framework Implementation Methods, such as:
    • OKR Setup Process for okr initial deployment.
    • OKR Review Cycle for okr regular assessment.
    • OKR Scoring System for okr progress evaluation.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • V2MOM Frameworks, which include v2mom value articulation and v2mom obstacle identification rather than okr measurable key results and typically focus on v2mom organizational alignment without the okr numerical scoring system.
  • Balanced Scorecards, which organize balanced scorecard measurement across balanced scorecard perspectives rather than okr focused objectives and typically require more balanced scorecard comprehensive implementation than the okr streamlined approach.
  • KPI Frameworks, which track kpi operational performance rather than okr aspiration and achievement and typically lack the okr ambitious goal-setting component in favor of kpi attainable targets.
  • Management By Objectives (MBO)s, which emphasize mbo performance evaluation and mbo compensation linkage rather than okr transparency and okr collaborative goal-setting, and typically involve more mbo top-down approaches than the okr bidirectional methodology.
  • SMART Goal Frameworks, which focus on smart goal individual achievement rather than okr organizational alignment and typically lack the okr transparency characteristic and okr ambitious target philosophy.
• See: Leadership Framework, Goal Setting Framework, V2MOM Framework, Balanced Scorecard, Performance Management System, Strategic Planning Framework, Andy Grove Management Approach, John Doerr OKR Methodology, Google Management System.

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References

• https://felipecastro.com/en/okr/what-is-okr/
• https://www.slideshare.net/meetfelipe/what-is-okr
• https://7geese.com/engineering-okr-examples/

2020

• (Wikipedia, 2020) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OKR Retrieved:2020-4-21.
  • Objectives and key results (OKR) is a framework for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes.

    The development of OKRs is generally attributed to Andy Grove the "Father of OKRs", who introduced the approach to Intel during his tenure there and documented this in his 1983 book High Output Management. Grove's simple but effective concept is explained by John Doerr: "The key result has to be measurable. But at the end you can look, and without any arguments: Did I do that or did I not do it? Yes? No? Simple. No judgments in it."

    OKRs comprise an objective—a clearly defined goal—and one or more key results—specific measures used to track the achievement of that goal. The goal of OKR is to define how to achieve objectives through concrete, specific and measurable actions. Key results can be measured on a 0-100% scale or any numerical unit (e.g. dollar amount, %, items, etc.). Objectives should also be supported by initiatives, which are the plans and activities that help to achieve the objective and move forward the key results. In 1975, John Doerr, at the time a sales person working for Intel, attended a course within Intel taught by Andy Grove where he was introduced to the theory of OKRs . In 1999, Doerr, who by then was working for Kleiner Perkins—a venture capital firm, introduced the idea of OKRs to a start-up Kleiner Perkins had invested in called Google. The idea took hold and OKRs quickly became central to Google's culture as a "management methodology that helps to ensure that the company focuses efforts on the same important issues throughout the organization." Doerr also published a book about the OKR framework titled "Measure What Matters". Larry Page, the CEO of Alphabet and co-founder of Google, credited OKRs within the foreword to Doerr's book: "OKRs have helped lead us to 10x growth, many times over. They’ve helped make our crazily bold mission of 'organizing the world’s information' perhaps even achievable. They’ve kept me and the rest of the company on time and on track when it mattered the most." Since becoming popular at Google, OKRs have found favour with several other similar tech start-up organisations including LinkedIn, Twitter, Gett and Uber. OKRs may be shared across the organization with the intention of providing teams with visibility of goals with the intention to align and focus effort . OKRs are typically set at the company, team, and personal levels although there is criticism on this causing too much of a waterfall approach, which, OKRs, in many ways, tries to be the opposite.

    OKRs overlap with other performance management frameworks, in terms of complexity, sitting somewhere between KPI and the balanced scorecard.

    The key benefits of OKRs are focus, alignment and engagement.

2018

• (Doerr, 2018) ⇒ John Doerr. (2018). “Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs.” Penguin. ISBN:9780525536239

2016

• https://blog.trello.com/okrs-set-achieve-track-trello
  • QUOTE: ... ...

1983

• (Grove, 1983) ⇒ Andrew S. Grove. (1983). “High Output Management." Random House.
  • NOTE: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs): Introduces the OKR framework, which focuses on setting clear, measurable goals and tracking progress towards them.

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