We’ve been working with a lot of teams on OKRs lately and have seen that switching from focusing on outputs (what you deliver) to outcomes (the value you create) isn’t easy for everyone. It may take a bit of creativity and there is no one size fits all, but here are some learnings we’ve had.
Everyone has a part to play
OKRs aren’t just for leadership or managers—they are for everyone. Leadership needs to be committed to setting, assessing, and adapting OKRs at the enterprise level, but the game-changer is getting teams across the organisation involved. When people at all levels work together to define measurable outcomes, it creates alignment, unlocks value, and helps teams prioritise work that really matters.
Checking in is key
You’ve defined and agreed on outcomes, so now you have measures in place – what’s next? It’s all about setting up the right forums for teams to check:
Did we deliver what we said we would? Did we have the impact we expected?
What did we learn? How did we manage risk?
Are we spending our capacity where it is most needed?
Backed up by transparency of the work, we have seen a shift to quarterly planning cycles turbocharge decision-making. The cadence might seem short at first, but keeping teams aligned, the work relevant and tested against strategy is the ultimate morale booster!
Different can be daunting, at the start
We are all different and some find aspects of change harder than others. Shifting from output to outcomes may feel strange, quarterly reviews might seem excessive, and the fear of “failing” to hit a target can make people nervous.
That’s where strong and committed leadership can make things happen. This means being clear on how OKRs can help strategy definition and how they can be used to check/challenge delivery. Shifting to OKRs isn’t the flick of a switch.