Have you heard about OKR?

I first heard about this concept from google. They use OKR to help them communicate, measure, and achieve lofty goals. Then it became really popular among tech companies and beyond. I even found some OKR meet-up groups in my city. So recently I decided to attend some meetup events to learn more about OKRs.

1. What is OKR

OKR stands for Objectives and key results. Itis a goal-setting framework used by individuals, teams, and organizations to define measurable goals and track their outcomes.

I like the description used in the chart below.

Objectives = Goals that inspire and set direction (Where do I need to go?)

Key results = Steps that measure progress towards an objective (How do I know I’m getting there? or How does the success look like?)

Initiatives = Tasks required to drive progress of key results ( What will I do to get there?)

Also, I found this pyramid chart helps with visualising the process

2. Why use OKR?

Funny story: a few days after the OKR meetup, I had a strategic planning session with a government client to figure out the social media/content/design plans for the next year. I was so excited because the OKR framework works best for this kind of goal-setting meeting.

Long story short, we applied OKR framework for the meeting and it went really well.

Why is that?

First, OKRs turn a vision into workable chunks. This is what sets OKRs apart. They allow you to break your most audacious vision down into workable chunks — objectives — that everyone is inspired to achieve.

Second, OKRs provide clear progress tracking. There’s a crystal clear connection between each goal and the ways you decide to measure your success in achieving it.

Third, we work collaboratively and efficiently. The client and we decided on the vision, key results and action plans together during the 3 hours meeting. Namely, after this 3-hour meeting, we wrap up with measurable goals and actionable initiatives that we both agree on.

3. Good OKRs VS Bad OKRs

What is a bad OKR?
Their usual traits are:

• Key results are only focused on outputs and not outcomes
• Key results are based on a binary result and not something than can show progress over time
• Each objective contains multiple key results that influence each other

What is a good OKR?
You might say they’re the inverse of the list of a bad OKR, but traits of good OKRs are:

• They’re focused on reaching a specific, measurable outcome
• They paint the finish line but not how to get there
• They contain just enough specificity in the key results to provide a frame for the team to work within

Here is an example:

Here is the common mistake — Mistaken initiatives as key results. Writing 10 blog posts should be one of many initiatives that the team wants to do in order to achieve that key result.

4. Resources to help you apply OKR framework in UX/UI design

To be honest, I am not an expert in this field at all. But I found some resources that help me to learn more and put them into practice. Hopefully they can be helpful to you too.

1. Intro video by Anna Kaley

Link: https://www.nngroup.com/videos/okrs-in-ux/

2. OKR Examples for Design

Link: https://okrstudio.com/okr-examples/design

3. OKR 101 training lessons

Link: https://www.whatmatters.com/get-started

To read more, you can find me on Instagram or Linkedin.

I am Dana, thank you so much for reading. I will see you next time.