OKRs For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Introducing OKRs
	Chapter 1 Achieving Goals with OKRs
		OKRs Are a Goal-Setting System
		Seeing the Value in Goal Setting
		Examining the Components of OKRs
			Defining an “objective”
			Writing a basic objective
			Defining a key result
			Writing key results
		Comparing OKRs to Other Goal-Setting Systems
			OKRs versus SMART goals
			OKRs versus KPIs
			OKRs versus 4DX
			OKRs versus BSC
	Chapter 2 The Benefits of OKRs
		Overcoming Common Organizational Challenges with OKRs
			Acknowledging the difficulty of executing strategy
				The two main causes of execution failure
				Measurement is crucial
			Recognizing the challenge of sustaining growth
				The slow drip of internal issues
				Opportunities! So many opportunities!
			Working with the threat of disruption
		Understanding How Your People Will Benefit from OKRs
			Focusing on what matters most
			Aligning from top to bottom and beyond
				Thinking vertically
				The silo scourge
				Rooting out dependencies
			Increasing engagement
			Driving accountability with strategic knowledge
			Rising to the next level through visionary thinking
			Working within a system that is easy to understand and use
Part 2 Preparing to Create OKRs
	Chapter 3 First Things First: Identify Why You Are Creating OKRs
		Knowing How Not to Kick Off Your OKRs Journey
			Avoid having your administrative assistant call consultants
			What to do instead
			Don’t embark on a change effort lightly
			What to do instead
		Getting to Your “Why” for Creating OKRs
			Determining your unique reason for implementing OKRs
				The need for awareness and execution of strategy
				A way to manage fast growth
				The need to correct misalignment
				A method for keeping the right focus
			Knowing your why is crucial
	Chapter 4 Filling Vital OKRs Roles within the Organization
		Securing an Executive Sponsor: A Critical Component
		Understanding Executive Sponsorship and Why It’s Important
			Possessing knowledge of OKRs
			Defining success and why you believe in OKRs
			Championing the use of OKRs at the senior leadership level
			Approving funding for the initiative
			Determining your OKRs “playbook” with the champion and executive team
			Serving as a final point of escalation on OKRs issues
			Seeing sponsorship in action
			Gaining executive sponsorship
		Choosing Your OKRs Champion: A Vital Role for OKRs success
			Understanding the role of an OKRs champion
			Picking the perfect OKRs champion
			Grasping why the champion is critical to OKRs success
		Bringing OKRs Ambassadors On Board
		Understanding the Role of an OKRs Ambassador
			Serving as internal OKR expert and evangelist of the system
			Coaching teams on creating and reviewing OKRs
			Helping teams distinguish between business-as-usual work and OKRs
			Acting as a point of contact for all things OKR-related for their area
			Serving as liaison with other ambassadors and the champion
		Outlining the Profile of an OKRs Ambassador
		Maximizing OKRs Success with Ambassadors
	Chapter 5 Determining Where and When to Create OKRs
		Determining When to Use OKRs
		Creating OKRs at the Company Level Only
			Some benefits to starting at the top level
			More benefits of starting at the top
			Now for the disadvantages of top-level OKRs
			Prerequisites for company-level OKRs
		Creating OKRs at Both the Company-and Team Levels
			Deciding which teams and units to include
			Deciding between following the org chart or linking dependent teams
			Creating customer-based OKRs
		Creating Individual OKRs for the Entire Organization
			Yes, Google does it, but you may not want to
			More issues with individual OKRs
		Considering Other Options for Where to Create OKRs
			Piloting at a business unit or team
				Advantages of a pilot program
				Disadvantages of a pilot program
			Using OKRs for projects
			Using OKRs for support groups
				The “yes” part of OKRs with support groups
				The “but” part of using OKRs with support groups
		Setting the Right Cadence for OKRs
			Timing company-level OKRs (Hint: Annual works best)
				Sizing up why annual OKRs work best for the top level
				Allotting sufficient time for major shifts
				Setting the cadence for key results
			Determining whether quarters or trimesters are right for you
				The quarterly cadence isn’t set in stone
				The trimester as an alternative
			Setting the OKRs timeline
	Chapter 6 The Raw Materials of OKRs: Mission, Vision, and Strategy
		Agreeing on the Definitions of “Mission,” “Vision,” and “Strategy”
		Mission: Stating Why Your Business Exists
			Yes, you need to take the time to create a mission statement
			Knowing what makes an effective mission statement
			If you already have a mission statement
		Vision: Creating Your Picture of the Ideal Future
			Understanding the ins and outs of vision statements
			Knowing what makes an effective vision statement
			Quantified and time bound
			Brainstorming your vision statement
		Strategy: Getting Your Priorities Straight
			Understanding why strategy is critical to OKRs
			Getting started with strategy
				What do you sell?
				Who are your customers?
				Why do customers buy from you — what is your value proposition?
			Playing 21 Questions
				Subquestions for “What do you sell?”
				Subquestions for “Who are your customers?”
				Subquestions for “Why do customers buy from you? What is your value proposition?”
Part 3 Creating OKRs
	Chapter 7 Preparing to Create OKRs
		Training Your Organization for OKRs Success
			Grasping why training is critical
				Mastering the fundamentals
				Boosting confidence
				Speeding up learning
			Preparing for training
				Considering who should lead the training
				Deciding who should receive the training
				Providing materials to be read before training
			Getting your training off to a good start
				Warming up with an icebreaker or introductions
				Including your executive sponsor
		Working with the Training Curriculum
			Starting with a story
			Giving your participants a history lesson
			Defining your terms
			Illustrating an effective OKR with an example
			Distinguishing between the types of key results
			Sharing the characteristics of OKRs
			Learning by doing
				Kick Off Your Shoes Hotels OKRs case study
				Interview with Melissa Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer
			Finishing strong
			Knowing whether virtual training is effective
			Being prepared
				Knowing your material
				Offering interactive activities
				Setting expectations for everyone
				Keeping the session relatively short
		Determining Your OKRs Philosophy
			Weighing whether to use business-as-usual activities for OKRs
				Drawbacks of BAU as OKRs
				When BAU as OKRs may be appropriate
			Creating a dashboard of “health of the business” metrics
	Chapter 8 Rolling Up Your Sleeves, Part 1: Creating Objectives
		Working with the Various Types of Objectives
			Looking ahead: Annual objectives
			Facing the here and now: quarterly or trimester OKRs
			Dealing with necessary on-the-fly objectives
		Walking through the Process for Creating Objectives
			Asking the fundamental objective setting question (based on the cadence)
			Making a list of possible objectives
			Sequencing your list
				Make the objective attainable
				Consider the timing of various objectives
			Choosing the most important objectives
			Using your formula
		Exploring Other Ways to Help You Set Objectives
			Using rituals
			Drawing on the wisdom of crowds
			Considering what’s holding you back
		Incorporating the Characteristics of Effective Objectives
			Making it qualitative
			Making it meaningful to you
			Ensuring that it’s doable in the time period
			Aligning it vertically and horizontally
			Keeping it easy to read and understand
			Controlling the necessary resources
			Providing business value
	Chapter 9 Rolling Up Your Sleeves, Part 2: Creating Key Results
		Looking at the Types of Key Results
			Metric key results
			Milestone key results
		Walking through the Process of Creating Key Results
			Determining your business impact key result by asking the fundamental question
			Telling the story of success using leading key results
				Telling the story by working backward
				Telling the story by measuring the objective
			Don’t look for perfect key results
			Using the formulas
		Incorporating the Characteristics of an Effective Key Result
			Making it quantitative
			Shooting for stretch — but ensuring that it’s attainable
			Limiting the number of key results
			Making it specific
			Ensuring that it’s a key result, not a task
			Fighting the “You can’t measure what we do” syndrome
	Chapter 10 Making Your OKRs Even Stronger
		Ensuring Alignment among OKRs
			Using vertical alignment to drive strategy execution
			Think connecting, not cascading
				The problems with cascading
				The power of intrinsic motivation
				Focus on connecting, not cascading
			Achieving horizontal alignment by managing dependencies
		Answering Some FAQs about OKRs that You’re Sure to Get
			What if I can’t measure business impact during the quarter?
			What is the difference between committed and aspirational OKRs?
			Is it okay to use meeting-based key results?
			Can OKRs change during the quarter?
				Valid reasons for changing OKRs mid-quarter
				Invalid reasons for shifting OKRs midstream
			How do you position your teams for success in creating OKRs?
				Telling a consistent story
				Working with your team leaders
			Are there any shortcuts to creating OKRs?
				Shortcuts to effective OKRs
				Areas that have no shortcuts
Part 4 Managing with OKRs
	Chapter 11 Holding OKRs Review Meetings
		Determining Your Meeting Cadence
			Holding weekly meetings
				Topics for weekly meetings
				Don’t be boring!
			Holding monthly meetings
				Going monthly to avoid the “set it and forget it” syndrome
				Questions to raise during monthly meetings
			Conducting end-of-period retrospectives
				Getting the ball rolling: examining results
				Exploring deeper questions for a specific OKR
		Getting the Most from Your OKRs Meetings
			Scheduling meetings in advance
			Asking simple questions
			Keep focusing on learning
			Managing your expectations
			Keeping the meeting moving
			Evaluating the meeting
	Chapter 12 Scoring and Analyzing OKRs Results
		Scoring OKRs
		Understanding What and How to Score
			Scoring example 1: Maximizing the impact of a national sales conference
			Interpreting the scores
			Scoring example 2: Maximizing a rental investment
			Interpreting the scores
			Scoring milestone key results
			Deciphering your OKRs scores
				Taking the colorful approach
				Gauging your level of stretch
				Establishing the scoring sweet spot
		Analyzing OKRs results
			Considering OKRs software versus “old school” methods
				The pros of using Google and Microsoft apps
				The cons of using the old-school tools
				The advantages of dedicated OKRs software
				The disadvantages of OKRs software
			Choosing the best option for you
		Knowing What to Look for in Selecting OKRs Software
			Corporate strategy and strategy execution tools
			Guidance for team OKRs
			Integration capabilities
			Planning and capabilities
			Reporting capabilities
			Administration capabilities
			Other important software capabilities
	Chapter 13 Making OKRs Stick
		Laying the Foundation for OKRs Success
			Viewing OKRs as a journey, not a project to complete
			Celebrating success
			Knowing how OKRs fit
			Providing an expert’s credibility for the doubters
			Knowing how to fast-track your success
			Supplying ongoing guidance
		Knowing What to Look for in a Consultant
		Maximizing Your OKRs Success
			Providing ongoing training
			Supplying resources and support
				Resources to consider
				Supportive messaging
			Continuously evaluating and refining
				Evaluating your OKRs program
				Refining your OKRs process
			Using the system
Part 5 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 14 Ten Common Questions about OKRs
		Do OKRs Link to Performance Reviews?
		Should You Link OKRs to Incentive Compensation?
		How Many OKRs Should You Have?
		How Do You Overcome Resistance to OKRs?
		What’s in It For Me? Why Should I Care about OKRs?
		Where Can I Find a Library of Potential OKRs for My Business?
		What Do We Do When We Can’t Control the Key Results?
		How Do You Balance Stretch OKRs with a High-Achievement Culture?
		How Do You Know Whether OKRs Are Right for Your Organization?
		Can Business-as-Usual (BAU) Activities Serve As OKRs?
	Chapter 15 Ten “Musts” to Ensure OKRs Success
		Know Why You’re Implementing OKRs
		Have an Executive Sponsor, Champion, and Ambassadors in Place
		Provide Training (and Lots of It) to Those Who Will Be Creating OKRs
		Create an OKRs Playbook
		Don’t Go Too Far Too Fast
		Ensure Consistency in How Your Teams Write OKRs
		Don’t Set Them and Forget Them
		Go Beyond the Numbers to Learn from OKRs
		Learn and Evolve over Time
		Get Professional Help If You Need It
	Chapter 16 Ten Tips for Creating Effective OKRs
		Know the Organization’s Strategy
		Learn How to Write a Technically Sound OKR
		Make Objectives a CRAFT Project
		Be Specific
		Always Tell the Story of Success with Key Results
		Don’t Look for Perfect Key Results
		Balance the Equation
		Align Vertically and Horizontally
		Make It a Collaborative Effort
		Focus on What Really Matters
Index
EULA