OKRs, a matter of patterns

Impact before method. We have been trained under a compelling need to feel in control of what we do or the decisions we make. This has played a trick on us. Today we navigate between the uncertain, the unstable, the volatile, the complex; but, above all, the unexplored. Technology today opens the doors to an exponential universe of possibilities and that generates anxiety, or at least, that is what it seems.

Today, in a different environment, we continue to think about the good recipes that used to work. It is common for company leaders to be very interested in magic recipes that promise glory. It happened with Scrum, then Management 3.0 and now it is OKRs. Sorry, but none of them are a silver bullet.

Very often our clients are surprised to see us more interested in defining our service OKRs and defining the expected impact of the same before being able to talk about even a hint of the method, techniques or tools that we will deploy in the organization.

OKRs are not a method, nor is their adoption possible by methodologies. Experience and practice allow us to recognize work patterns, but it is impossible to define OKRs in the same way for similar teams in different organizations. Adopting OKRs in a company, department, area, or team is also a titanic task.

And it doesn't just mean defining OKRs at the levels, it means connecting governance, operations and, above all, structure. Yes, the structure. It is not possible to transform an organization without a change in structure. OKRs will sooner or later impact the structure.

OKRs direct your actions. They make visible the impact that your actions will generate in the organization. We need to be more aware of the value we generate, to put on the table the value we seek; to start from the OKR we share. Remember that OKRs direct your actions. Practices are subordinated to the required impact, not the other way around.

---

Key patterns in OKR adoption

1. Clarity in purpose and expected impact.

“Could you tell me which way to go?” said Alice. “That depends a good deal on where you want to go,” replied the cat. “I don’t care much, as long as I get somewhere,” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go, you’ll probably get there,” concluded the cat. If you don’t know why you do things and what you hope to achieve by doing them, you’ll get there easily. Applies to life, applies to OKRs.

2. Culture, structure, governance and operation.

Defining your OKRs is the easiest part of the equation. The big challenge is getting them used. We need to leverage the environment and use it to our advantage. Each step with OKRs requires genuine knowledge of the environment where we work and that is why we need to know the system in order to improve it, evolve it or change it.

3. Available capacity.

Working with OKRs takes time and you have two options to do so: neglect your focus on operations or hire more people. Whatever your path, it is important to know the available capacity of your company to be able to face this path. It is not a minor task, but it is of vital importance to determine the implementation model you will choose.

4. Adoption strategy.

If we know the north, we can plot the route. The context and the data will tell us where to aim. It is not possible to define a path without first knowing the system. We do not need to take OKRs to each team in the organization, we need to take them to the organization.

5. Required budget.

Adopting OKRs requires the dedication of people. The more people involved, the greater the investment. Yes, it is not an expense, definitely not. It is an investment and therefore it is good to estimate what the company would incur in its various stages of adoption.

It is good to have this on the map, as process optimization will be a constant search throughout the entire process. Think about direct costs (man hours) and indirect costs (enablers). Review the budget and outline what you would stop investing in by investing in this. Prioritize your investment opportunities and make decisions.

Finally, remember that this is not a linear path. Every experience is a different journey that brings different challenges with particular risks and dependencies. When adopting OKRs, you will have to worry about more important things than technique or templates. There is a world of possibilities beyond OKR design. It is time for you to take the plunge.

Will you join me?