OKR has become one of the most effective goal-setting methodologies in businesses. Many companies in various industries have been using OKR and benefited from its many advantages. Many leading and well-known companies such as Google and Microsoft use OKR to set ambitious goals and achieve them. But the question is how they do that?
First things first! If you want to reap the benefits of implementing OKR in your business, you must learn how to write your OKRs correctly. In this blog post, we will discuss how to write effective OKRs with some simple tips. Let’s start with a definition of OKR.
What is OKR?
OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results. This is a goal-setting methodology by which you can first define and set your objectives for a specific period, then track and monitor the path to achieving the defined objectives with the help of key results.
One thing you should pay close attention to is writing the right and effective objectives and key results. You will not be able to take full advantage of OKR if you do not define all of the objectives and key results properly.
Writing good objectives
Simply, objectives are what you want to achieve. Do not make it too complicated, ask yourself “WHAT” needs to be achieved, and the answer is the objective. Your objectives must also have some characteristics to be properly defined.
Objectives should be:
- Significant
- Concrete
- Action-oriented
- Inspirational
- Ambitious
Remember you should define goals that are neither too simple nor too difficult. You can have 3 to 5 objectives in a period.
Writing good Key Results
As mentioned earlier, key results help you track and monitor your progress toward your defined objectives. Simply put, key results monitor HOW we can get to the objective. Ask yourself how you are going to reach a specific objective? What should you do? Your answer will be the same as the key results. Like objectives, key results have some characteristics. Key results are:
- Specific
- Time-bound
- Realistic
- Measurable
- Verifiable
For each objective, you can set 3-5 key results.
You can read this post to learn about common mistakes in writing OKRs and how to avoid them.
An example of a personal OKR
Here is an example of a personal OKR. Suppose your goal is to lose weight and reach your ideal weight in 3 months.
Objective: Lose 10 kg weight by the end of the quarter
Key Result 1: 45 minutes of brisk walking per day
Key Result 2: Doing Cardio, 3 days a week for 1 hour
Key Result 3: Taking a 3-month ketogenic dietTo achieve the objective of the above example, you need to track the key results, and by tracking these key results, you can determine whether you are on the right way to achieve your ideal weight.