OKR

explained in
10 slides

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

OKR = Objectives and Key Results

It’s a way for an individual, a team or a

company to stay focused and work towards
important objectives

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

Objective
An inspirational statement describing the state of affairs at some point in the future

Key Result
A measure that defines whether progress has been made towards theObjective.

An OKR

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

Purpose and Vision

Purpose
A statement explaining what the company, team or
entity is for and why it exists

Vision
An holistic description of how the company, team or entity
will look at some point far in the future

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

Alignment
Purpose
OKRs align to the entity
Purpose and Vision

Vision

Company

OKR 1 OKR 2 OKR 3

Team

OKR1a OKR1b OKR1c OKR2a OKR2b OKR3a OKR3b

OKR OKR OKR OKR OKR OKR OKR OKR OKR OKR OKR OKR
Individual

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

 Timing
2018
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Purpose

Vision - 2018

OKR1
Company OKR2
OKR3 OKR4
You can’t do everything
at the same time
OKR1a OKR1c

OKR1b Engage the teams to

prioritise and schedule
Teams
OKR2a OKR2b the OKRs to move
. . closer to the Vision
. .
. .

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

Defining your OKR
OKR Description

Objective - describe what you want to achieve and by when

Describe the
OKR carefully Key Result – describe how you’ll measure your achievement

Key Result Outcomes KR Score

Objective abandoned 0

Describe a poor outcome in terms of the KR 1

Decide how you Describe outcome with some progress in terms of the KR 2
will score the
Key Result Describe the expected outcome of the KR 3

Describe a good outcome of the KR 4

Describe a great outcome of the KR 5

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

Example OKR
OKR Description

Launch our business into the USA Market by end of Q1-2018

Delivery of a US legal entity, with staff, initial proof of concept sales, and clear
path to profitability measured in terms of sales pipeline

Key Result Outcomes KR Score

Plan was abandoned 0

US legal entity + run from UK + no local staff or sales completed 1

Good Key
US subsidiary formed + run from UK + local manager hired + £0 sales completed + sales
Result Scores pipeline >£50k in place 2
help define
US subsidiary formed + local manager in place + sales >£10k completed + sales pipeline
lower level >£50k in place 3
OKRs
US subsidiary formed + local team hired, sales >£30k completed + pipeline >£100k exists 4

US subsidiary formed + local team hired + sales >£50k completed + pipeline >£100k exists 5

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

 Check In
Q1
Timing

Check In
Structure
Achievements since last check in (optional)

Next steps (optional)

Progress blockers (optional)

Drives focus,
helps senior
management Estimated OKR Score at end of period, 0-5 (mandatory)
remove blocks,
great for 1-1
Reasons for change in estimated OKR score (mandatory)
coaching

Improvement opportunities (optional, private)

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

Reporting

Reveals areas needing more

resource or attention, reduces
risk of surprises, highlights
opportunities for commendation

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

Best practise
OKRs are public Don’t have too many at the same time
Everyone should be able to see everyone else’s Having too many OKRs at once reduces focus.
OKRs. This promotes teamwork, communication If you need to include more OKRs, push them
and cross functional understanding. forward to start in the next period.

Make Check Ins a non-negotiable habit OKRs must be measurable

Check Ins drive continued focus, and let the Pick a Key Result for each Objective. If there is
organisation know where extra resources might be more than one Key Result required to assess
needed. Also superb for coaching and development. success, break the Objective down to two
contributing Objectives, each with one Key Result.

OKRs should be stretching OKRs scores should not impact remuneration

Once the process is bedded in, work on having more Making OKR Scores a component of
stretching OKRs. Research shows that staff are more remuneration reduces incentive to set stretching
energised by challenging targets. goals, which is one of the key benefits of the
OKR program.

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work

 A correctly managed OKR program will
engage and motivate staff to be happier,
work smarter and deliver more value to
your business.

Align.Work assists companies with OKR implementation. See www.align.work for more information
Make an impact : Take responsibility : Have high standards : Continually learn and improve

By Marshall King @marshallgking www.align.work