Best Practices for Setting Objectives and Key Results for Your Business

By Emily Pribanic - Last Updated on January 6, 2020
Best Practices for Setting Objectives and Key Results for Your Business

When it comes to setting company objectives, many organizations are turning to Google’s OKR or objectives and key results methodology. This can help managers verify that their teams are meeting goals that align with the company’s as a whole and that everyone is working toward the same objectives. Since many employees struggle to define their individual objectives because they often don’t know what the end results should be, objective key results can help these employees stay on the right track to ensure the success of the company. If you’re looking to set obtainable objectives and key results for your organization, follow these simple steps to ensure that all employees are on the same page and that your organization is working towards the same outcomes.

Objectives and key results are a great way to increase organizational success.

Setting objectives and key results for your employees to accomplish is the best way to keep everyone on track to increase company success.

Keep OKRs Simple

Objective key results can help improve employee performance but only if they’re simple enough to follow. OKRs can enhance employee engagement if you focus on assigning objectives that can be achieved in the given time frame. When setting objectives and key results for your employees, keep factors such as complexity, available resources, and unexpected changes in mind to ensure that you’re not assigning impossible objectives your employees cannot meet.

Be Specific

Objectives and key results can be reached in many different ways. Before assigning OKRs to your employees, create an action plan outlining how you’d like employees to achieve these objectives. The more specific you are about how you want objectives to be reached, the clearer your expectations will be. Giving your employees concise objectives will let them know exactly what they need to do and how to achieve their goals.

Make OKRs Measurable

Employees will not understand how they’re contributing to the company’s success or if they’re properly meeting their goals unless you make them measurable. Making OKRs measurable may be difficult for goals that aren’t quantifiable but in that case, determine how you’ll know when the objective is met and that will allow you to measure success. Have 1-on-1 sessions with your employees about objectives that are unquantifiable and reach an agreed way to determine when the objective is properly met.

Break Up Objective Key Results

The best way to ensure that employees can achieve objectives and key results is by breaking them up into smaller goals. When employees know what they have to do to achieve their key results, they can make their own action plan and better align their objectives to meet the desired results. Smaller goals also help employees set up milestones throughout their progress which keeps them on track.

Celebrate Milestones

Positive reinforcement is a great way to keep employees on track and to ensure that they achieve their assigned objectives and key results. When you show your employees recognition and reward for completing milestones, they’re more likely to continue to display this type of behavior and ensure that all OKRs are getting completed.

Google OKRs foster discipline and determination and give employees clear guidance for what they need to focus on. Try encouraging all employees to share their OKRs with the rest of their team and create a support system that will allow employees to celebrate and help each other ensure that all objectives are properly met. Setting OKRs is a great way to increase collaboration with your team and organization as a whole.

Emily Pribanic | Emily is a graduate of the University of North Texas. She has her B.A. in Advertising with a concentration in Copywriting. Emily has been writing since she was young and has a creative imagination. She lives in Dallas, Texas with her family and two cats.

Emily Pribanic |Emily is a graduate of the University of North Texas. She has her B.A. in Advertising with a concentration in Copywriting. Emily has been writing since she was young and has a creative imagination. She lives in Dallas, Texas with her family and two cats.

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