Google is known to everyone, but what about OKR? If you don't know what it is, imagine setting goals and measuring key results — every quarter. That's exactly how Objectives & Key Results works. What does Google have to do with it? One of its investors — John Doerr — introduced OKR there. Where did he get the idea? From Intel. According to some, it's a very simple system for organizing company structure and evaluating performance of employees and managed departments. Is it really that simple?

How does it work?

Objectives & Key Results, described as a "critical assessment of thinking and sticking to defined patterns," helps employees focus their work on concrete tasks that lead to success. First, set achievable goals for a three-month period (a review of completed tasks occurs once per quarter). Your objectives should be final. Never play games like making a 'prettier website'. If you want to set a goal, say something like: 'Increase website responsiveness' or 'Speed up my portal loading by 30%.'

Experts recommend that every employee in a mid-sized company should have at least 3-4 OKRs per quarter. It's also important that goal-setting involves not only regular employees, but also management. After all, everyone contributes to the company's success.

At the end of each quarter, do a review. For example, at Google, a scale from 0.0 to 1.0 was adopted — where 0.0 means the goal was not achieved, and intermediate values indicate partial fulfillment. Any identified mistake should be accepted without excuses and addressed in the next quarter. This approach aims to increase employee self-worth and motivation.

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Who uses it?

Who uses OKR?

Companies using the OKR system include Uber, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Zynga. In Poland, Sotrender is one of the first companies to implement OKR. Interestingly, it also works well in personal life. The entire OKR process may seem simple and obvious, but can everyone honestly admit to their mistakes 100% of the time?

Want to try? Download our OKR template and see for yourself how easy it is.

Summary

OKR (Objectives & Key Results) is a goal management system based on setting 3-4 ambitious goals per quarter and measuring progress on a scale from 0.0 to 1.0. The method was popularized by John Doerr, who introduced it at Google after learning it at Intel. It's essential that both employees and management are engaged.

OKR is used by companies such as Uber, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Zynga. In Poland, Sotrender is one of the first firms to adopt the process. The system also works in private life, though it requires honesty when addressing mistakes.