OKRs For Dummies

OKRs For Dummies

by Paul R. Niven
Released August 2023
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781394183487

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Book description

Your one-stop guide to implement Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) effectively

In business, OKRs—that’s short for Objectives and Key Results—are the gold standard for communicating and delivering on what you want to accomplish and how you’ll get there. OKRs For Dummies provides you with step-by-step guidance for following in the footsteps of some of the world’s leading organizations. Drive focus on what matters most, align and engage teams, and generally maximize the benefits OKRs have to offer, thanks to this easy-to-use guide. You’ll learn how to roll out an OKR system that closes the gap between strategy and execution, and helps people at every level organize their daily decisions around shared and important goals. It’s time to get strategic with OKRs.

  • Understand the OKR methodology and determine the benefits for your organization
  • Learn how to craft sound OKRs for every level and department of your business
  • Discover best practices and common pitfalls to ensure success when applying OKRs
  • Focus on the three aspects of the OKRs process: Adoption, Engagement, and Alignment

Business owners, team leaders, C-suite executives, and coaches will love this friendly how-to manual for joining the OKR movement.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. Foolish Assumptions
    3. Icons Used in This Book
    4. Beyond the Book
    5. Where to Go from Here
  5. Part 1: Introducing OKRs
    1. Chapter 1: Achieving Goals with OKRs
      1. OKRs Are a Goal-Setting System
      2. Seeing the Value in Goal Setting
      3. Examining the Components of OKRs
      4. Comparing OKRs to Other Goal-Setting Systems
    2. Chapter 2: The Benefits of OKRs
      1. Overcoming Common Organizational Challenges with OKRs
      2. Understanding How Your People Will Benefit from OKRs
  6. Part 2: Preparing to Create OKRs
    1. Chapter 3: First Things First: Identify Why You Are Creating OKRs
      1. Knowing How Not to Kick Off Your OKRs Journey
      2. Getting to Your “Why” for Creating OKRs
    2. Chapter 4: Filling Vital OKRs Roles within the Organization
      1. Securing an Executive Sponsor: A Critical Component
      2. Understanding Executive Sponsorship and Why It’s Important
      3. Choosing Your OKRs Champion: A Vital Role for OKRs success
      4. Bringing OKRs Ambassadors On Board
      5. Understanding the Role of an OKRs Ambassador
      6. Outlining the Profile of an OKRs Ambassador
      7. Maximizing OKRs Success with Ambassadors
    3. Chapter 5: Determining Where and When to Create OKRs
      1. Determining When to Use OKRs
      2. Creating OKRs at the Company Level Only
      3. Creating OKRs at Both the Company-and Team Levels
      4. Creating Individual OKRs for the Entire Organization
      5. Considering Other Options for Where to Create OKRs
      6. Setting the Right Cadence for OKRs
    4. Chapter 6: The Raw Materials of OKRs: Mission, Vision, and Strategy
      1. Agreeing on the Definitions of “Mission,” “Vision,” and “Strategy”
      2. Mission: Stating Why Your Business Exists
      3. Vision: Creating Your Picture of the Ideal Future
      4. Strategy: Getting Your Priorities Straight
  7. Part 3: Creating OKRs
    1. Chapter 7: Preparing to Create OKRs
      1. Training Your Organization for OKRs Success
      2. Working with the Training Curriculum
      3. Determining Your OKRs Philosophy
    2. Chapter 8: Rolling Up Your Sleeves, Part 1: Creating Objectives
      1. Working with the Various Types of Objectives
      2. Walking through the Process for Creating Objectives
      3. Exploring Other Ways to Help You Set Objectives
      4. Incorporating the Characteristics of Effective Objectives
    3. Chapter 9: Rolling Up Your Sleeves, Part 2: Creating Key Results
      1. Looking at the Types of Key Results
      2. Walking through the Process of Creating Key Results
      3. Incorporating the Characteristics of an Effective Key Result
    4. Chapter 10: Making Your OKRs Even Stronger
      1. Ensuring Alignment among OKRs
      2. Answering Some FAQs about OKRs that You’re Sure to Get
  8. Part 4: Managing with OKRs
    1. Chapter 11: Holding OKRs Review Meetings
      1. Determining Your Meeting Cadence
      2. Getting the Most from Your OKRs Meetings
    2. Chapter 12: Scoring and Analyzing OKRs Results
      1. Scoring OKRs
      2. Understanding What and How to Score
      3. Analyzing OKRs results
      4. Knowing What to Look for in Selecting OKRs Software
    3. Chapter 13: Making OKRs Stick
      1. Laying the Foundation for OKRs Success
      2. Knowing What to Look for in a Consultant
      3. Maximizing Your OKRs Success
  9. Part 5: The Part of Tens
    1. Chapter 14: Ten Common Questions about OKRs
      1. Do OKRs Link to Performance Reviews?
      2. Should You Link OKRs to Incentive Compensation?
      3. How Many OKRs Should You Have?
      4. How Do You Overcome Resistance to OKRs?
      5. What’s in It For Me? Why Should I Care about OKRs?
      6. Where Can I Find a Library of Potential OKRs for My Business?
      7. What Do We Do When We Can’t Control the Key Results?
      8. How Do You Balance Stretch OKRs with a High-Achievement Culture?
      9. How Do You Know Whether OKRs Are Right for Your Organization?
      10. Can Business-as-Usual (BAU) Activities Serve As OKRs?
    2. Chapter 15: Ten “Musts” to Ensure OKRs Success
      1. Know Why You’re Implementing OKRs
      2. Have an Executive Sponsor, Champion, and Ambassadors in Place
      3. Provide Training (and Lots of It) to Those Who Will Be Creating OKRs
      4. Create an OKRs Playbook
      5. Don’t Go Too Far Too Fast
      6. Ensure Consistency in How Your Teams Write OKRs
      7. Don’t Set Them and Forget Them
      8. Go Beyond the Numbers to Learn from OKRs
      9. Learn and Evolve over Time
      10. Get Professional Help If You Need It
    3. Chapter 16: Ten Tips for Creating Effective OKRs
      1. Know the Organization’s Strategy
      2. Learn How to Write a Technically Sound OKR
      3. Make Objectives a CRAFT Project
      4. Be Specific
      5. Always Tell the Story of Success with Key Results
      6. Don’t Look for Perfect Key Results
      7. Balance the Equation
      8. Align Vertically and Horizontally
      9. Make It a Collaborative Effort
      10. Focus on What Really Matters
  10. Index
  11. About the Author
  12. Advertisement Page
  13. Connect with Dummies
  14. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: OKRs For Dummies
  • Author(s): Paul R. Niven
  • Release date: August 2023
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781394183487