How to set great goals and OKRs and how to define the most important metrics.
Many organizations struggle with decisions-making: both speed and quality are well below where they need to be. Key contributing factors include: While these challenges are common, slow, bad decisions are not a universal problem. Some organizations are able to make good decisions fast and at scale. In this two-part article series I’ll cover the most […]
A Culture of Good Decision-Making (part 1) Read More »
Product companies tend to manage the lifecycle of projects (AKA ideas) — from the moment the project/initiative is approved until it is shipped. But in a reality where most ideas fail to create value, it is far more important to manage the lifecycle of goals (what we’re attempting to achieve)— from the moment the goal
The Lifecycle of Goals: Research, Discover, Deliver, Monitor Read More »
It’s no secret that many companies struggle with Objectives and Key Results. As I wrote before, a very common problem is setting goals for outputs — work to do — rather than for outcomes — positive changes to achieve. This turns OKR into an expensive work planning process, and may lead to nasty side-effects such
Moving from Outputs to Outcomes: Four Major Gaps Read More »
Imagine finding yourself in an elevator with your CEO or top investor. After a brief hello she lands the big question on you: “How is the product doing?” You have 30 seconds to answer. A simple “all good” won’t cut it — you need numbers. Your mind runs through your dashboard. Each metric conveys a
The Three True-North Metrics that Your Product and Business Need Read More »
UPDATE: I published a free eBook that covers OKRs (and OKR pitfalls) in much more depth: OKRs Done Right. Since their invention at Intel in the early 1970s, Objectives and Key Results have amassed a huge following. It certainly helps that Google, Amazon, Dropbox and other tech super-companies attribute so much of their success to
5 Ways Your Company May Be Misusing OKRs Read More »