Forum Discussion
How My Team Got Started with OKRs
My team recently started helping our clients to create accountability and transparency through Viva Goals, and understanding OKRs has been foundational to enabling success. I'll share how we got started with OKRs:
1. First, we sought to understand the difference between OKRs and other goal setting frameworks. For example, in my experience as a Strategy & Operations professional, I was much more acquainted with KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) than I was OKRs. I found that KPIs are a measurable way to understand performance, but they are missing some key elements that OKRs bring to the table: the "why?" behind the measure, and the "how will we get there?" steps to achieve it.
2. Next, we took advantage of the Viva Goals materials within Microsoft Learn. There is a wealth of training courses and information there that really helped us in our learning journey.
3. Lastly, we practiced using OKRs! We set OKRs for every engagement now, and not only has it been a great way to grasp the concept -- it has enabled us to set aspirational goals and go back regularly to measure how we are performing against what we set out to do.
How did you get started with OKRs?
mandiehancock This is great Mandie! Thank you sharing.
Our OKRs framework helps us to focus our ideas and creativity towards achieving outcomes and results, always keeping our business goals in mind.
Our middle management layer are responsible for people's day-to-day activities, aligned with OKRs and goals, and responsible for creating great new services that keep our customers coming back for more. As middle management handle the everyday running of their departments, it frees our more design-focused team members time to innovate and build new services.
This has helped the company on both an individual and organisational level to focus on our business goals, refining processes where necessary. Additionally, this focus on OKRs has helped us bring services to market more effectively, and allows us to focus on furthering progress towards those outcomes!
