The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) set out to renew its strategic approach using Objectives and Key Results. The aim was to make the strategy of a 500-person organization a tangible part of everyday work. Over three years, the pilot evolved into a company-wide operating model – and the experience has encouraged FIOH to stay on the OKR path.
Clarity and direction: How OKR brought the strategy to life
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) is a public institution that conducts research, provides training, and promotes well-being in working life. When the strategy needed clarity and impact, Henri Sora’s team and the OKRs came to the rescue: in the fall of 2022, the model was presented to the management team for the first time, and the audience was convinced.
“We wanted to create a strategy that is visible and felt in everyday work. OKRs were exciting because it helps clarify, prioritize and define what actually gets done. We were also excited by the measurability,” says Juulia Ijäs, who has been a director at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health since 2017.
OKRs help in clarifying goals and their concrete indicators. At FIOH, this meant that extensive activities were trimmed and focused. Only a few major goals were prioritized.
“Henri Sora’s team challenged us in a constructive way to really think about what we truly wanted. Without their input, our strategy might have included dozens of different priorities. It’s painful to leave things out, but that’s exactly what brought focus and impact.”
“Henri Sora’s team challenged us in a constructive way to really think about what we truly wanted.”
From pilot units to an organization-wide operating model
The process was launched as a pilot in two FIOH units. The following year, the entire organization switched to the OKRs, initially focusing on the business strategy out of two. Now, FIOH has only one common strategy with five main goals.
“Figuring out how to measure the goals would have been surprisingly challenging without the insight of professionals who know what a good outcome looks like. Here
too, having OKR professionals involved from the beginning proved extremely valuable.”
The general feedback from the staff has been positive. Employees particularly appreciated the goal-oriented and structured approach to work. Concreteness motivates, as does a clear division of responsibilities.
“When you know and can follow who is doing what and when, moving the strategy forward is as concrete as possible – and then the work is also meaningful,” Ijäs describes.
Concrete benefits on a daily basis
The OKRs has quickly affected everyday working methods. The first third of the year was spent getting used to the implementation, but benefits were already seen during the same year.
“We were able to refine our business service descriptions. In addition, we got to grips with important, but not urgent matters: precisely those that otherwise easily get left behind and undone.”
The work has also been supported by Tangible Growth, a system that enables tracking of strategic goals. At the end of each period, a retrospective is held to assess progress and bring key findings to the management team for review.
“Thanks to this work, the management team stays closely connected to the pulse of daily operations. When using OKRs , strategic goals are allowed to evolve, but the focus remains on what matters most right now and where our attention is needed.”
Henri Sora’s team did not come to FIOH to stay, but the consultant’s role is ultimately to make themselves redundant. An important part of the process was building FIOH’s own internal OKR network, which enables the work to continue even without external support. Ijäs believes that, based on the positive experiences so far, the OKRs has become an enduring part of FIOH’s operations and the management of strategic goals.