“How to make OKR really work?”
I recently visited Liftcast, hosted by Taneli Rantala and Jukka Joutsiniemi. Taneli and I talked about how to make OKR really work in different organisations and situations. In the episode, I shared three tips for companies considering using the OKR model and a couple of examples of successful implementation projects.
“Should we implement OKRs too?”
The OKR model is easy to understand and in theory, not complicated. However, theory is different from practice, and it is at the day-to-day level that implementation challenges arise. Here are my three tips for companies considering using the OKR model.
- OKR roll-out is a collaborative learning process. A number of companies that have succesfully implemented the okr model have viewed the entire project as a communal learning journey for the organisation. This method proves advantageous in fostering a mutual comprehension of executing strategy vwith the OKR model.
- Start with a pilot. A pilot project will provide useful insights into the issues that are likely to arise in that company’s roll-out project and to which one needs to be able to respond. Of course, pilots come in different sizes: for example, the Social Insurance Institution KELA in Finland started with a pilot of the okr model for 800 people. The key, of course, is to tailor the pilot to the size of the company.
- Starting is beneficial! To integrate the OKR model successfully, it is important to discover the answers to the following questions: “What is the most crucial business task that requires completion? What should be executed immediately?” Pondering upon these questions can assist in elucidating the present direction and priorities of the business.
Of course, as interest in the OKR model grows, it is worth checking out the concrete and practical guide “Implementing OKR’s“, which gives a good overview of what is involved and what it takes to get started.
Even easier, you can learn more about the Finnish OKR world and the experiences of companies using the model in the OKR Community Finland group on LinkedIn. Welcome to join us!
Case studies of successes
The OKR model is successfully implemented by several companies and public administration organisations in Finland. One good example of a fast and successful implementation of the OKR model is Saranen Consulting, whose full story can be read here.
One reason for Saranen’s success was their in-house OKR coach, who streamlined the process during the roll-out from the whole organisation’s perspective. Results began to appear within two quarters. By the fourth quarter, the familiar scenario for most companies of having to push the organisation towards strategic goals was overturned at Saranen, where more goals needed setting once the previously established ones had been accomplished.
Another good example of how dialogue in goal setting has been well implemented with the introduction of the OKR model is Fujitsu Finland, a specialist organisation of two thousand people. After two years of use, the OKR model is already part of Fujitsu Finland’s DNA. Fujitsu Finland is a pioneer country in the OKR methodology, and its work is followed with interest across Europe and the world. You can read Fujitsu’s OKR story here.