Examples of Most Effective OKRs

Brian Hansen

We are in the process of evaluating our OKR process and effectiveness. I have a few ideas on how to make them impactful for the team and not become noise. I want to keep them focused on value for the customer. Does anyone have any OKRs they've loved and seen be really impactful? Thanks for any suggestions/ideas!

Jeff Heckler

Hi Brian,

Great question, it's highly valuable (and simply the right thing to do) to be targeted and intentional when building your team's OKRs.

You highlighted focusing on customers' OKRs.

I'd also point to focusing on: 1.) their personal performance benchmark and baseline OKRs as they pertain to the team, and 2.) your company's goals and OKRs.

When I have matched my individual contributors, managers, and supervisors (ALL, and I mean even G&A and CS Ops teammates) everyone felt much more connected and operated as such.

Thanks,

Jeff

Brian Hansen

This is great insight, Jeff. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I thought a bunch more about OKRs this weekend, and have a framework in mind, where we can focus on one internal (building on CS' numbers to impact ARR) and one external (from the customer's perspective). Curious...what time frame do you usually put on your OKRs - quarterly, semi-annually, annually? Thanks again!

Jeff Heckler

You're most welcome, Brian - I am always happy to help.

I would recommend going quarterly.

This provides good consistency from a metrics standpoint, a nice cadence for feedback and measurement, and time to adjust if necessary.

My best to you and yours,

Jeff

Chris Rosa

@Brian Hansen 

Some things to think about - are you using your OKRs as a way to introduce your team to strategic planning and execution or as a way to track business performance? I think you would want to adjust your OKRs accordingly.

Objectives should be:
Actionable
Aspirational
Meaningful 

Key results should be:
Focused
Time-bound
Measurable
Aggressive but realistic

I'm also happy to send you an OKR playbook that I developed that touches on some of the tactical pieces around planning, check-ins, and OKR updates if you're interested? Feel free to send me your email and I'll send it over.

Lastly, here are some OKR templates that you might be able to draw inspiration from - https://ally.io/okr-examples/

Here's a good high-level overview of how to roll out OKRs - https://ally.io/okr-tracking-how-to-roll-out-strategic-objectives/

Feel free to post any additional questions about OKRs, happy to help here. 

@Soumik Maji anything else to add?

Andrew Marks

Always part of my quarterly expectations with my team was some sort of investment back into the practice. Maybe it's a white paper, a wiki article, or a lunch-and-learn delivered by one of your team experts on a piece of functionality, topic, or customer story. There is nothing more valuable or impactful to your customers than well-informed and educated CSM's.

Don't expect this type of cross-pollination to happen naturally. Everyone is busy, constantly fighting the whirlwind that wants to take them away from the wildly important goals they need to achieve. Incentives drive behavior. Based on my experience and IMO, this should be a standard part of every OKR plan.

Jeff Heckler

Great call out, @Andrew Marks.

Contributing to the greater pool of knowledge sharing and IP should be a formal part of every CS pros ownership.

While I don't include these deliverables/OKRs in quarterly bonus and commission letters, I work with individuals to place 3-4 professional development items per quarter in every CSX's profile.

Thanks,

Jeff

Jeff Heckler

Director of Customer Success Solutions

MarketSource, Inc.

Brian Hansen

Very cool addition, @Andrew Marks. I like that teaching/coaching/growing connection. Thank you!

Brian Hansen

This is great, @Chris Rosa and I will take you up on your offer for sure. Thank you very much.