The 4 Most Common OKR Mistakes (and How to Spot Them)

We all do the same mistakes when working with OKR’s… 🤓

4 weeks ago I started an OKR training with the OKR Institute. Even if it doesn’t make me an OKR expert yet, following this training while having a practical experience already, definitely helps connecting the dots : you can link the different principles and examples to concrete situations… and quickly start identifying anti-patterns - some of them I could witness in every single OKR implementation I’ve met until now.

Which proves one thing : this framework looks easy in its setup, but all the nuances makes it more complex than it looks. In a nutshell :

→ We set too many objectives
1 to 3 Objectives is the ideal - it helps keeping the focus while approaching a situation by different angles. We tend to set an Objective for every single work item that we would touch. While on the opposite, we should determine what to work on based on the main Objectives defined. 🔄

→ Objectives are actually deliverables
Yeah we should define outcome-based objectives and not output-based objectives. But in the end… we’ll end up with “Deliver this feature before the end of Q3” as a main Objective anyway 💁‍♂️

→ We barely use leading indicators
So leading indicators = the ones you can use to measure your progress while you’re working on your OKR’s. Lagging indicators = the ones you only know at the end of your initiatives for example, which can lead to surprises. Leading indicators are the ones we should aim for (as they allow to adjust the approach on the go) but lagging indicators are easier to find… and there, more broadly used. 🎯

→ Weekly OKR reviews, anyone?
Well… 😅

Really happy about what I’ve learnt till now. Maybe my key takeaways above are full of flaws as well. But I’m looking forward for the last session of the 1st round tomorrow with Dirk C. 🔥