Display | OKR: The optimal management method for your company

You still use the top-bottom method, but the outcome leaves a lot to be desired? Then the OKR method would be something for you. In the following introduction you will find out what it is all about and why corporate giants have been using the approach for a long time.

The well-known top-bottom method is commonplace in many companies. It can be worthwhile to consider new management methods. Giants like Twitter, Netflix, Microsoft and Amazon are leading the way and owe the success of their revolutionary, results-oriented management style to Andy Grove, former president of Intel. The management approach developed by Grove in 1979 was primarily intended to develop new methods of goal setting and was initially known as “Intel Management by Objectives”. Later the name was simplified and it stayed with “Objectives and Key Results” – better known today as OKRs .

A study by Asana on the subject of goal setting showed: Employees in Germany are dissatisfied with the goals set by their employers. Only 17 percent of the respondents in Germany stated that their company effectively sets, communicates and implements corporate goals. The employees surveyed often do not know how their personal work relates to company-wide corporate goals. Is that also the case with your team? Then the OKR method could be a suitable solution for this.

The method is based on the idea that teams perform better when they focus on the results rather than the course of action. The approach brought Intel forward and in 19 years of leadership at Intel, sales increased from 1.9 billion to 26 billion dollars. When Intel employee John Doerr launched the system in Silicon Valley, everyone was so excited that it spread like wildfire. Doerr’s template is simple and flexible: “The goal is what you want to achieve, and the key result is the metric by which you measure your progress.”

This template is customizable so that it can be used for virtually any purpose. This is why OKRs are just as flexible in the public sector as they are in tech companies or startups. Also ideal for trying out for your company.

How can you get your team on the way lead to better performance and not lose track of things? (Image: Shutterstock / Viktoria Kurpas)

Many successful companies can no longer and do not want to do without OKRs. Larry Page, co-founder of Google, even cited Grove’s influence as a key factor in the success of his company. But what makes OKRs so indispensable?

The Pyramid of Clarity can be used in the alignment of help big goals and concrete results. This shows how the long-term goals are built on the short-term goals.

Employee can prioritize the right tasks because they know what results they should achieve. This increases the effect and deepens the relationship of the individual to his team and to the company.

When people understand how their work contributes to the goals at the highest level, why certain tasks are prioritized and, ultimately, why the goals are important, they are more motivated and encourage themselves to perform even better. Of course, the entire team benefits from that. Transparency and meaningfulness are important keywords when it comes to the OKR method.

With the correct use of OKRs, you can advance a wide variety of company areas. So it’s not just about achieving your quarterly target, but also getting processes going so that they can have positive effects on the entire organization.

OKRs allow employees to be better involved in strategic planning. This approach also promotes commitment and cooperation in tracking the OKRs through structured team reviews and one-on-one discussions.

More commitment, cooperation, creativity and performance with the OKR method. (Image: Shutterstock / Jacob Lund)

These and other advantages are not limited to individual employees: According to Gallup OKRs improve overall company performance by 21 percent. And managers are also promoted by OKRs, because based on their status updates they can see when and how they have to intervene.

Asana connects your goals with daily tasks

To OKR processes constant and easy to pursue and to measure your goals, Asana is the ideal partner. Because with the goals function

on your Asana Board, you can control every employee in the processes Share your goals and make them clear, simple and understandable for everyone. In this way, entire teams can gain an insight into what is happening in the company and gain an understanding of how their work relates to the company’s goals. This gives you real-time insight into the progress your teams are making. And risks, such as the mistaken prioritization of tasks, are verifiably reduced with Asana. So get to your goals and just try the whole thing out.

Learn more about it

Are you looking for new approaches and innovations with regard to digital transformation in companies, everyday work or work management? In the special topic on the transformation of the world of work you read among other things:

• Increase efficiency: Is the 4-day week the key to more success?