What OKRs Are, And How To Avoid Three Common OKR Mistakes

You may have heard about objectives, goals and such, but what are OKRs?

OKRs stand for “objectives and key results” and were first introduced at Intel Corporation by Andy Grove, the legendary CEO. OKRs evolved from other management methods, such as management by objectives, and have been applied across businesses ranging from early-stage startups to global enterprises.

OKRs become famous when Google started using them in the late 1990s; this has been credited as one of the main reasons behind their explosive growth; of course, having a killer product helps, as well. The use of OKRs expanded across Silicon Valley and into various industries across the world. OKRs are a great way for businesses to practice focus and align both individuals and teams behind goals and help stop businesses from drifting off objectives by chasing the next shiny object. This helps organizations develop a culture of a shared purpose, and they have other prominent benefits:

1. The alignment of the objective is vital in ensuring that everyone is moving in the same direction. Taking the example of a rowing boat, everyone must be rowing in the same approach to stop from standing still.