How to Create Quality Objectives and Key Results

Objectives and key results (OKRs) are an effective way to create alignment, measurement capacity, and line of sight in all functional groups of an organization. The SMART framework is a great way to ensure that your key results are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. To create quality objectives and key results, it is important to start with the goal and then create the key results that will help you achieve it. It is also important to make sure that the key results are controllable and numerical.

Additionally, it is important to celebrate successes even if you don't reach 100% of the key results. By following these steps, you can ensure that your objectives and key results are of high quality and will help you reach your goals. When creating objectives and key results, it is important to keep in mind the SMART framework. This acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

For example, if your goal is to increase company posts on LinkedIn from 30 to 75, you can create a specific key result that states “Increase company posts on LinkedIn from 30 to 75 in 30 days”. This key result meets all of the criteria of the SMART framework. It is also important to make sure that the key results are controllable. This means that they should be achievable by the team without needing outside help or resources.

For example, if your goal is to reduce the abandonment rate from 30% to 5%, you can create a key result that states “Reduce the abandonment rate from 30% to 5% in 30 days”. This key result is controllable because it can be achieved by the team without needing outside help or resources. When creating objectives and key results, it is also important to make sure that they are numerical. This means that they should be measurable so that progress can be tracked easily.

For example, if your goal is to increase Twitter followers from 250 to 500, you can create a numerical key result that states “Increase Twitter followers from 250 to 500 in 30 days”. This key result is numerical because it can be easily measured and tracked over time. Finally, it is important to celebrate successes even if you don't reach 100% of the key results. By celebrating successes, you can motivate your team and keep them focused on achieving their goals.

For example, if your goal is to finalize and launch a pricing model in 30 days but you only reach 80%, you should still celebrate this success as it shows progress towards achieving your goal. By following these steps, you can ensure that your objectives and key results are of high quality and will help you reach your goals.