How to Fail with OKRs: Start with a List of KPIs

One of the fastest ways to mess up your OKRs program is to start with a list of KPIs and then try to decide which ones should become Key Results. It sounds logical. And many smart teams (including me in my early days!) can fall into this trap.

This episode explains why starting with KPIs can deraily your OKRs program and how the right way is to start with values and critical thinking rather than a list of metrics.

Early in my own OKR journey, I made this exact same mistake!

I began sessions by showing teams standard industry KPIs and asking them to choose which ones should be their Key Results. I thought I was adding value, but in reality, I was limiting their thinking.

This episode introduces the distinction between alternative-focused thinking and value-focused thinking and shows how this concept applies directly to drafting OKRs. To make this practical I share a simple example from everyday life involving how we choose something as ordinary as salad dressing. Do we begin with the available options or do we begin with what really matters to us

You will learn how starting from existing metrics can trap teams into maintaining what they already measure instead of improving what truly matters. I describe two clear warning signs that your OKR drafting process may be broken and driven by alternative thinking rather than value driven clarity.

I also share a real coaching example with a marketing team that illustrates the shift from focusing on existing email metrics to identifying what truly mattered improving the return on investment of major marketing events. By stepping back from the list of available metrics the team realized they needed to establish a new baseline measure rather than rely on existing dashboards. This led to a more meaningful and strategically aligned Key Result.

The core message is simple. KPIs are useful but they should not drive your OKRs. OKRs should begin with vision priorities and values then identify the right Key Results to measure progress.

If you want your OKRs to drive real improvement rather than simply track activity this episode will help you rethink how you begin.

As always, contact me via Ben@OKRs.com or post a comment here.

From Agile to Aligned: CareerBuilder’s OKR Shift

CareerBuilder was already Agile. Teams were delivering. Work was moving. So why introduce OKRs?

Part 4 of this Real OKR Implementations explores how organizations actually deploy OKRs in practice. Previous episodes showed how TaxSlayer built accountability through scoring and cadence, how GoNoodle launched OKRs in just 18 days, and how Zalando scaled OKRs by developing in-house experts.

This episode explores a different question:

What happens when a high functioning Agile organization uses OKRs to strengthen alignment and shift conversations from execution to impact?

CareerBuilder is one of the largest online job platforms in the United States and has served 24 million monthly visitors and worked with 92 percent of the Fortune 1000. Andy Krupit Manager of Agile Development shares how the company introduced OKRs to sharpen priorities improve cross team alignment and create real accountability.

CareerBuilder adopted OKRs for three reasons. Greater focus on what matters most. Better alignment across teams. And accountability through what Andy described as positive tension from the business.

Rather than rolling OKRs out across the organization at once CareerBuilder started at the team level. Through workshops drafting sessions alignment checks and refinement conversations teams shifted from tracking tasks to measuring outcomes.

One of the biggest breakthroughs came from asking why. Using the five why technique teams pushed past activity and into strategic intent. They also learned a key lesson. Fewer objectives improve clarity and execution.

The result was cultural. Teams discovered shared objectives and began collaborating in new ways.

If you are leading OKR implementation, this episode offers practical lessons from a real world journey.

As always, post a comment with questions, or better yet: email Ben@OKRs.com to get your OKRs 1:1 consult!

How to optimize team-level OKR workshops.

Avoid the common pitfalls that can inadvertently increase silo effects and learn how to embed alignment into all aspects of your OKRs program.

Ben walks you through how to get your teams going on OKRs by starting with a top-level OKR presentation as context along with OKR theory.

Here's a sample agenda:

Here is a sample agenda that we used with one of our clients:

• 8:00–9:00 am: Introductions, CEO briefing on OKRs journey
• 9:00–10:00 am: OKRs theory/refresher and review of top-level OKRs
• 10:00–11:00 am: Draft team-level OKRs
• 11:00–12:00 pm: Report backs and idea sharing
• 12:00–1:00 pm: Lunch
• 1:00–2:00 pm: Refine OKRs, participants interact outside their team to align on dependencies
• 2:00–2:45 pm: Report backs
• 2:45-3:00 pm: Next steps and key takeaways

Takeaways for Team-Level Workshops

• Schedule team-level workshops after defining OKRs teams
• Include members from multiple functional teams to foster cross-functional alignment
• Begin with an overview of top-level OKRs to create context

Please comment or post questions in this post or even better, request a free 1:1 consult with Ben via Ben@OKRs

Thanks for listening!