Objectives and key results (OKR)

Think of OKRs as the corporate love child of "Honey, do we have a plan?" and "Is anyone actually doing something about it?" They're the fancy acronym for setting ambitious goals (Objectives) that sound like they came from a motivational poster in a hip startup, alongside tangible Key Results that are supposed to prove you're not just pretending to work hard on LinkedIn. Essentially, it’s the business version of setting a New Year’s resolution with actual check-ins, because who really remembers those resolutions by March?

Objectives and Key Results (OKR) is a strategic framework used by organizations to set, communicate, and monitor goals and their outcomes, thereby ensuring alignment across various levels of the company. An "Objective" is a clearly defined, qualitative goal that provides direction and is designed to inspire and challenge the organization or team. "Key Results," on the other hand, are specific, measurable, and time-bound outcomes that quantify the achievement of the Objective. This process is iterative and encourages transparency, focus, and collaboration, which ultimately drives both strategic alignment and performance improvement throughout the organization. Typically, OKRs are reviewed and updated on a quarterly basis to maintain momentum and adaptability in rapidly changing business environments.