ChoosinganOKRSolution5must-havecapabilitiesforplanning,tracking,andmeasuringObjectivesandKeyResultssuccessfullyIntroductionPioneeredbyIntelinthe1970s,ObjectivesandKeyResults(OKRs)weredesignedtohelppeoplesetchallenging,ambitiousgoalswithmeasurableresults.Sincethen,OKRshavebecomethego-togoalmanagementframeworkatcompanieslikeGoogle,INGBank,andWalmart,helpingthemdrivesignificantgrowthandinnovation–suchasChromeandAndroidatGoogle–acrosstheglobe.AsmorecompaniesaremakingtheprojecttoproductshiftandscalingAgilethroughouttheirorganization,OKRsareplayinganessentialroleinthesuccessofacompany’stransformationjourney.Inourview,thepowerofOKRsisitsfocusondrivingoutcomesgearedtowardscreatingcustomervalue.Tooperationalizethatpower,youneedanOKRsolutionthatwillenableyoutoplan,trackprogress,andmeasuresuccessalongsidetheexecutionofwork,ensuringallpartsoftheenterprisecanaligntogoalswithoutsteppingoutsideofyourvaluedeliveryplatform.2Whatyou’llgetfromthisguideInthisguide,you’lldiscoverthefivemust-havecapabilitiesyouneedinanOKRsolution.You’llalsolearnhowPlanview’sOKRsolutiongivesyouaclearlineofsightintoallconnectedwork–fromthePortfoliototheteams–enablingyoutofosteranoutcome-basedapproachtostrategyanddelivery,allwithinasinglesolution.Readontofindout.3WhattolookforinanOKRsolution5MUST-HAVECAPABILITIESOKRsoftwareisacategoryoftoolsthathasemergedastheframeworkhasgrowninpopularity.Ifyou’relookingtochooseanOKRsolutiontousewithinyourorganization,herearefivecriteriayoushouldconsider.41EnablesvisibilityofOKRsTheprimaryreasonforusinganyOKRsolutionistohavegreatervisibilityintoOKRs.Whatdoesthismeanexactly?Visibility,forthemodernknowledgeworker,meansnothavingtodiginformationoutofvarioustools:Acentralizedplacetocreate,visualize,store,andtrackOKRs.Betweenemail,Slack,executiontools,anddocumentationtools,yourteamsalreadyhaveenoughtoolstocheckonadailybasisinordertostayintheknow.AddingaseparateOKRsoftwaretothestack,ifit’suseful,mightbeworththeeffort,butifit’sjustanotherplacewhereinformationgoestodie,itmightnotbe.Theidealsolutionwilleitherworkwellalongsidethetoolsyourteamsalreadyuse,orwillbeafeatureincludedinyourteam’sprimaryexecutiontools.Forexample,ifyourteamsalreadyusesKanbanboardstoplan,track,andmeasuretheirwork,thentheidealsolutionwouldbeabletointegratewiththeirKanbanboards.52Supportsbi-directionalgoalsettingAgilethinkerStephenBungayisquotedassaying,“Themorealignmentyouhave,themoreautonomyyoucangrant.”Alignmentfromthetop-down,aswellasacrosstheorganization,isoneoftheprimarybenefitsoftheOKRsframework.Thistypeofalignmentoccurswhengoalsettingisbi-directional:Whenleaderscansetgoalsforteams,andteamscansharetheirgoalswithleaders.Bi-directionalgoalsettingfostersautonomyacrossthebusiness.Leaderscanshowteamswheretogo,butletthemdeterminehowtogettherebyallowingthemtobestbalanceshort-termobjectiveswithlong-termstrategy.TheidealOKRsolutionwillallowforbi-directionalgoalsetting.63ProvidesaclearlineofsightintoallconnectedworkAligninggoalsduringaplanningsessionisonething,butstayingalignedduringaPIisanotherthingentirely.Withouttherighttooltomanagetheentireobjectivehierarchy,itcanfeelnearlyimpossibletomaintainalignmentbetweenlong-termportfolioobjectives,mid-termprogramobjectives,andshort-termteamobjectives.AgoodOKRsolutionwillshowhowobjectivesareconnectedacrosstheobjectivehierarchytoprovidealineofsightacross,upanddown...
