Benefits of Having an OKR Software in Your Organization

March 30, 2022
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by Winston Lingaraj A

OKR,

Objectives and key results (OKR) play a singularly important role in employee engagement. They help employees feel in sync with the company’s goals and bring them focus and clarity to work towards a common goal.

How do OKRs Enhance Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement is not merely about keeping employees happy and satisfied. It is about making them commit to the company and make their contributions count. Engaged employees bring more than their skills and experience to the company. They add value by aligning their goals with organizational goals. Having clear goals helps employees stay focused and committed to the company. It is especially true when employees physically write their OKRs, as they feel more engaged in their workplace by giving them a purpose. However, setting goals is only the first step.

Employees must ensure that they put down their OKRs to understand what they are committing to with their individual OKRs. When they align their objectives to their department’s or the organizational goals, they have clarity on their importance to the larger picture. Moreover, these OKRs can flow down to other team members and ensure shared key results. In this way, OKRs help individual development and help employees see how their team can help the organization grow.

Essentially, OKRs help by improving engagement and driving high performance.

What are the Steps to Taking the OKR Approach?

Articulate your Goals

The first step is to define the objective, i.e., what you wish to accomplish. A simple one-liner that is action-oriented and motivational will be a good start.

Once you have the objective defined, communicate how you will achieve it. It would mean that you also have an idea of each goal’s 3-5 key results. This would help you chart your path towards achieving the goal. Key results are most effective when specific and time-bound. The results should be measurable and have a grade attached to them at the end of the OKR cycle. For instance, you may have “increased productivity” as a goal. However, the OKR would be “increase productivity by 10% by June 1st, 2022.” Other OKRs would be even more specific such as marketing campaigns on a given date, establishing an exact number of branches across the country by a given month, etc. Specificity makes these results tangible and trackable. Too many objectives could derail the process and dilute the positive impact of an OKR.

Track and Measure Progress

Regular tracking and measuring are essential now that you have set your objectives and OKRs. Such monitoring will help you stay on course and, if need be, correct the course. Recording the progress towards each milestone also ensures that you are moving in the right direction. As most companies do, you can use Google sheets or use an advanced software solution. Holding regular weekly or bi-weekly meetings will give employees a chance to update others in the team and bring a level of transparency.

Leverage OKR’s flexibility

OKRs can be flexible if you want to make a few changes at any point in the OKR cycle. You would know if anything needs to be revised within the first quarter and can revise it to realign the path towards the objectives. Such periodic reviews also ensure that your objectives and OKRs are realistic.

Benefits of OKR Software

Assigning goals without meeting team members is basic functionality in OKR software. It allows managers to set goals to direct reports and keep track of the progress.
Prioritizing is easier and helps employees understand their goals and their starting point. It also ensures that employees find a sense of direction by recognizing the priority of each task.
Monitoring the progress is a vital part of employee goal setting. OKR software can track the progress effectively by sending out notifications and reminders to managers to give feedback or add their comments when the employee completes the task. Comments are a great way to foster communication between the employees and their managers.
Aligning company values with OKRs is essential and can be achieved through the software. It helps employees see how their contribution to the team. Employees are further engaged when they can check their progress and see how they have contributed to the company’s success.
Enhanced teamwork is another benefit of greater visibility through the OKR software. It improves collaboration as they can see the work done by team members and creates a supportive work environment.