Like every other fast-paced and growing organisation, there are good chances that you are leveraging the OKR framework for setting, implementing, and facilitating an efficient goal-setting methodology for maximizing growth. If you haven't hopped on the bandwagon yet, what are you even waiting for!
But, OKRs are not here to work as a goal-setting framework only; it is also responsible for driving high performance by transforming employee outlook. Through enhanced transparency and goal visibility, OKRs ensure teams are highly aligned and working toward building a high-performing and cohesive culture.
With that, let's look at the top four ways OKRs transform employee mindset.
Helps in increasing employees' focus on objectives and results
In today’s Agile business environment, Companies need to change their priorities from time to time, hence affecting Goals.Your company is not going to be the same always. It will change its goals and shift its priorities to remain agile. TheThey also need to sustain and hit their performance metrics runs simultaneously. This requires the workforce to align themselves to the objectives readily.
Everyone may not like the constant changes around them, especially when it is tied to achieving certain objectives. And that's where the function of OKR comes in. OKR helps keep everyone on track by planning the objectives and results right as the company's central focus.
Employees no longer have to chase the objectives or goals set by their managers, and they can simply set their own daily or weekly goals (as long as they correspond to the company's objectives). Therefore, employees can easily and quickly achieve alignment while focusing on the OKRs.
Besides that, OKRs also act as Google Maps, providing a sense of direction to the employees. Allowing them to determine which path to follow to achieve their daily target and the company's objectives. Such support boosts work outcomes which enable sustained performance across the company.
Helps in boosting engagement and motivation
You do not want a typical "performance tracker/booster" in your organization, and you need something that would emphasize the value add that an employee brings to the table. Moreover, you also need a system that doesn't merely evaluate an employee's ability to complete their tasks.
OKRs are more than that; their very essence is to encourage your workforce to aim higher and set ambitious goals for themselves. The framework also provides a detailed review of their individual performance and how it collaborates with their daily work, learning how they contribute to the company's success (bottom-up and top-down alignment).
And the best part is, even if an employee is falling behind on an ambitious goal, they are still achieving modest goals. Therefore, with the use of OKRs, employees even get rewarded and appreciated for their partial achievements.
A culture like this acts like a box of chocolates (Forrest Gump) but this time, employees know that they will always be incentivized with motivation.
Lastly, there's another way to look at this. As employees are not reprimanded for not achieving 100% of their objectives, they are never scared to set the bar high and push themselves constantly to their fullest performing potential.
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Helps in promoting teamwork and accountability
OKRs facilitate clear communication that provides the workforce with clarity on what they should achieve. The framework also builds a strong alignment, giving autonomy to the employees to help them become better decision-makers. This further supports the employees in deciding how they can achieve their goals.
Now, when teams are allowed to make their own decisions, they understand the prominence of their actions. And just like that, a sense of ownership is acquired in them, encouraging them to set their initiatives and goals.
Besides that, OKRs also help build collaboration and leave no room for individualism in the organization. Through OKRs, employees can establish common goals and work in multidisciplinary teams, resulting in fewer silos and more collaboration.
Helps in enabling transparency throughout the organization
To create an efficient performance culture, objectives and goals should be ambitious and aligned at every OKR level. Therefore, progress made by teams and individuals is updated regularly, which anyone in the organization can view anytime.
It ensures that teams can hold each other accountable, stay aligned, and fulfil all dependencies throughout the quarter. The best thing about employees working together on something is that they do not simply prioritize their productivity but focus on the work that matters the most.
Employees can also leverage the OKR framework to understand who is getting derailed and initiate a meaningful conversation with them to help them be on track. Besides, transparency keeps employees updated on what others are achieving, creating a healthy competitive culture within the organization.
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Wrapping Up
Therefore, unlike other frameworks, OKRs do not only focus on setting goals; they also focus on improving the employees' skills and engagement. By creating an inclusive and competitive workplace, OKRs encourage everyone to achieve their full potential, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and, most importantly, get recognized for the efforts they are putting in.
