Are you interested in learning how to set up and track your goals using OKR management software?
Whether you’re an entrepreneur running your own company or an employee at a large corporation, goal setting can be instrumental in helping you achieve success in all areas of your life and work.
But it’s not as simple as simply making goals and then checking them off one by one when they’re accomplished; goal setting also requires careful goal tracking and regular review of your progress towards each individual goal so that you can adjust accordingly based on your achievements and failures.
1. Setting goals you’ll actually stick to
If your company uses performance management software, setting goals may be a simple process. But even if you’re going it alone, there are several things you can do to make sure your goals will really work for you—and not just as an exercise in self-flagellation.
Make sure each goal: Is time-bound – To help stay focused, set shorter-term targets (rather than general ideal goals) that have specific dates attached.
For example, rather than promising yourself that this year I’m working on a project from today, I want to see what milestones I have achieved in that project. And then make a note on your calendar or task list where you can see it every day.
2. An overview of OKRs
OKRs have been used by Google for over a decade, which means there’s a ton of research on how they work best.
First, you decide on three to five key results—or OKRs—that you want to achieve in a quarter.
Then you determine three key results within each of those objectives that are actionable steps that get you closer to achieving your goal (e.g., adding 50 friends is not an actionable step; sending an invitation email is).
After setting up these quarterly goals, smaller objectives, and specific tasks associated with each objective, it’s time for step two: tracking them. You can use any productivity or goal-tracking app that works for you.
3. Selecting your top 5 goals
It’s easy to say you have a lot of goals, but not all of them are created equal. That said, it’s important that your goals not only align with where you want your business to go (such as growing our mobile sales by 20% in 2023), but they also reflect some amount of urgency.
It’s best practice for a goal-setting template to include two parts:
A focus statement, followed by an objective; that is, what do we want (objective) versus why do we want it (focus statement).
When selecting your top five goals, you should always refer back to these two parts.
4. Breaking down your objectives by quarter
Setting one objective per quarter is a more manageable pace, especially if you’re a busy professional.
The number of objectives you set will depend on your goals—are you working toward expanding into a new location or fixing customer service issues?
Depending on your project, there maybe three or four smaller goals that work together in achieving a larger goal. But don’t feel like you have to perfectly divide everything into fourths; there are no rules in goal setting.
With quarterly goals, you can track what you accomplished at the end of each season and reassess where things stand heading into next year.
5. Focusing on key results instead of tasks
The idea of setting key results is important in goal-setting because tasks can often vary drastically depending on who’s performing them.
Tasks are more concrete than goals, so it’s much easier for someone else to judge your progress on a task without requiring you as its originator. So while they might not be worth it in most cases, tasks can allow you some flexibility and less accountability when working toward reaching a particular goal.
But by default, we believe that establishing goals rather than tasks is critical for achieving peak performance in organizations—so companies looking for OKR software are typically those that want very specific outcomes from their employees, rather than specific outputs.
6. How frequently should you check-in?
Studies have shown that checking in every day is more likely to help you achieve your goals than just a couple of times a week. If you’re trying to accomplish something specific, check-in at least once a day. (You can do it more if you want.)
Once or twice a week might work for something broader—like whether or not you were able to stick with your workout routine last week—but once or twice a month is probably too infrequent.
Make sure you make time for short check-ins throughout your day so that when it comes time for one of your regular sessions, there isn’t much left on your mind. And don’t wait until Thursday night at 10 p.m., either!
7. Tracking your progress throughout the year
The first step in setting up a goal-tracking system is deciding how you want to track your progress.
Do you want metrics, goals, or deadlines? OKRs are an easy way of getting detailed performance management if used correctly. Often times managers utilize a mix of metrics, goals, and deadlines.
Using different formats helps ensure that employees feel as though they’re being treated fairly and also makes it easier for employees to track their progress because they can see what they need to achieve (goals) by when (deadlines).
8. Celebrate victories along the way!
OKRs are all about ensuring your team gets measurable results. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate smaller victories along the way.
Celebrating accomplishments shows your team that you appreciate their efforts.
Plus, it boosts morale—which means happier workers who work harder, which makes for better bottom-line results!