Incorrect Application of OKR

I have been experiencing that OKR is used for tasks for which it is not or hardly intended, and which either lead to OKR being useless or even to navigate effects. Let us also briefly present these issues like an instruction leaflet so that they can be avoided if possible.

?Certainly, the most important misunderstanding occurs when OKR is used to micromanage or even manage projects other than at the level of strategies and goals based on them. OKR can be a wonderful link between the strategic level and the project level, but it is neither a project management approach nor tool used to determine and plan the day-to-day business, or the resources needed for it.

In this context, one repeatedly finds that leaders use OKR as a micro-management tool, so to speak, to delegate tasks to their teams or employees. This is not a target-oriented use of OKR for several reasons. On the one hand, OKR does not have its field of application at the level of individual tasks, but always at the level of goals and on the other hand, OKR is only to very limited extend about top-down approach. Rather, it is precisely about strengthening teams and their identification and cooperation and giving them a high degree of goal-oriented autonomy.

Another topic area that should be addressed in this context is the incorrect use of OKRs, which can lead to undermining or destroying the central elements of success- the intrinsic motivation of the team. This happens, for example, when OKRs are coupled with extrinsic motivation measures such as bonus systems and the like. In the same way, it will also lead to negative consequences if OKR is used as a control system for recording and evaluating the work of employees, or indeed as a method of using it to control employees’ work directly, as it were.

Ultimately, OKR should never be understood as a repair method of correct undesirable developments that have already occurred. Rather, the successful use of OKR means that parallel to this, work should also be done on topics such as corporate values, leadership, cooperation, team, etc. during the introduction and implementation. OKR undoubtedly makes a contribution to this, but it must also be moderated, especially in the case of change management as part of an introduction and expansion to a company.

If OKR is used correctly, it can have an important influence on the success of a company, as countless organizations, some of them very successful and well-known, have shown. However, the implementation should always be carried out with the support of experienced specialists who can demonstrate practical relevance and implementation competence in addition to theoretical knowledge.

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Most popular OKR mistakes:

Setting OKRs top-down only

A lack of organizational transparency

Using OKRs for micromanagement instead of empowerment

Confusing KPIs and OKRs

Having “Unactionable” Objectives

You set OKRs in silos

Lack of Alignment

You review progress irregularly and infrequently

Setting OKRs without your team

Connecting OKRs and performance reviews

Not communicating and not checking often enough

Too many Objectives or Key Results

Blaming the method