OKR (Objectives and Key Results) is one of the most impactful ways to approach goal setting.

Let's take a brief glance at the History of OKR.OKRs were first developed and implemented in 1980s by Andy Grove during his tenure as CEO at Intel.

Thanks to this, two specific questions rose to promote OKR more fertilely by the end of the 90s.

Objectives and key results became based on these 2 questions.

Nowadays, many large companies use OKR, such as Intel, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, Zynga, Oracle and many others.Characteristics of OKROKR implementation has two main beginning stages.

In order to choose impactful Objectives and Key Results, their characteristics should be known well.The Objective-is ambitious-short and memorable-feels a tad uncomfortable-definitive and measurableWhen you set up an objective, define the goal you are trying to achieve in a sentence.

Much like every other technique, each of these methods have their benefits and downfalls.

All you have to do before diving into employing the OKR framework is skim through this blog that will guide you on the technique among these two to suit your company best!What are OKR Spreadsheets?For start-ups and small-sized teams with less than 25 employees, an OKR spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets is a simple way to make organizational goals transparent and measurable.

It also lets employees get a holistic view of what an individual’s Objectives and Key Results look like from a macro-company level.OKR spreadsheets contribute in making an individual or team’s objectives SMART – S – SpecificM – MeasurableA – AchievableR – RealisticT – Time-boundBy keeping each of the factors of SMART objectives in mind and sharing them with the team, any potential confusion or miscommunication that may arise among employees with respect to what is expected of them can be avoided.

In addition to this, it is best to be crisp and well-detailed while assigning tasks lest anything be missed, shelved or be given to the wrong employee.With OKR spreadsheets, four possible tasks can be done at the click of a finger –It allows to keep track of all objectives of the department in one placeSpreadsheets monitor the progress of each Key Result pertaining to each team memberViewing the actual progress at a glance becomes possibleComparing the total average progress with the desired progressProblem with using OKR spreadsheetsAlthough spreadsheets were where OKRs found their origin, the biggest problem with this technique is its implementation.

It was also found that some employees found the OKR tracking complex, hard to update and tough to follow on spreadsheets, which resulted in people checking OKRs only at the end of the quarter.The pain of using outdated spreadsheets led to disengagement in people.

Although there is no doubt that OKR spreadsheets are a good beginning, one needs to recognise the fact that they are quite limited in features compared to a dedicated software tool.What are automated OKRs?For more than 25 employees, since spreadsheets don’t provide the level of transparency and usability that is desired, an automated OKR tool is recommended.

Of course, the majority of you will say the modern way.

Below are some of the best tips to fast-track the whole process and help the organization to understand both employees’ and business requirements easily.Setting goals that are effective and trackableOnly setting goals for employees is not enough, but the workforce should be able to overview and track the progress.

One is Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and the other is SMART ( Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound).

This method of goal alignment creates transparency and open culture across the organization.

It gives clarity, attainable goals, and vision to the team.Giving rewards and recognitionRewards and recognition are an integral part of an effective performance management system that helps in boosting the morale of employees.

In the end, it will affect their productivity and It will become difficult to bring them back on track again.