The Value of OKRs

Last quarter we used OKRs for the first time at Chorus One. During our retreat back in September, we wrote down clear objectives and key results for the company as well as the two teams. Last month, we had our team retreat again and were able to see clearly how we did.

We weren't very pleased with our results and it was clear that we had to make some changes. The most important one was to be more focused and do fewer things. We simply had spread the attention of our small team too thinly.

We are beginners when it comes to OKRs and I'm sure there are many ways in which we can use them more effectively. One change this quarter is that we are reviewing them at the mid-point of the quarter. But already, they have been massively valuable. When you don't see a clear contrast between goals and actual results, it's easy to let unresolved issues drag on for a very long time. Quarterly OKRs are a great way to prevent that.