Ben on OKRs

How to Fail with OKRs: Start with a List of KPIs One of the fastest ways to mess up your OKRs program is to start with a list of KPIs and then try to decide which ones should become Key Results. It sounds logical. And many smart teams (including me in my early days!) can fall into this trap. This episode explains why starting with KPIs can deraily your OKRs program and how the right way is to star...

From Agile to Aligned: CareerBuilder’s OKR Shift CareerBuilder was already Agile. Teams were delivering. Work was moving. So why introduce OKRs? Part 4 of this Real OKR Implementations explores how organizations actually deploy OKRs in practice. Previous episodes showed how TaxSlayer built accountability through scoring and cadence, how GoNoodle launched OKRs in just 18 days, and how Zalando scale...

How to optimize team-level OKR workshops. Avoid the common pitfalls that can inadvertently increase silo effects and learn how to embed alignment into all aspects of your OKRs program. Ben walks you through how to get your teams going on OKRs by starting with a top-level OKR presentation as context along with OKR theory. Here's a sample agenda: Here is a sample agenda that we used with one of our...

TaxSlayer’s OKR Implementation: From SMART Goals to Results Most companies set annual goals. Very few build a system that actually drives measurable results. In this episode, Ben breaks down how TaxSlayer, a tax preparation and software company serving millions of customers, moved beyond traditional SMART goals and implemented OKRs to create real accountability, alignment, and execution discipline...

OK, so the last episode was a big "negative" as we explored why even smart, capable teams struggle with OKRs. Today, let's shift the focus to what high-performing teams actually do differently to make OKRs work in the real world. You’ll learn how successful teams stay relentlessly focused on outcomes instead of activity start small and build capability before scaling keep OKRs alive through a cons...

OK, thought this would be 5 reasons, but we ended up adding 2 more in the end! Find out what those other two are by listening to this episode. Here are the "TOP 5"... 1. Turning Key Results into a To-Do List The most common failure mode is incredibly human. Teams turn key results into a checklist: Launch feature Hire two engineers Run campaign Build dashboard Great work "to do" but none reflect ou...

Ben introduces the 9 roles you'll need to launch and sustain your OKRs program. OK, so you might not need an EXTERNAL OKRs COACH, but Ben is going to push for that and not just because that's his job! It's super-valuable to get an outside perspective from someone with deep experience both 1) launching OKRs, 2) improving OKRs, and even 3) training internal OKR coaches so you can sustain your OKRs p...

Ben covers the 5 things you must keep in mind to succeed with OKRs. And he even gets into the 6th mantra which was added recently, after his OKRs book came out in 2022. You'll learn how to leverage these 5 mantras to make your OKR program a success: 1.Less is more. Define a small set of OKRs. 2.Crawl-walk-run. Deploy OKRs piecemeal. Scale it then nail it. (2 cycles) 3.Outcomes, not output. Write k...

At the end of your OKR cycle, it's time to "reflect and reset." Many skip this step. Others do a retrospective that just looks back. You'll want to document your learnings and use them to inform your OKRs for the upcoming next cycle. When you apply learnings to make your next set of OKRs better, you are building your GOAL SETTING MUSCLE. This is Ben's favorite part of the coaching program since th...

After you publish OKRs and complete step 1 of the OKR cycle, you're excited and ready to go! But then, reality hits and it's time for step 2 - check in and make progress on OKRs. Here's where the rubber meets the road: The #1 reason OKR projects fail is called "set-it-and-forget-it" and it could happen to you. This episode is about EXECUTION and how you can avoid the set-it-and-forget-it pitfall s...

This episode is long, but VITAL! It kicks off your OKRs journey with the most critical step: setting and aligning effective OKRs. Many teams try OKRs to gain focus, but fall into common traps like: Defining too many objectives Writing key results as task lists Working in silos without clear alignment. This leads to "busy teams but no progress"  You’ll learn how to avoid these pitfalls by focusing...

Ben's favorite workshop - this is the one his clients ALWAYS LOVE! The OKRs Expert Workshop is designed to help organizations build the internal capability to sustain and scale their OKRs program long after the external coach is gone. First developed in 2014 with Zalando, this workshop pioneered a structured approach to developing internal OKRs coaches—leaders who can guide teams, strengthen align...

OKRs are failing everywhere I look, not just according to Reddit! That's because "IDEAS are EASY, EXECUTION" as Doerr declares is spot on. And once your OKRs are in place and everyone is excited, things fall apart for many of you. Your execution is weak, for 3 reasons: PROBLEM 1: Zero OKRs review = “Set-it-and-forget-it” OR introducing ad-hoc “OKRs-specific” meetings & processes. SOLUTION: Int...

This is the second episode in a series of "Real-OKR Implementation" stories that I hope you find super-useful. When organizations adopt OKRs, the early excitement is usually high. Executives align around strategy. Teams draft, refine, and publish their OKRs.  Then comes the hard part: Scaling across departments Structuring OKR check-ins that add value, at a set cadence Maintaining quality after th...

Armed with your deployment parameters, it's time to get going with OKR training! A great OKRs workshop has two essential parts. First comes theory, where leaders align on why OKRs matter, how they work, and how the organization will deploy them. Then comes application, where teams actively draft and refine real OKRs through interactive exercises and discussion. Ben explains how to structure both p...

Ben once chanted mantras as he stretched his arms and legs. He repeated these mantras hundreds of times and internalized them as a student of yoga. The OKRs Field Book  introduced the first  five mantras for OKRs coaches . You should internalize these mantras! But Ben introduces the sixth mantra for OKRs coaches based on a recent interview in as a guest on another podcast . The sixth mantra for OK...

The long awaited sequel to the first 20 reasons. Ben breaks down reasons 21-40, so you can learn from the others who've gone before you.  In case you missed it, here are the first 20 reasons why OKRs fail. And if you encountered one of these 40 reasons why OKRs fail, let us know in the comments. If you you failed with OKRs for a reason not included in these 40, please do share so others can benefi...

Top 10 Reasons OKRs Fail (Executive Summary) Why do OKRs fail? It is rarely because of the framework itself. After 15 years helping organizations implement structured performance systems, one pattern is clear: Execution systems fail for predictable reasons. You may have seen the full breakdown of the 40 Common Reasons OKRs Fail. That's a lot! This Executive Summary focuses on the Top 10 patterns t...

When team members help define key results, engagement rises, ownership increases, and alignment becomes real AND you get more progress on those KRs! But how do you balance leadership direction with team driven input without going too far top down or too far bottom up? Ben explores how successful organizations strike the right balance. You will hear why a purely top down approach often disengages t...

Alignment is one of the most important goals of OKRs, yet many organizations misunderstand how alignment actually works. In this episode, Ben explains why the common idea of a strict top down cascade often fails, and how real alignment comes from conversation, clarity, and shared understanding rather than diagrams and arrows. The Wrong Approach: The Direct Cascade The direct cascade begins with OK...

Why do OKRs fail? Not because the framework is flawed, but because organizations repeat the same predictable implementation mistakes over and over. If you are about to launch OKRs, this episode could save you months of frustration. You’ll learn the most common mistakes companies make when introducing OKRs, so you can avoid them from the start. If you are already using OKRs, this episode helps you...

Many organizations already track KPIs and wonder whether OKRs replace them, duplicate them, or conflict with them. In this episode, Ben explains why this is a false choice. OKRs and KPIs work together. The key is understanding how they differ and how they connect. High Level Overview KPIs do not have a universal definition. Some companies call every metric a KPI. Others use KPIs only for performan...

One of the most sensitive and important decisions in any OKR implementation is how OKRs relate to performance reviews and compensation. Get this wrong and you risk undermining trust, discouraging stretch thinking, and weakening your entire OKR program. Ben explains how OKRs and performance management should be distinct but related and why finding the right balance matters. Two Wrong Answers to Avo...

If you want a practical simple and proven approach to drafting publishing and tracking OKRs this episode will help you build the foundation for a successful and scalable OKR program. Many teams jump straight into OKR software expecting it to solve everything. Ben explains why the most effective OKR programs begin with a simple clear process before introducing tools and automation. You will learn w...

So many OKR coaches will tell you that Milestones need to be avoided at all costs. KRs must have a number or they are terrible! But hold on, what does Ben think? Learn about the 3 types of Key Results and think through whether or not you should allow Milestones! There are three types of key results: metric, baseline, and milestone. Metric key results are the most common. They look like “move metri...