The OKRs framework is known to create leverage for an organization, teams, and employees. The collaboration enhanced by the framework helps align the engineering team by keeping them on track.
The objectives set under the OKRs framework are ambitious and keep the teams motivated to achieve what they previously deemed impossible.
Below you will find insightful ideas about the fundamentals of OKRs development in the engineering field. Besides, you will also find OKR great examples to inspire you and the entire engineering team.
Things You Should Know About Setting Up OKRs.
Like in any other industry or field, setting up the OKRs framework in engineering requires specific principles in your mind. Chiefly, the methodology requires rich OKRs to make them applicable and practical.
A poorly written framework will demotivate your team members leading them to confusion. To avoid these issues, you should understand the step-by-step development and implementation of the different aspects in the OKRs methodology.
You Should Establish General Objectives.
Since the objectives are an essential element of the OKRs strategy, you need to develop an overarching objective that aligns with the company’s mission statement. The objective should outline what you are trying to achieve and the expectation from your team.
You don’t have to include numerous specifics when setting up your objectives. It would be best if you also made the objective simple, avoiding conjunctions and long phrases.
Develop Measurable and Ambitious Key Results
Numbers characterize most key results to make them quantitative and measurable. Having a specific target in your key results will help prevent arguments on whether the KRs have been achieved. The number in the key results also enables progress tracking through the percentage system.
Further, the Key results should not just be a task to check off the list but a stretch to achieve. Companies use the key results to maintain high performance and track progress.
Note that you don’t have to necessarily attain 100% key results but consider less achievement, such as 50%, as an achievement in that quarter.
Also, you should limit your key results to only three for each objective. A long list of key results would be confusing and make the framework complicated. Having around two or three KRs would make the task simple as you would easily memorize them and remain on track.
OKR Great Examples for Engineering Project
Example 1
Objective: Grow the expert team
Key results
- Provide at least 5 hours of professional development per employee.
- Mandatory completion of 90% of the training modules.
- Attend three conferences in two months as a team
Example 2
Objective: Develop a stellar engineering team
Key results
- Increase the workplace satisfaction rate by 50%
- Decrease bug reports by 20%
- Hire 2 engineers within three months.
Example 3
Objective: Increase quality
Key Results
- Document 100% of the services
- Reduce runtime warnings by 50%
- Decrease load time by 80%
An OKRs framework is an effective tool that could improve your engineering projects and enhance performance. Set simple objectives and assign key results for each. Follow the highlighted examples to grasp the development and formality associated with the methodology.