OKR Meaning: An Implicit Perception of Management

 

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. Was the epoch of belief, was the epoch of incredulity. It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness. It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." That's the opening sentences of 'The Tale of Two Cities', the greatest novel of Charles Dickens. Indeed, when he wrote these sentences, Industrial Revolution had already begun. Globalization, and strong interaction haven't gone forward, yet. But, he used such an extreme quotes. Nowadays, we are in more and more different World. As well, this article aims to examine OKR definition which belongs to the now and future.

The Earth had encountered so many, and unique changings since The Tale of Two Cities. However, the process never ended. And, improvements have remained to move on. Then, just for last three decades, technology has pushed the limits. In such a globalized world, everything can interacts more and more easily with each other. Therefore, trade volume is at the peak volume in its history. Thus, business-men have to promote different approaches in their management life. OKR shines like the Sun, when it comes to develop management system. And, with understanding of OKR meaning, it is beneficial to say how OKR is useful for business and management sytems.

Management Life Requires Extensive Solutions

Naturally, there're many business areas in such an interactive world. Almost every area needs sustainable solutions to handle its challenges. Sustainable solutions depend on being awake of mattered issues. So indeed, mindfulness plays a great role in management. Since, when the rapid of change grows rapidly, it is hard so stay on stable line. Moreover, if managers want to go on developing line, their mindfulness should exceeds its limits. With breaking the shell of perception, it will be easy to decide using an essential tool for management. Factly, if one hopes to make his company larger, trial of new and sustaniable tools comes into the light.

Solutions Should Be Implemented with Digital Tools

Then, what about the features of these tools? Technology has come along in a crazy path, this should be put on mind. So, just like other areas, business and management has moved to digital world. Trade, shopping, and marketing are cruical parts of digital world. Customers find with searching engines what they aim to purchase. That's why, management also has to benefit with digital area. There are many important notions to help companies about management. Most used one is OKR system. Consequently, Corvisio OKR created to promote Objectives and Key Results flexibly.

OKR Meaning: A Brief Glance

After the intangible introduction, the moment of explaining of "OKR meaning" came. Initially, a few sentences should become a part of explaining. History of OKR is not old as Industrial Revolution. Yet, it is paralel with digitalization. In his book, High Output Management(1983), Grove initially explains a main characteristic of successful OKR, which is effect of orderly implementing. “A manager’s objectives are supported by an appropriate set of key results. His objectives, in turn, are tied to his supervisor’s objectives. So that if the manager meets his objectives, his supervisor will meet his.”

Thus, OKR have systemized over years. Thanks to this improvement, there’re such questions created to promote OKR more fertilely, at the end of 90s. The former is, “Where do I want to go”, and the latter is, “How will I know ‘m getting there?”. Objectives and key results became based on these questions. This situation ensures a new paradigm for OKR implementing. That paradigm helps OKR to spread all around the World.

Apart from its history, OKR system has magical elements in its sense. Both as ontological and as epistemological, it is thankfully appointed. Actually, I mean structural features while saying 'ontological'. And, I also mean implementical features while saying 'epistemological'. In fact, OKRs is not strictly created. It has useful flexibility as well. Certainly, it is formed  a frame for OKR in ideal level. But, this frame does not limit the implementation. Even, it encourages expanding the field of application. This is what I indicate as magical! Does it sound nice of expanding the implemantation area with formed a frame? But how? How does OKR realize this situation?

Solutions with OKR Matter

Before illustrating how OKR realizes the idea above, I have to notice something.

Respectfully, "Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times." This spectacular approach belongs to Ibn Khaldun, great sociolog lived in 14th century. We can say that origin of OKR notion and Ibn Khaldun's idea is the same. 'Cause in real world, companies make their action plan upon people's behaviors. And, people have had the same core features for thousands years.

OKR has two main necessities that needed to settle. The former is Objective, and the letter is Key result. Firstly, one has to indicate an objective. Objective should contains the frame of problem. It should directs us to understand what the problem is. Furthermore, Key result should be milestones about solutions of such a problem. So, Key result has to concern with Objective directly. If you want to learn deeply about OKR, you can read OKR Examples.

OKR Originates from Human Nature

Afterwards, the step of observing comes. At the end of process, there may be an outcome as with 100% success. However, an almost fully percentage of solving are not a true achievement in OKR! Since, key results should be almost impossible for company, team, or employee. They are should seemed as ideal solutions. With this, OKR system advantages you to your aim. Yet, if there's more than 80% of completing in your result, it refers to good times! Namely, company, team, or employee have had good times throughout the working. But, in competitive World, hard-works are only paid-off. So, anyone in company should continue on the hard-work line. Since, good times leads to weak results. And, weak results cause to hard times for company.

Here, that's why we love OKR system. Its magical sense originates from the human nature, and historical context.

Some Technical Details about OKR

Allright, is it better to say more about the epistemology of OKR? As you know, epistemology means its implementational features. The most important one of these features is the number of key results. Surely, every objective that we choose should define and appoint a problem. Then, we should indicate 3-5 key results for each objective. There may be many key results for an objective as you appreciate. Yet, the effectiveness does not rise to infinity, when the number of key results increases. Due to key results are almost impossible goals, it only results decreasing in success. So, we should specify the most critical key results.

Instead, we can change our objectives or key results during the process. This usefulness due to flexibility of OKR. However, this is not suggested for more comfortable progression. Moreover, it is only effective in an unestimated, or overlooked situation.

OKR Directs Everyone to the Goal in A Company

Finally, it is understandable that every manager wants to delegate aims to each cell of company. If managers can not tell what company exactly goals, some of the source, and time is wasted. Therefore, for a professional business life, using OKR is cruicially necessary. 'Cause, OKR dashboard shows all of the company objectives to every worker. Thus, all of employees are aware of what they work for.

Consequently, when OKR meaning is clearly understood, and objectives and key results are truly specified, the process goes on. Nevertheless, managers can easily focus everyone on the same goal. It is good to say OKR directs everyone to the goal in a company.