We continue with the new series of posts in which we detail 50 tips for teams focused on results (part 4). First of all, I recommend you consult the previous post.
For this fourth post, we are going to try to answer this question: What motivations should we transmit to a team focused on results?
31. Be transparent and honest
All objectives and OKRs must be accessible. Avoid secret plans, don’t hide difficulties. An open company makes it easier for people to help each other. A leadership team that admits to being out of the way sets the tone and builds trust.
32. Keep most goals achievable
Nothing can sap morale faster than not achieving any of your goals. It is helpful to have some ambitious goals, but keep things within reach. This is especially important in the beginning, when people wonder if poor results will be used against them.
33. Keep it simple
Avoid complex links between goals, objectives and key results. It will look great on the first day of the quarter, but we move in agile markets and priorities will change.
34. Reduce the number of competing priorities
This way, your team can maximize impact. The more goals people have, the less impact they can have. If people spend hours each week updating progress, it will leave them little room to execute.
35. Share high-level progress with the entire team
Don’t expect your team to get that information: they’re busy. Inform them of your progress promptly. Not everyone will be able to help, but everyone should care.
36. Strengthen the idea of delighting customers
A simple way to ensure alignment across an organization is to make sure everyone has the same objectives. That’s what “delighting customers” is all about – having a common, tangible focus internally and externally.
37. Maintain a set of core KPIs
Quarterly OKRs are perfect, but we will need a set of basic metrics to monitor the health of the business. Choose 5 KPIs to track. Quarterly targets help improve specific parts of the organization. KPIs ensure there are no emergencies.
38. Have retrospectives
Don’t jump right into planning for the next quarter. Sit down with your team to talk about what worked and what went wrong. Learn from past experience to create a better plan.
39. Let go of things that don’t work
If a goal or OKR doesn’t bring joy to the business, thank it and let it go. Markets change all the time and what seemed right a month ago may no longer be the best thing to do. Value the opportunity cost.
40. Respect your team’s culture
There are many goal-setting frameworks to choose from and OKRs are one of the best options. But be sure to keep your team’s DNA in mind when implementing it. Don’t push too hard for practices that are not a good fit.
I invite you to continue to check out the content of this series in the next post.
Photo credit: PZ
