OKRs Real-time progress tracking
As we mentioned in our previous post, Adoption is key to get OKR benefits. We explained why the OKR Tool you implement have to be a pusher and never be pulled.
By having a good OKR Software as a tool, you must ensure that your tool support Key Results integration with several data sources. Otherwise, Objectives and Key Results became an administrative anchor.
During the planning sessions where employees define a healthy list of two to three objectives and key results aligned to their managers OKR. Typically, those objectives should contain the list of Key Results (KR) where employees define how that objective is going to be achieved.
By definition, like John Doerr repeats several times in his best-seller Measure What Matters, quote: “a Key Result should be measurable“. It must be represented by a number or a checkbox (Completed/Not Completed).
By having numeric Key Results you will have the advantage to bind them to any system data. Then, Key Results being bound to real-time data are updated by the software and not by the employee and therefore they became a pusher tracking progress and notifying employees to take action and reminding them of the importance of that progress.
Remember that Data-driven management is the practice that OKR implicit is establishing.
Types of Key Results
Having in mind that Key Results represents the HOW are you reaching the objective you need to be careful when you are selecting the right type. The type is directly related to the Target attribute. OKR Software like Axy OKR normally support different KR Types such us:
- Number: This is the most used and the easiest to bind to a report. Key Result, example: Contact 50 Leads to have a demo session during Q1.
- Boolean: This is also very common because it is quite simple to measure. It done or not. This is one of Andy Grove favorites type. Example: Finish the onboarding plan before October the 1rst
- Currency: This is a better representation of a number KR. Example: $130,000 in Sales for Q1
- Percentage: Another representation of a number KR. Example: Increase the close won rate to 40%
- To-Do: In Axy OKR we also support To-Do Type. This is quite useful when you have to plan several tasks that the competition of them represent the achievement of the KR. Example: 1 Prepare the Webinar PPT, 2 Give the presentation in the webinar, 3 Collect customer feedback. 4 Send the recording. We automatically calculate the progress percentage when the user check the tasks as completed in Salesforce.
Automatic vs Manual KR
Now we understand the important role of the OKR platform updating the Key Results, it became obvious to maximize the amount of automatic KR. In Axy OKR this is just by binding a report to the KR and our system will automatically run that report every hour and update the Target field and therefore the progress.
This process also triggers the possible notifications that you could have configured if the user passes some threshold.
Always try to enforce your team to define at least 50% of automatic Key Results. 100% is glory 🙂
Salesforce reports are amazing
In Axy OKR we use Salesforce Reports to naturally bind Key Result progress and Data. Reports in Salesforce are incredibly flexible and powerful. You usually have real-time information about your business process within the CRM and it is quite simple to explode that data into real progress tracking by creating your reports.
It is quite important in report building to understand that Salesforce has a security system that enables to use the same report for different people and extract only the data they are allowed to see. That is called Sharing Permissions and it is usually implemented following the organization hierarchy.
For instance, if your Key Result is to complete a $500k on sales for Q3. You would easily use the Current Quarter Closed Opportunities standard report and bind it to your Key Result. Then Axy OKR will automatically run that report every some time and update the Key Result.
But the good part is that your subordinates could use the same report and the system will update the key result checking only the opportunities that belong to him.
SFDC integrations
Salesforce is the most powerful CRM in the market not only by the CRM functionality but by the powerful Lightning platform that allows any customer to customize, extend and integrate with your system landscape.
Regarding integrations, Salesforce offer multiple options such as:
- Lightning Connector
- MuleSoft
- Jitterbit
- and hundreds more…
Any of them will give you the power to create simple reports in Salesforce even for data that is in another system, and bind those to your team Key Results.
Summary
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- Key Results should be numeric – Data-Driven Management is Key
- Automatic Key Result progress is the most powerful tool of OKRs
- Keep then as higher as possible the Automatic percentage of them
- Reports in Salesforce are great. Use them for Key Results
- Salesforce is the most powerful system to integrate your business and concentrate your business OKRs
Finally, remember that our app is free for 30 days. Give it a try on appexchange.
Cheers
Axy Team
