OKRs, otherwise known as objectives and key results are a cornerstone of modern businesses. They help teams align their operations with their goals effectively, ensuring a smoother process. But how do you determine how many you need for OKRs to actually help you succeed?
To dive a little deeper into it, it’s important to undersand the purpose of your OKRs. In its essence OKRs help set a framework of what will make you reach your goals and objectives in a measurable and transparent way. They articulate what needs to be achieved and give a quantifiable roadmap.
One misconception to consider is that the more OKRs you have the greater your productivity will be. But that’s not necessarily true. Instead of spreading out your efforts into many many OKRs, it may be wiser to select a few key ones in order to make sure you stay on track. But that still doesn’t completely answer your question.
If you haven’t caugh on already, spoiler alert, we cannot provide you with a bullet proof number and promise it will work simply beacuse there are a lot of factors that is likely to affect how effective your OKRs will be. What we can tell you though, is what to consider in deciding your ultimate number.
For example, your ideal number of OKRs may depend on the size of your team and the scope of which they operate. Larger teams may need more OKRs to keep up with a wider range of responsibilities and objectives as opposed to smaller teams. In a similar way, teams that work in more complex projects may require additional OKRs to adress different aspects of their circumstances compared to other more straightforward projects.
How aligned your OKRs are, are arguably even more valuable to your success than the number of OKRs you have. So, when setting your OKRs, make sure that they are in direct alignment with what your team is striving for and your organizational goals. Otherwise, you may find yourself reaching your objectives only to realize it was not your intention to do so and you’ve actually moved further away from your original goals.
Of course it doesn’t simply end with scope, size, or alignment. There is also attainability to consider. There should always be a balance between your ambitions and what’s within reach. While it’s always important to push your limits, if your goals prove to be overambitious, it may prove to be doing more damage than good for you in the end. Keep your teams’s capacity and your available resources in mind to ensure that your effors don’t end in frustration and demorilization.
Last but not least, don’t think of OKRs as a one time thing but rather an everevolving process that will require your care and nurturing all throughout. As you refine and adjust with the results you receive, making the necessary tweaks along the way will be invaluable when you’re working for sustained long-term success.
The best way to set up your OKRs and help make sure they’re accessible for everyone in your organization is to use the right software. An OKR Software for example will allow you to set and manage your OKRs, as well as keep up with your progress, and adjust along the way.
At the end of the day, there really isn’t a one size fits all answer to how many OKRs you should have. But what you can do is to consider the different aspects of your team and its needs so that you can make the most appropriate decision in alignment with your needs. Regardless, don’t forget that the ultimate goal with OKRs is not only to set objectives but also to inspire and guide teams in the right direction effectively.