Page 138 · Module 06, Build Your Team · this screen continues that page
All 108 frameworksOKRs - Goals That Drive Action
Your team sets goals at the start of the quarter that nobody looks at again. Or your goals are
The prompt
Copy & paste readyLabelsReplace theseSwap the role below
Pro tip, from the book
The most common OKR failure is writing Key Results that measure activity instead of outcome. 'Conduct 20 customer interviews' is activity. 'Identify 3 validated insights that change our roadmap' is outcome. Your team can tick off activity without moving the needle. Only outcomes tell you if you're actually winning.
Who should run this prompt
Module role profileWho should advise on people and leadership decisions? Leadership decisions are the highest-leverage decisions in any organisation — and the hardest to get right because the stakes are human. The roles on this page bring the perspectives of people who have seen hundreds of teams succeed and fail. Use them before hiring, before giving difficult feedback, before restructuring, and before having the conversations you have been avoiding.
Choose any role to drop it into the prompt above. Only the highlighted opening clause changes — the rest of the prompt stays exactly as printed.
◆◆◆◆◆ → ◆ seniority, board level down to specialist◈ outside the organisation
How to make any role sharper
- Add years of experience: "...with 15 years in enterprise SaaS" produces different depth than just the title.
- Add what they care most about: "You care most about [X]" shapes every word of the output.
- Add their communication style: "Be direct. Flag risks first. No jargon." changes the tone entirely.
Use this when
The problem it solvesso vague that you can't tell at the end of the quarter whether you achieved them. Activity is high, progress is unclear.
How the framework works
From the printed pageOKRs were developed by Andy Grove at Intel in the 1970s and popularised by John Doerr at Google. An Objective is a qualitative, inspiring statement of where you want to go. Key Results are 2–4 specific, measurable outcomes that prove you've arrived. The critical rule: Key Results measure outcomes, not activities. 'Launch the new feature' is a task. 'Achieve 40% feature adoption among active users within 60 days' is a Key Result. OKRs work because they separate what you want to achieve from how you'll know you've achieved it.
The method, in four moves
Do these in orderWrite the Objective as something that would genuinely excite the team, not a business metric.
Key Results must be measurable, if you can't put a number on it, it's not a Key Result.
Set 3–5 OKRs per quarter. More dilutes focus. Fewer creates over-dependence on one outcome.
Review OKRs in weekly team meetings, not just at quarter end. Set goals your team actually works toward, not ones they forget by week two Hitting 100% of your Key Results every quarter isn't success, it's a sign you set them too safe. OKRs work as a stretch tool, not a performance review. If your team is always green, you're measuring comfort, not progress. Ambitious Targets Aren't the Point
Where the framework comes from
Andy Grove, Intel — MBO adapted to OKRs · John Doerr, Google, 1999
Pairs well with
As printed with this frameworkModule 06 — Build Your Team
Build people who build the company leadership is the product.
12 frameworks, printed on pages 135–158.
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