A formalized goal-setting process is essential for any organization that wants to define and track business objectives and drive high performance. If you’re using the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) goal setting framework, you already understand why goal setting and tracking are so important. (If you’re new to OKR, check out our OKR Goal Basics blog for a helpful overview.)
In this article, we’ll focus on the software side of OKRs and how the right tools can help you facilitate a great goal setting process. Read on to learn more about five characteristics we believe are critical to creating and tracking OKRs and motivating employees to do their best work.
OKRs encourage employees to push themselves and achieve ambitious goals. They remind employees, managers, and leaders of what needs to be done and the steps they need to take to achieve those goals. When done correctly, OKRs can be your company’s roadmap for progress, aligning the entire organization around a common mission, vision, and set of values.
All of that said, OKRs are only effective if they are truly prioritized as part of your performance management operations. If they’re not front and center in employees’ minds, even the best-crafted OKRs can be forgotten or ignored. That’s why an OKR tool that integrates with the day-to-day activities of employees and managers is critical to facilitating regular goal conversations and keeping individuals and teams on track.
While every company and industry has unique needs when it comes to goal management, we’ve found some common things that most organizations will benefit from when choosing an OKR tool. The following are five of the top features to consider when looking to implement an OKR solution.
1. A user-friendly interface
Nothing hurts software adoption more than a tool that is a pain to use. If you want employees and managers to join your OKR software, it needs to be easy for everyone in your organization to navigate.
The best OKR tools have a clean user interface that employees can learn to use with minimal guidance or training. Creating, editing, and updating progress on objectives and key results should be quick and painless for your busy employees.
Good OKR tools clearly show goal progress and offer reminders for check-ins. They help employees understand how their individual OKRs align with their team and company goals, and motivate everyone in the organization to contribute and win together.
2. A clear and complete dashboard
Research shows that documenting goals significantly increases the chances of achieving them. The best OKR products include a well-designed, easy-to-read dashboard that illustrates individual and team OKR goals and the progress that has been made on each goal and key result.
Progress visualization shows employees and managers how they are tracking personal OKRs, team-level OKRs, and organizational goals at a glance. It also helps motivate employees to perform at a higher level and facilitates more regular OKR conversations with leaders and peers.
3. The ability to track progress in real time
Research from the American Psychological Association shows that the ability to see and monitor the distance from a goal is crucial to goal achievement.
A good OKR tool will include progress bars, color coding, and other visuals to show employees how far they need to go to reach a goal and alert them when they’re falling behind.
A robust OKR process should also include a way to help employees see how their efforts impact team and company goals. This allows them to connect the work they do every day to a deeper purpose, which is essential to employee engagement and performance.
4. Aligns with managers’ records
A healthy employee-manager relationship is key to goal achievement, and your OKR tool should help facilitate regular manager check-ins and goal conversations. By reviewing OKRs during check-ins and one-on-ones, managers can ensure their direct reports are on track with their goals, uncover roadblocks, provide helpful feedback, and celebrate victories.
Regular OKR conversations allow managers to dig deeper into specific areas where their team may need help. And since company and team priorities can change, now is a good time for managers and their employees to review OKRs together and make sure their goals remain aligned with company goals and results are delivered. correct key.
5. Integrates with your other performance management tools
OKR software should not feel to your users like just another tool that they have to log into. Your OKR tool should integrate seamlessly with your other HR tools and processes and make setting and tracking goals easy, not more complicated.
At 15Five, we believe in a multifaceted approach to performance management. That’s why our Perform solution integrates the OKR process with employee feedback, recognition, and records, so teams can collaborate and stay focused on what’s most important to win as an organization.
Need a little help understanding the best ways to launch, create, and track OKRs? We prepared a tactical guide just for you. Find out how OKRs can fit into your performance management strategy, how to set OKRs and track progress, common pitfalls to avoid, and more in our comprehensive OKR manual.
Get the playbook >
