Objectives and Key Results unquestionably are very powerful tool that helps you align individual and organizational goals. However, without proper OKR training, it is quite difficult to extract maximum value out of them for your organization.
How will OKR training benefit your organization?
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” –Aristotle
Even when you have a magic wand in hand you got to know the right spells to make it work. This is how OKR training benefits your organization.
Complete knowledge and education about OKRs are required to use them to their full potential. No matter how easy it might appear to you in the beginning, you will realize the need for an OKR coach to train your team for the proper utilization of this brilliant tool.
Handling the team and managing goals is a big responsibility and it cannot be given to untrained hands. If you cannot trust an untrained driver with your car, you certainly can’t let that happen to your precious organization.
Before actual implementation, the stages of OKR implementation should be understood carefully by each and every employee.
This is especially important for gaining traction and mentoring teams as OKRs are implemented.
Moreover, it is difficult to continuously implement OKRs personally. Setting perfect objectives and key results that fit your need and guarantees success as well as maintaining consistency requires expert guidance.
Also, as a responsible leader you understand that mere setting of objectives or key results does not solve the purpose, achieving them is the actual aim.
This instates the need for a specialist OKR coach to guide your organization through all the obstacles they may encounter while implementing OKRs.
Also, there are certain intrinsic queries that can only be answered with the help of an OKR expert. For example, routine questions such as “with whom should the objectives and key results are shared?”, can only be answered by your employees after undergoing proper OKR training.
Having OKR training sessions at your organization, before implementing the methodology will save your time, money, as well as other resources.
This will also help you discover the blind spots that you may miss otherwise. Hence, buying an OKR training program is an investment to upgrade your resources.
What things should be kept in mind while starting the OKR training?
OKR training is undeniable an integral part of implementing OKR methodology in an organization. However, before choosing the training program you must ensure that it follows the right OKR approach to help your organization realize the benefits of OKRs.
OKR coaches can be outsourced to provide the training or may be hired on a permanent basis but, a highly trained professional dedicated to implementing OKRs in the organization is the need of the hour.
Utilizing their skills, knowledge, and experience, they are capable of driving the best results using OKRs and imparting training to the employees that help them grow as a resource.
The OKR training program must be able to help your employees in creating OKRs that are able to articulate direction and focus. Moreover, it should be able to bring alignment amongst individual and organizational goals.
Below we have listed a few points that should be kept in mind while starting the OKR training:
Is your training time-efficient?
“The way we spend our time defines who we are” -Jonathan Estrin
Time is a precious resource for any organization and a good training program always focuses on the efficient utilization of time.
With in-depth knowledge and relevant experience, the OKR coaches can introduce your team to different perspectives of the methodology. This will save their time in the long run while handling different issues.
Moreover, an OKR training program helps the employees to immediately align and connect with the strategic priorities. This will further save the time needed to get everyone on board while implementing OKRs.
Therefore, the OKR training does not just equip your team with the ability to structure their goals but, also makes them more aligned and productive.
Does it help you adapt OKR the right way?
Several companies across the world have tried implementing the OKR methodology but, failed. Even if OKRs are sometimes alleged as culprits, we beg to disagree here.
Every organization has different goals and thus different OKR needs. The purpose of having an OKR coach is to help you find the right way to implement OKRs in your organization.
A good OKR training program saves you from hit and trial and finds the best suitable solution for your organization. This does not let the employees lose hope due to repeated failures and also helps the organization to put their time and money to better use.
Finding the blind spots
There are certain areas that need focus and attention while working with OKR methodology but are often ignored.
These are known as blind spots as they do not appear relevant at the first instance and can be easily missed by an untrained or inexperienced eye.
This is why an OKR coach is needed while implementing OKRs in an organization.
Most leaders begin their OKR journey by reading a book and then directly implementing the strategy in their organization. Here you must remember that reading about baseball and playing on the field are two completely different things.
There is a large gap between theoretical knowledge and practical implementation of OKRs and this can only be bridged by a good OKR coach.
Only knowing the theory leaves you with plans and projects that are either never achieved in reality or do not add value to the organization.
 Communicating and implementing OKRs
It is very important that all the team members are well aware of the OKRs of the team as well as the bigger goals of the organization.
This helps them to realize their contribution to the overall progress of the organization making them feel worthy and keeping them motivated.
The OKRs can be communicated individually or through team meetings that may be organized virtually or in person.
Moreover, the operating rhythm, as well as the frequency of review for OKRs, must also be conveyed effectively to the employees.
A good OKR training program helps in both efficient communication as well as the implementation of OKRs. The OKR coach guides you to gauge the progress of the previous cycle and set the OKRs for the next cycle.
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Conclusion
“Job training empowers people to realize their dreams and improve their lives.” -Sylvia Mathews Burwell
An organization is capable of achieving success using OKRs only when this brilliant methodology is accompanied by proper training.
The OKR training effectively institutes the necessary understanding of OKRs that enables the employees to embrace them with ease.
OKR training can benefit your organization in more than one way as it has the potential to lead you to the path of success. Therefore, it is worth you’re your effort and time.
