Planning your OKR Reset
Do you hear that? The "tick, tock" of the clock running out on your current goal cycle?
That sound means: it's time to plan your OKR Reset!
One of the most pivotal, yet often overlooked or shortchanged steps in the OKR rhythm is the quarter Review and Reset. (Around here, we separate the two, and think of it as a Learning Review, and OKR Reset.)
Now is the time to get curious:
What have you learned over the last quarter (or goal cycle) that should be applied to the next goal cycle?
Are any of your OKRs sending you in the wrong direction?
What's working?
What isn't?
Here, I’m going to share a few resources to help you get ready for your next OKR Reset, and as always, if you have questions, I’d love to hear them!
What does an OKR Reset Schedule look like?
I drew up an example for the Q2 2024 reset schedule, for an organization that localizes OKRs from L1 (company level) to L3 (teams / initiatives level).
Quick tips:
Time-compress your OKR reset and alignment window: it’s important to get into implementation as quickly as possible!
Encourage leaders and teams to create their proposed OKRs in low-fidelity as drafts. “Keepers” can be finalized during alignment review.
An example OKR Reset Schedule for an organization that localized OKRs from the Company to L3+, that fits the OKR Reset and OKR Alignment into four weeks.
I coach a no-longer-than-four-week OKR reset cycle for an organization that fully-localizes OKRs:
Week one: Update the L1 / Company-level OKRs
Week two: Update the L2 / Org-level OKRs
Week three: Update the L3+ OKRs for teams, initiatives, and any other sub-teams that participate
Week four: Complete the OKR alignment review.
Does that schedule make your head spin?
If so, your organization may be spending more time on OKR creation and alignment than necessary.
Want to learn how to create OKRs quickly and efficiently?
Check out our popular No-BS OKRs Workshop
I’m doing a limited release of the No-BS OKRs Workbook for friends and family on March 20th. Download my OKR Learning Review Guide excerpt to join the waiting list!
What are the parts of an OKR Reset?
An OKR Reset actually has two parts:
Taking stock of what we've learned (I call this the OKR Learning Review)
Deciding how our vision of the the future may change based on what we've learned, and updating OKRs accordingly (commonly referred to as the OKR Reset).
It’s common to conflate the two — and it is absolutely possible to complete both in one session or meeting. But I’ve found it necessary to think of them as two separate parts. The Learning Review gives us a chance to really take stock of what we’ve learned to inform our decisions about what goals to set next, instead of just jumping into goal-revision without that time to think.
How do you complete an OKR Learning Review?
There are numerous retrospective methods commonly used in organizations. The two I’ve seen most frequently used include:
What worked / what didn’t
Start / stop / continue
So feel free to use whichever retrospective format works for you.
Personally, I use a method that treats our operating environment like a living ecosystem. I find it helpful as a frame for thinking back and looking forward in a more creative and generative (and less judgmental or evaluative) way. (You can snag a copy in my OKR Learning Review Guide download.)
After completing your Learning Review, you’re ready to begin creating or updating your OKRs.
How do I reset OKRs?
Resetting OKRs is similar to the process of creating them, only you’re starting from a starting place, not a blank sheet of paper.
Take what you learned in your Learning Review, and determine which OKRs need updating;
Look for any OKRs that are outdated or complete and remove them;
Look for any OKRs that need adjusting from your original target due to changes in circumstances. I don’t recommend making adjustments during OKR Implementation — between reset cycles — since if we do, we may sweep important learnings under the rug and not address them with reflection. That said, it is appropriate during your formal periodic OKR Reset to correct or adjust any Objectives or Key Results that need adjusting;
Notice if there are any Objectives or Key Results missing that you need to add, and create them;
And once your OKRs are updated, be sure to align them with your key stakeholders, and communicate them to anyone who has responsibility to contribute toward achieving them.
What questions do you have about planning an OKR Reset?
Drop me a note, and I’ll add a FAQ to this blog post and send you an answer!
