Objectives + Key Results (OKR) Leadership

How do you practice OKR Leadership?
1. Coaching is the primary skill managers practice to maximize others’ productivity.
2. Managers and leaders can use the globally validated AD-FITTM coaching process to provide feedback. The AD-FITTM process is an evidence-based approach to positive psychology coaching or consulting based upon (a) awareness of strengths and growth mindset, (b) defining a meaningful objective or OKRs, (c) focus on the client’s agenda, (d) interventions and interaction, (e) takeaways, and (f) percentage of compliance to this model. Trademarked and globally validated by Action Learning Associates, LLC, 2018.
3. You need to practice asking great questions, especially those that begin with “what” and “how.” I use the OKR Pulse Survey question to measure adoption and organizational change over time. That question is, “To what extent are you using OKR Leadership to drive your business?” Score from 1 (low) to 10 (high).
4. You need to practice writing and sharing your OKRs. This is a public management approach designed to solicit feedback, model accountability and achieve outcomes.
5. You can make certain that your OKRs align with the mission, vision and strategy of your team or organization. People always create "order" out of chaos.
6. I recommend that you review your OKRs quarterly. OKRs are a feedback process that ALL colleagues require.

T = Takeaways or next steps. The purpose of this final step is to model accountability and desired changes. I will typically ask, “What are you taking away from this session today that you intend to do before our next session?” I encourage both you and your direct report to take notes and record your responses. I strongly encourage you to review the action plan matrix monthly. Then take more notes. If your direct report does not take notes, or does not take action, then you are tolerating poor performance. Managers do not do – and should not – do anyone else’s OKR work. Each person must practice their own OKR Leadership, because they are managing their own business.
Finally, I often ask, “How compliant have you been with the AD-FITTM coaching protocols since our last session?” I consider low compliance low compliance to be 0-20%, 20-40%, 60-80%; high compliance is 80-100%? You can see that this sets the bar high for compliance. While there are no right / wrong answers, coaching is more successful when leaders are at least 80% compliant with the AD-FITTM coaching protocols.

I = Interventions or interactions or best practices. When we have problems we require and often seek solutions from managers and consultants. As we have discussed, interactions with others provide feedback, and feedback leads to learning. Psychologists describe interventions as "what really works." You may find it helpful to use the OKR worksheet in chapter 2 to structure each AD-FITTM coaching session.
I typically provide some evidence-based content and structure for each coaching session. For instance, if one of my client’s outcomes is to develop executive presence, then I will provide a slide presentation, or best practices for review. Those proprietary documents are tremendously valuable. I encourage my clients to save them in a digital folder called “Action Learning Associates” or “Executive Coaching.”