Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

Goals may cause systematic problems in organizations due to narrowed focus, unethical behavior, increased risk taking, decreased cooperation, and decreased motivation.

First, said Edwin Locke, “hard goals” drive performance more effectively than easy goals. Second, specific hard goals “produce a higher level of output” than vaguely worded ones.

He and Sergey were determined to change the world, and I believed they had a shot.