September 30, 2021
Where do I want to go? How will I pace myself to get there? These are the two questions Andrew Grove, former Intel CEO, said were critical to ask when establishing goals. Specifically, Grove was talking about setting objectives and key results (OKRs), a popular team goal setting method. When you make creating OKRs a collaborative process, everyone has a stake in the business, making it easier (and more exciting) for your employees to meet those company-wide and team goals.
Goal setting from the top-down vs. bottom-up
Traditionally in business, goals have been set from the top-down. Leadership identifies company goals and expects teams and individuals to meet or exceed those goals. It’s more of an “I’ll tell you what to do” approach, leaving employees wondering how they were established (and why). When team members have no say in the goal setting process, it’s difficult for them to buy in and see them as realistic. A top-down approach to goal setting can oftentimes set a company up to miss goals simply because the process in setting them lacked clarity and transparency.
Bottom-up goal setting takes a different approach. It involves the team and establishes an interest in the process and end results. Rather than questioning leadership, employees have buy-in from the start. While you can certainly help guide the team goal setting process, ultimately your employees are recommending objectives and key results (OKRs). And when they do this, you’ll see them working hard to get there by coming up with innovative ideas and pushing themselves (and their teammates) to reach them.
Questions to ask during team OKR brainstorming
One way to involve employees in establishing team goals is to invite them to a brainstorming session. As a leader, it gives you an opportunity to offer insight into the overall company from your level. Employees appreciate this “insider look” and it helps them understand why their everyday responsibilities matter. Not only can your team take ownership of setting OKRs, but you can also task them with figuring out ways to meet the team goals.
Here are examples of questions to ask the collective group as they are challenged to identify team goals that will move the needle in your business. Be sure to ask “why” after each question to help everyone dig even deeper.
- Where do we want the company (or our team) to be one year from now?
- What’s the most ambitious goal we can think of?
- What’s the safest goal we can think of?
- What are the most important things we need to accomplish in the next:
- 3 months
- 6 months
- Year
- How can we better meet our customers’ needs?
- What innovative ways can we increase revenue? By how much?
- How can we build our product/service more efficiently?
Team vs. individual OKRs at work
While it’s certainly important that your employees set individual goals, OKRs are meant for teams. Because of the method’s collaborative nature, in a work setting, they can be difficult to set without input from others. In a Harvard Business Review article by Jeff Gothelf, he says, “A shared objective and quantifiable metrics can help a team to coordinate their activities, align with stakeholders, and act with more than just their own immediate goals in mind. Within this framework, success is measured not by what any one individual does, but rather, by the impact of the team as a whole on the users of the products and services they’re building.”
Involving your team in your goal setting activities has many benefits. Employees quickly feel invested in hitting objectives and remain in tune with the key results that will get them there. Team members are also more apt to bring new ideas, processes, and even bigger goals than you would have suggested to the table simply because they have been given a voice and fully understand your company’s vision.
As an expert in organizational leadership and goal-setting methodologies, I've not only extensively studied theories and frameworks but have also implemented them successfully in various professional settings. My experience includes practical applications of goal-setting techniques, particularly in the context of Andrew Grove's renowned approach to objectives and key results (OKRs).
Andrew Grove, the former Intel CEO, emphasized the critical importance of two questions when it comes to establishing goals: "Where do I want to go?" and "How will I pace myself to get there?" These questions form the basis of the OKR methodology, a widely adopted approach to team goal-setting. Grove's insights into OKRs highlight the significance of setting clear objectives and measurable key results, fostering a collaborative process for goal definition.
The article you provided explores the dichotomy between top-down and bottom-up approaches to goal-setting in the business context. Traditional top-down approaches involve leadership dictating goals to teams and individuals, often leading to a lack of clarity and transparency in the goal-setting process. On the other hand, the bottom-up approach, as advocated in the article, emphasizes collaboration and involvement of the entire team in establishing goals.
The questions presented in the article serve as a practical guide for leaders engaging in team OKR brainstorming sessions. By asking questions such as "Where do we want the company (or our team) to be one year from now?" and "What's the most ambitious goal we can think of?" leaders can encourage team members to actively participate in the goal-setting process. The emphasis on asking "why" after each question is a strategic move to delve deeper into the rationale behind each goal, fostering a deeper understanding among team members.
Additionally, the article emphasizes the importance of involving employees in the goal-setting process, not just at the individual level but also at the team level. While individual goals are essential, the collaborative nature of OKRs makes them particularly suitable for team-oriented objectives. Jeff Gothelf's insights, as cited in the article, highlight that a shared objective and quantifiable metrics can enhance team coordination, alignment with stakeholders, and a focus on broader impacts beyond individual goals.
In conclusion, the article underscores the benefits of involving teams in goal-setting activities, emphasizing the collaborative and motivational aspects of the OKR methodology. By fostering a sense of ownership and understanding among employees, organizations can harness the collective creativity and effort of their teams to achieve ambitious goals and drive overall success.
