Skill: npfaerber/okr-consulting (version 1.0.1)

--- name: okr-consulting description: Manage, consult on, and optimize OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). Use when helping set, track, review, score, or improve OKRs. Covers OKR philosophy, common antipatterns, cadence management, scoring, visualization, check-ins, and retrospectives. Provides coaching prompts, workshop facilitation guidance, and dashboard design patterns. --- # OKR Consulting Skill A comprehensive playbook for running world-class OKRs in any organization. ## Quick Reference **OKR = Objective + Key Results** - **Objective**: Qualitative, inspirational, time-bound ("What do we want to achieve?") - **Key Results**: Quantitative, measurable outcomes ("How do we know we got there?") - **Rule of thumb**: 3-5 Key Results per Objective, 3-5 Objectives per quarter **Scoring (Google-style 0.0–1.0):** - 🟢 0.7–1.0 = Nailed it - 🟡 0.4–0.6 = Made progress - 🔴 0.0–0.3 = Missed **Sweet spot**: Average 60-70% completion. If you're hitting 100%, you're sandbagging. ## Core Cadences | Cadence | Purpose | Who | Duration | |---------|---------|-----|----------| | **Annual** | Set strategic direction | Leadership | 1-2 day offsite | | **Quarterly** | Set tactical OKRs | All teams | 2-3 weeks | | **Weekly** | Progress check-ins | Team leads | 15-30 min | | **Monthly** | Mid-quarter review | Cross-functional | 1 hour | | **End-of-Q** | Score, retro, learn | All | Half-day | ## My Role as OKR Consultant ### During OKR Setting - Challenge vague objectives ("What does 'improve' mean?") - Push for measurable KRs ("How will you know?") - Flag too many OKRs ("Which 3 matter most?") - Check vertical alignment ("Does this ladder up?") - Check horizontal dependencies ("Who else needs to succeed?") ### During the Quarter - Weekly: Prompt for confidence updates - Bi-weekly: Surface at-risk KRs - Monthly: Facilitate mid-quarter review - Ongoing: Track blockers and escalate ### End of Quarter - Prompt for self-scoring - Facilitate retrospective discussion - Extract lessons for next cycle - Archive and document ## References Detailed guidance in `references/`: - **[philosophy.md](references/philosophy.md)** — Origins, Four Superpowers, why OKRs work - **[antipatterns.md](references/antipatterns.md)** — Google's Classic 6 + Big 10 mistakes - **[cfrs.md](references/cfrs.md)** — Conversations, Feedback, Recognition (the "secret sauce") - **[workshops.md](references/workshops.md)** — Facilitation guides for OKR-setting sessions - **[check-ins.md](references/check-ins.md)** — Weekly check-ins, fist-to-five voting, templates - **[scoring.md](references/scoring.md)** — How to score, when to adjust, confidence ratings - **[visualization.md](references/visualization.md)** — Dashboard patterns, display methods - **[templates.md](references/templates.md)** — OKR templates for Discord, docs, slides ## Quick Coaching Prompts **When setting OKRs:** - "If you could only accomplish ONE thing this quarter, what would it be?" - "How will you know you succeeded? What's the number?" - "Is this a 'must-hit' commitment or a 'shoot for the moon' stretch?" - "Who else depends on this? Who do you depend on?" **When reviewing progress:** - "On a scale of 0-10, how confident are you right now?" - "What's the single biggest blocker?" - "If this stays on current trajectory, where do you land?" - "What would need to change to go from yellow to green?" **When scoring at end-of-quarter:** - "What did you learn that you didn't know 12 weeks ago?" - "If you had to do this OKR again, what would you do differently?" - "Was the goal right but execution off, or was the goal wrong?" ## Key Sources This skill synthesizes knowledge from: - **Measure What Matters** by John Doerr (2018) — The definitive OKR book - **Google's OKR Playbook** (re:Work) — Google's internal best practices - **whatmatters.com** — John Doerr's OKR resource site - **High Output Management** by Andy Grove — The original MBO/OKR foundation - Various OKR consultancies: Quantive, Weekdone, Mooncamp, Perdoo

path: references/antipatterns.md
content: # OKR Antipatterns & How to Fix Them

## 🚨 The Classic 6 (from Google's OKR Playbook)

These are the official antipatterns from whatmatters.com/Google's OKR playbook:

### 1. Failing to Differentiate Committed vs. Aspirational
- Marking a committed OKR as aspirational = teams don't take it seriously
- Marking an aspirational OKR as committed = defensiveness and priority inversion
- **Fix**: Be explicit about which type each OKR is. Different expectations, different scoring.

### 2. Business-as-Usual OKRs
- OKRs based on "what we can achieve without changing anything"
- No stretch, no innovation, no push
- **Fix**: Ask "What could our world look like if we were freed from most constraints?"

### 3. Timid Aspirational OKRs
- Starting from current state and asking "what if we got lucky?"
- Missing the transformative potential
- **Fix**: Start with the desired end state, then work backward. Aspirational means you don't know how to achieve it when you set it.

### 4. Sandbagging
- Team can meet all OKRs without using all resources
- Hoarding headcount or not pushing hard enough
- **Fix**: Committed + aspirational OKRs should consume slightly MORE than available resources. Celebrate 70% as success.

### 5. Low-Value Objectives ("Who Cares?" OKRs)
- Even if completed at 1.0, no one notices or cares
- Example: "Increase CPU utilization by 3%" (no user benefit)
- **Fix**: Ask "Could this get a 1.0 without providing end-user or economic benefit?" Reword to focus on tangible value.

### 6. Insufficient Key Results
- KRs are necessary but not sufficient to achieve the Objective
- Avoids the hard commitments; delays resource discovery
- **Fix**: Litmus test: "Could we score 1.0 on all KRs and still not achieve the Objective intent?" If yes, add/rework KRs.

---

## 🚨 The Big 10 Mistakes

### 1. Too Many OKRs
**Symptom**: 8+ objectives, 20+ key results
**Why it happens**: Fear of missing something, inability to prioritize
**Fix**: Force rank. Ask "If you could only do ONE thing, what would it be?" Then add 2-3 more at most.

### 2. Confusing Tasks with Key Results
**Symptom**: "Launch new website" instead of "Increase conversion rate by 15%"
**Why it happens**: Easier to track outputs than outcomes
**Fix**: Ask "So what? What does launching the website actually achieve?"

### 3. Sandbagging (Easy Goals)
**Symptom**: 100% completion every quarter
**Why it happens**: Fear of failure, tied to compensation
**Fix**: Celebrate 70% as success. Explicitly reward ambitious misses over safe hits.

### 4. No Regular Check-ins
**Symptom**: OKRs reviewed only at end of quarter
**Why it happens**: "Too busy doing the work"
**Fix**: Calendar-block 15-min weekly OKR check-ins. Non-negotiable.

### 5. Top-Down Cascade Without Input
**Symptom**: Teams receive OKRs dictated from above
**Why it happens**: Efficiency over engagement
**Fix**: Leadership sets direction (Objectives); teams propose Key Results and timelines.

### 6. Linking OKRs to Compensation
**Symptom**: Bonuses tied to OKR scores
**Why it happens**: Seems like "accountability"
**Fix**: Separate completely. Use OKRs for learning and alignment, use other systems for performance.

### 7. Binary Key Results
**Symptom**: "Yes/No" outcomes (Ship feature: Done/Not Done)
**Why it happens**: Lazy goal-setting
**Fix**: Add a spectrum. "Ship feature with >90% customer satisfaction and <5% churn"

### 8. Measuring Inputs Instead of Outcomes
**Symptom**: "Hold 10 customer meetings" instead of "Close $500K in new revenue"
**Why it happens**: Inputs are controllable
**Fix**: Ask "Why are you holding those meetings? What result do you want?"

### 9. Ignoring Dependencies
**Symptom**: Team A's OKR depends on Team B, but Team B doesn't know
**Why it happens**: Silos, poor communication
**Fix**: Explicit dependency mapping. When setting OKRs, ask "Who do you need? Who needs you?"

### 10. Moving Goalposts Mid-Quarter
**Symptom**: Targets change when things get hard
**Why it happens**: Discomfort with failure
**Fix**: Lock targets. If truly wrong, add a note explaining the change, but don't just quietly revise.

---

## 🔧 Quick Diagnosis

| If you see... | The problem is likely... | Ask... |
|---------------|-------------------------|--------|
| All green, every quarter | Sandbagging | "What would a stretch look like?" |
| All red, every quarter | Overcommitment or wrong goals | "Were these ever achievable?" |
| No updates for weeks | Lack of ownership or relevance | "Is this still the priority?" |
| Vague KRs | Output focus, not outcome | "How will you measure success?" |
| Surprise misses at EOQ | No tracking cadence | "When did you know this was at risk?" |

---

## 🛠 Recovery Playbook

### If OKRs are ignored:
1. Shrink scope radically (2 objectives max)
2. Make check-ins painfully short (10 min, Mondays)
3. Celebrate small wins publicly

### If OKRs feel like busywork:
1. Audit: Are these connected to strategy?
2. Reduce: Fewer, bolder OKRs
3. Empower: Let teams own the "how"

### If teams are gaming the system:
1. Remove compensation link
2. Publicly celebrate ambitious failures
3. Share learning stories, not just success stories


path: references/cfrs.md
content: # CFRs: Conversations, Feedback, Recognition

## The Secret Sauce (from Measure What Matters)

John Doerr calls CFRs the "siblings" to OKRs. While OKRs tell you *what* to achieve, CFRs are *how* you support the humans achieving it.

**OKRs without CFRs = "set and forget"**
**OKRs with CFRs = continuous learning organization**

---

## The Three Components

### Conversations
Regular, authentic exchanges about work progress.

**What they are:**
- Ongoing dialogues about OKR progress, tactics, blockers
- Back-and-forth between managers and contributors
- NOT annual reviews; these happen weekly/bi-weekly

**Key questions:**
- "What's the status of your OKRs?"
- "Has there been any progress since we last talked?"
- "Is there anything blocking success?"
- "What help do you need?"

**Best practices:**
- Keep non-judgmental tone
- Focus on support, not scrutiny
- Document learnings for future reference
- Make it routine, not ad-hoc

---

### Feedback
Bidirectional communication to close the gap between intention and action.

**What it is:**
- Not just top-down criticism
- Two-way: employees → managers AND managers → employees
- Specific, constructive, and action-oriented

**Key questions:**
- Manager to team: "How can I better support you?"
- Team to manager: "What do you need from me to succeed?"
- Cross-team: "What could we do differently together?"

**Best practices:**
- Be specific: "The summary you wrote helped everyone understand the challenge" beats "good job"
- Be timely: Don't wait for end-of-quarter
- Rephrase complaints as requests: "Try presenting more slowly" beats "that presentation was bad"
- Make it safe: Psychological safety enables honest feedback

**Avoid:**
- Vague feedback ("be better")
- Delayed feedback (annual reviews only)
- One-directional feedback (only manager → employee)
- Public criticism (praise publicly, correct privately)

---

### Recognition
Positive, real-time acknowledgment of contributions.

**What it is:**
- Celebrating wins, big and small
- Affirming behaviors you want to see more of
- Building morale and motivation

**Key principles:**
- **Timely**: Don't wait for formal ceremonies
- **Specific**: "Your detailed analysis saved us from a bad decision" beats "thanks"
- **Public when appropriate**: Peer and team recognition amplifies impact
- **Frequent**: Small acknowledgments matter as much as big awards

**Recognition sources:**
- Manager → direct report (traditional)
- Peer → peer (often more meaningful)
- Team → team (cross-functional appreciation)
- Public channels (Discord, Slack, newsletters)

**What to recognize:**
- Progress on OKRs, even partial
- Helping others with their OKRs
- Surfacing problems early
- Creative problem-solving
- Going above and beyond

---

## CFRs in Practice

### Weekly Rhythm
| Day | Activity |
|-----|----------|
| Monday | Check-in conversation (15 min) |
| Throughout week | Real-time feedback as needed |
| Friday | Quick recognition/wins (async or standup) |

### Monthly Deep Dive
- 30-60 min 1:1 with deeper conversation
- Review OKR progress together
- Exchange feedback both directions
- Plan recognition for team contributions

### Quarterly
- Formal retrospective with all CFR components
- Team-wide recognition ceremony
- Capture lessons for next cycle

---

## CFRs for Remote/Hybrid Teams

When teams are distributed:

**Conversations:**
- Video > audio > text (face-to-face builds connection)
- Regular 1:1 schedule (don't let it slip)
- Document discussions for async team members

**Feedback:**
- Written feedback provides clarity
- Follow up written feedback with verbal discussion
- Be extra explicit (tone is lost in text)

**Recognition:**
- Public channels (Discord, Slack) for visibility
- Virtual celebrations (emoji reactions, gifs, shoutouts)
- Surprise recognition (unexpected is more impactful)

---

## Why CFRs Matter for OKR Success

| Without CFRs | With CFRs |
|-------------|-----------|
| Goals feel imposed | Goals feel owned |
| Problems surface late | Blockers caught early |
| Failure feels punitive | Failure feels safe |
| Recognition is rare | Appreciation is constant |
| Learning is annual | Learning is continuous |

---

## Integration with OKR Cadences

| OKR Activity | CFR Integration |
|-------------|-----------------|
| Setting OKRs | Conversation: Discuss priorities, concerns |
| Weekly check-in | Conversation: Status, blockers, support |
| Mid-quarter review | Feedback: What's working, what's not |
| End-of-quarter | All three: Reflect, learn, celebrate |

---

## AI Assistant CFR Prompts

**For conversations:**
> "Quick sync on your top OKR. What's your confidence level and what do you need?"

**For feedback:**
> "One thing that's working well: [specific observation]. One thing to consider: [specific suggestion]."

**For recognition:**
> "🎉 Shoutout to [name] for [specific contribution] — this directly moved us forward on [OKR]!"


path: references/check-ins.md
content: # OKR Check-in Cadences & Templates

## The Check-in Rhythm

```
        Week 1    Week 2    Week 3    Week 4    ...    Week 12
          │         │         │         │                  │
          ▼         ▼         ▼         ▼                  ▼
        [Weekly] [Weekly] [Weekly] [Weekly]           [Weekly]
                    │                   │                  │
                    ▼                   ▼                  ▼
                [Monthly]          [Monthly]          [EOQ Retro]
```

---

## Weekly Check-in (15 min)

### Format: Traffic Light + Confidence

For each Key Result:

| KR | Status | Confidence | Update |
|----|--------|------------|--------|
| KR1: Increase NPS from 32 to 45 | 🟡 | 6/10 | Survey going out Friday, expect data next week |
| KR2: Reduce churn to <5% | 🟢 | 8/10 | Currently at 4.2%, on track |
| KR3: 3 case studies published | 🔴 | 3/10 | Only 1 complete, 2 customers ghosted |

### The Three Questions
1. **What's your confidence (0-10) that you'll hit this KR?**
2. **What's the biggest blocker right now?**
3. **What help do you need?**

---

## Fist-to-Five Voting (From Spotify Retro Kit)

A fast, visual way to gauge team confidence:

**How it works:**
1. For each Key Result, ask: "How confident are you we'll deliver this?"
2. On count of three, everyone holds up fingers:
   - ✊ Fist = 0% confidence (we're not going to make it)
   - 1️⃣ One finger = ~20% confidence
   - ✌️ Two fingers = ~40% confidence
   - 3️⃣ Three fingers = ~60% confidence
   - 4️⃣ Four fingers = ~80% confidence
   - 🖐 Five fingers = 100% confidence (we've got this)

**Why simultaneous voting matters:**
- Prevents groupthink (everyone doesn't just agree with the lead)
- Surfaces diversity of opinion
- Creates space for discussion when votes differ

**After voting:**
1. Notice the spread — celebrate disagreement as valuable data!
2. Ask high voters: "What have you observed that gives you confidence?"
3. Ask low voters: "What concerns you?"
4. Capture observations briefly
5. Optionally re-vote to see if consensus improves
6. Agree on a number the group can live with for the week

**Key insight:** Don't rush to consensus. When you see fists and fives in the same vote, that's an invitation for a valuable team conversation.

---

## Confidence vs. Progress: Know the Difference

| | Progress | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| **Looks at** | Past (how far have we come?) | Future (will we hit the target?) |
| **Measures** | Work completed | Likelihood of success |
| **Example** | "We're 80% done" | "I'm 50% confident we'll hit it" |

**Why both matter:**
- High progress, low confidence = "We're 80% done but there's a major blocker ahead"
- Low progress, high confidence = "Slow start but we have a clear path to finish"

**In check-ins, lead with confidence.** Progress is usually obvious from metrics. Confidence surfaces the "why" and "what next."

### AI Assistant Weekly Prompts
Send these on Monday mornings:

> "Quick OKR pulse check! For each of your KRs:
> - 🟢 On track (7-10 confidence)
> - 🟡 At risk (4-6 confidence)
> - 🔴 Off track (0-3 confidence)
> 
> What's your status and what do you need?"

---

## Monthly Review (30-60 min)

### Agenda

| Time | Activity |
|------|----------|
| 0:00 | Scorecard review (5 min) |
| 0:05 | Deep dive on yellows and reds (15 min) |
| 0:20 | Cross-team dependencies check (10 min) |
| 0:30 | Adjustments & action items (10 min) |

### Key Questions
- "What moved from green to yellow/red this month? Why?"
- "What's the trajectory if nothing changes?"
- "Are there any dependencies that are blocking you?"
- "Should we adjust scope or timeline? (Note: don't move goalposts lightly)"

---

## Mid-Quarter Review (Week 6-7)

This is the "last chance to course correct" checkpoint.

### Format
1. **Score each KR as if the quarter ended today** (0.0-1.0)
2. **Honest assessment**: "On current trajectory, where do we land?"
3. **Triage**:
   - 🟢 Keep pushing
   - 🟡 Needs intervention — what specifically?
   - 🔴 At risk of miss — escalate, reallocate, or accept

### Questions to Ask
- "If you had to bet money, would you hit this KR?"
- "What would need to be true to turn this around?"
- "Is this a resource problem, a priority problem, or a goal problem?"

---

## End-of-Quarter Retrospective (2-3 hours)

### Prep
- Pre-fill scores (owner self-scores, then discuss)
- Gather data/evidence for each KR
- Review original OKR rationale

### Agenda

| Time | Activity |
|------|----------|
| 0:00 | Individual scoring (pre-work or 15 min silent) |
| 0:15 | Walk through each OKR: score, evidence, story |
| 1:00 | Break |
| 1:10 | Retrospective discussion |
| 1:40 | Extract lessons for next quarter |
| 2:00 | Preview next quarter's priorities |

### Retrospective Questions
- "What went better than expected? Why?"
- "What went worse than expected? Why?"
- "What did we learn about our assumptions?"
- "What would we do differently?"
- "What should we carry forward vs. drop?"

---

## Async Check-in Formats

### Discord Thread Update (Weekly)
```
📊 **OKR Update — Week 6**

**KR1: Deploy AI notetaker to 100%**
Status: 🟡 (6/10)
Progress: 60% of employees onboarded
Blocker: IT ticket backlog for new hires

**KR2: 3 AI workflow automations**
Status: 🟢 (8/10)
Progress: 2 complete, 1 in testing
Next: QA signoff by Friday
```

### Confidence Emoji Scale
For quick async updates:
- 🟢 = 7-10 (on track, high confidence)
- 🟡 = 4-6 (at risk, needs attention)
- 🔴 = 0-3 (off track, needs intervention)
- ⚪ = Not started / no update

---

## Automated Check-in Prompts

### Monday Morning (via Telegram or Discord)
> "Happy Monday! Quick OKR check:
> Which of your KRs are 🟢, 🟡, or 🔴 this week?"

### Friday Wrap (optional)
> "EOW pulse: Did anything change on your OKRs this week? Any blockers for next week?"

### Mid-Quarter Nudge (Week 6)
> "We're halfway through Q1! Time for a mid-quarter reality check. How confident are you in each KR right now?"


path: references/philosophy.md
content: # OKR Philosophy & Origins

## History

**Andy Grove (Intel, 1970s)** — Created "iMBOs" (Intel Management by Objectives), evolving Peter Drucker's MBO framework. Grove added the crucial innovation: measurable Key Results.

**John Doerr (Google, 1999)** — Brought OKRs to Google as an early investor/advisor. Wrote "Measure What Matters" (2018), the definitive OKR guide.

**Modern adoption**: Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, Spotify, Airbnb, Netflix, and thousands of startups and enterprises.

## The Four OKR Superpowers (from Measure What Matters)

John Doerr identifies four "superpowers" that OKRs unlock:

### Superpower #1: Focus and Commit to Priorities
OKRs force prioritization. If everything is important, nothing is. Limit to 3-5 objectives maximum. The discipline of choosing is the point.

**Key insight**: Leaders must say "no" to many good ideas to enable focus on the few great ones.

### Superpower #2: Align and Connect for Teamwork
- **Vertical**: Individual → Team → Company OKRs should ladder up
- **Horizontal**: Cross-functional dependencies should be visible
- **Not cascade**: OKRs shouldn't be dictated top-down; teams have input on "how"

**Key insight**: Public OKRs create transparency. When everyone can see what everyone else is working on, silos break down.

### Superpower #3: Track for Accountability
What gets measured gets managed. Weekly check-ins keep OKRs alive. Without regular tracking, they become "set and forget."

**Key insight**: Regular check-ins catch problems early. A 6-week surprise is much worse than a week-3 course correction.

### Superpower #4: Stretch for Amazing
Aim for 60-70% achievement. If you're hitting 100%, you're not being ambitious enough. "Moonshots" should feel uncomfortable.

**Key insight**: Stretch goals attract top talent and create the most exciting work environments. Even "failed" moonshots often produce substantial advancements.

---

## Transparency as Foundation
All OKRs should be visible to the entire org. This creates accountability and surfaces misalignments early. As Twitter's former CEO Dick Costolo said: "OKRs are a great way to communicate strategy and how you're going to measure strategy."

## OKRs vs. Other Frameworks

| Framework | Focus | Cadence | Best For |
|-----------|-------|---------|----------|
| **OKRs** | Outcomes & stretch goals | Quarterly | Ambitious orgs, innovation |
| **KPIs** | Ongoing performance | Continuous | BAU operations, health metrics |
| **SMART Goals** | Individual achievement | Variable | Personal development |
| **Balanced Scorecard** | Multi-dimensional strategy | Annual | Enterprise strategy |
| **V2MOM** | Salesforce's vision alignment | Annual | Top-down strategy |

**Key distinction**: OKRs are for *change* and *stretch*. KPIs are for *maintaining* and *monitoring*. Don't use OKRs for business-as-usual.

## The Two Types of OKRs

### Committed OKRs (Roofshots)
- Must-hit targets tied to business requirements
- Expected 100% completion
- Often tied to customer commitments, compliance, revenue targets
- Failure has real consequences

### Aspirational OKRs (Moonshots)
- Stretch goals that push boundaries
- Expected 60-70% completion
- Encourages innovation and risk-taking
- "Failure" still produces valuable progress

**Best practice**: Be explicit about which type each OKR is. Mixed signals cause frustration.

## Why OKRs Fail

1. **No executive sponsorship** — OKRs die without leadership commitment
2. **Too many OKRs** — Dilutes focus, becomes a task list
3. **Tied to compensation** — Incentivizes sandbagging
4. **Set and forget** — No regular check-ins
5. **Outputs vs. outcomes** — "Launch X" instead of "Achieve Y through X"
6. **No psychological safety** — Fear of failure kills ambition

## Why OKRs Work

1. **Creates clarity** — Everyone knows what matters
2. **Enables autonomy** — Teams own the "how"
3. **Surfaces blockers early** — Regular check-ins catch problems
4. **Builds alignment** — Cross-functional visibility
5. **Encourages ambition** — Stretch goals push limits
6. **Provides learning loops** — Retrospectives improve over time


path: references/scoring.md
content: # OKR Scoring Guide

## The 0.0–1.0 Scale (Google Standard)

| Score | Meaning | Interpretation |
|-------|---------|----------------|
| 1.0 | 100%+ | Crushed it (or sandbagged?) |
| 0.9 | 90% | Exceptional |
| 0.8 | 80% | Strong |
| **0.7** | **70%** | **Target for stretch goals** |
| 0.6 | 60% | Solid progress |
| 0.5 | 50% | Halfway |
| 0.4 | 40% | Struggled |
| 0.3 | 30% | Fell short |
| 0.2 | 20% | Major miss |
| 0.1 | 10% | Barely started |
| 0.0 | 0% | Nothing happened |

### The 0.7 Sweet Spot
For aspirational/moonshot OKRs, 0.7 is the ideal average:
- High enough to drive real impact
- Low enough to prove you stretched
- Pattern of all 1.0s = not ambitious enough
- Pattern of all 0.3s = goals too disconnected from reality

---

## Scoring Methods

### 1. Quantitative KRs (Easy)
Direct calculation based on target:

| KR Target | Actual | Score |
|-----------|--------|-------|
| Increase NPS from 32 to 45 (Δ13) | NPS = 42 (Δ10) | 10/13 = 0.77 |
| Reduce churn from 8% to 5% (Δ3) | Churn = 6% (Δ2) | 2/3 = 0.67 |
| Close $500K new revenue | Closed $400K | 400/500 = 0.80 |

### 2. Milestone KRs
For KRs with discrete stages:

| Milestone | Weight | Complete? | Score |
|-----------|--------|-----------|-------|
| Design complete | 0.2 | ✅ | 0.2 |
| Development complete | 0.3 | ✅ | 0.3 |
| QA passed | 0.2 | ✅ | 0.2 |
| Deployed to 50% users | 0.2 | ⬜ | 0 |
| 100% rollout | 0.1 | ⬜ | 0 |
| **Total** | | | **0.7** |

### 3. Binary KRs (Avoid When Possible)
If you must have yes/no:
- Done = 1.0
- Not done = 0.0
- Partial = qualitative judgment (0.3-0.7)

Better: Convert to measurable. "Launch feature" → "Launch feature with >90% uptime and <10 critical bugs in first 30 days"

---

## Confidence Scoring (During Quarter)

Use alongside progress scoring to predict outcomes:

| Confidence | Meaning | Action |
|------------|---------|--------|
| 9-10 | Virtually certain | Cruise, maybe stretch further |
| 7-8 | Highly likely | Stay the course |
| 5-6 | Coin flip | Identify specific risks |
| 3-4 | Unlikely without change | Escalate, get help |
| 1-2 | Miracle needed | Triage: save or abandon |

### Confidence vs. Progress
- **Progress** = How far have we come? (backward-looking)
- **Confidence** = How likely to hit target? (forward-looking)

You can have:
- High progress, low confidence (80% done but blocker ahead)
- Low progress, high confidence (slow start but clear path)

---

## Team/Org Roll-ups

### Simple Average
Average all KR scores for an Objective:
- KR1: 0.8, KR2: 0.6, KR3: 0.7
- Objective Score: (0.8 + 0.6 + 0.7) / 3 = **0.70**

### Weighted Average
If some KRs matter more:
- KR1 (weight 50%): 0.8 → 0.40
- KR2 (weight 30%): 0.6 → 0.18
- KR3 (weight 20%): 0.7 → 0.14
- Objective Score: **0.72**

### Company Score
Average of all Objective scores (or weighted by strategic priority).

---

## When to Adjust Targets

### Green Light to Adjust
- External shock (market crash, pandemic, major customer loss)
- Strategic pivot from leadership
- Discovered original target was based on bad data

### Red Light — Don't Adjust
- "It's harder than we thought" (that's learning)
- "Priorities shifted" (without leadership mandate)
- "We're not going to hit it" (accept the score, learn from it)

### How to Adjust
If adjustment is warranted:
1. Document original target and reason for change
2. Set new target with clear rationale
3. Note adjustment in final scoring ("Adjusted from X to Y mid-quarter due to Z")
4. Don't retroactively pretend the new target was always the goal

---

## Scoring Calibration Session

At end of quarter, before finalizing:

1. **Self-score first** — Each owner proposes their own scores
2. **Peer review** — Others challenge or validate
3. **Evidence check** — "Show me the data"
4. **Consistency check** — Are we scoring similarly across teams?
5. **Lock scores** — Final numbers recorded

### Calibration Questions
- "Would another team score this the same way?"
- "What's the evidence for this score?"
- "Are we being too hard or too easy on ourselves?"


path: references/templates.md
content: # OKR Templates

## Objective Template

```
OBJECTIVE: [Verb] [inspiring outcome] by [timeframe]

Example:
OBJECTIVE: Transform the company into an AI-powered organization by end of Q1
```

**Good objectives are:**
- Qualitative (not a number)
- Inspiring (people care)
- Time-bound (clear deadline)
- Achievable but stretchy
- Clear enough that someone outside the team understands

**Bad objectives:**
- "Improve customer satisfaction" (too vague)
- "Increase revenue by 20%" (that's a KR)
- "Be the best" (unmeasurable)

---

## Key Result Templates

### Increase/Decrease
```
Increase [metric] from [baseline] to [target] by [date]
Decrease [metric] from [baseline] to [target] by [date]

Examples:
- Increase NPS from 32 to 45 by March 31
- Decrease customer churn from 8% to 5% by end of Q1
```

### Achieve/Reach
```
Achieve [milestone/threshold] by [date]

Examples:
- Achieve SOC 2 Type II certification by March 31
- Reach $1M ARR by end of Q1
```

### Complete/Deliver
```
Complete [deliverable] with [quality criteria] by [date]

Examples:
- Complete migration to new EDI provider with zero customer-facing disruption
- Deliver mobile app v2.0 with >4.5 star rating in first 30 days
```

### Launch/Deploy
```
Launch [thing] to [audience] achieving [success metric]

Examples:
- Deploy AI notetaker to 100% of employees by March 31
- Launch pricing page with >10% visitor-to-trial conversion
```

---

## Full OKR Example

```
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
OBJECTIVE 1: Establish AI as a Force Multiplier
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

KR1: Deploy AI notetaker to 100% of employees by March 31
     Status: 🟡 | Progress: 60% | Confidence: 6/10
     Owner: Project Lead
     
KR2: Implement 3 AI workflow automations (delegated)
     Status: 🟡 | Progress: 2/3 | Confidence: 5/10
     Owner: Direct Report
     
KR3: Identify 5 new AI use cases from workshop participants
     Status: 🔴 | Progress: 0/5 | Confidence: 3/10
     Owner: Project Lead
     Blocker: Workshops not yet scheduled
     
KR4: Reduce spec sheet generation from 1hr to 5min (delegated)
     Status: 🟢 | Progress: 80% | Confidence: 8/10
     Owner: Direct Report
     
KR5: Gain ability to match distributors for all 4 major GPOs
     Status: 🟡 | Progress: 50% | Confidence: 5/10
     Owner: Lead + AI Assistant
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
```

---

## Discord Channel Structure for OKRs

```
📁 #projects
   └── 🧵 OKR 1: AI & Automation (thread)
   └── 🧵 OKR 2: EDI Infrastructure (thread)
   └── 🧵 OKR 3: IT Modernization (thread)
   └── 🧵 OKR 4: $100K Cost Savings (thread)
```

Each thread contains:
1. **Pinned header** with current status table
2. **Weekly updates** as replies
3. **Discussion** of blockers, ideas, progress

---

## Weekly Update Template

```
📊 **[OKR Name] — Week [X] Update**

**Overall Status:** 🟡 At Risk | Score: 0.55

**KR Updates:**
- 🟢 **KR4**: [Brief update on what changed]
- 🟡 **KR1**: [Brief update]
- 🔴 **KR3**: [Brief update with blocker]

**Blockers:**
1. [Blocker 1] — Owner: [Name]
2. [Blocker 2] — Owner: [Name]

**Help Needed:**
- [Specific ask]

**Next Week Focus:**
- [Priority 1]
- [Priority 2]
```

---

## Monthly Summary Template

```
📈 **[Quarter] OKR Monthly Summary — [Month]**

**Scorecard:**
| OKR | Last Month | This Month | Trend |
|-----|------------|------------|-------|
| OKR 1 | 0.40 | 0.55 | ↑ |
| OKR 2 | 0.70 | 0.75 | ↑ |
| OKR 3 | 0.50 | 0.48 | ↓ |
| OKR 4 | 0.60 | 0.70 | ↑ |

**Highlights:**
- [Win 1]
- [Win 2]

**Concerns:**
- [Risk 1]
- [Risk 2]

**Forecast:**
- OKR 1: Likely 🟡 finish (0.6-0.7)
- OKR 2: On track for 🟢 (0.8+)
- OKR 3: At risk of 🔴 miss without intervention
- OKR 4: On track for 🟢 (0.7-0.8)
```

---

## End-of-Quarter Report Template

```
📋 **Q[X] 20XX OKR Final Report**

**Executive Summary:**
- Achieved [X] of [Y] OKRs at target (0.7+)
- Average score: [0.XX]
- Key wins: [1-2 sentences]
- Key misses: [1-2 sentences]

**Detailed Scores:**

| Objective | Final Score | Target | Result |
|-----------|-------------|--------|--------|
| OKR 1: AI & Automation | 0.68 | 0.70 | 🟡 Close |
| OKR 2: EDI Infrastructure | 0.82 | 0.70 | 🟢 Beat |
| OKR 3: IT Modernization | 0.55 | 0.70 | 🔴 Miss |
| OKR 4: $100K Savings | 0.73 | 0.70 | 🟢 Beat |

**Learnings:**
1. [What we learned]
2. [What we'd do differently]
3. [What worked well]

**Carry-Forward to Next Quarter:**
- [ ] [Item 1]
- [ ] [Item 2]
```


path: references/visualization.md
content: # OKR Visualization & Display Patterns

## Core Visualization Principles

1. **Glanceable** — Status visible in <3 seconds
2. **Hierarchical** — Company → Team → Individual flow
3. **Progress-forward** — Show trajectory, not just current state
4. **Action-oriented** — Red items demand attention

---

## Status Indicators

### Traffic Light (Most Common)
```
🟢 On Track    (0.7-1.0 or 7-10 confidence)
🟡 At Risk     (0.4-0.6 or 4-6 confidence)  
🔴 Off Track   (0.0-0.3 or 0-3 confidence)
⚪ Not Started (no data yet)
```

### Progress Bars
```
KR1: [████████░░] 80%
KR2: [█████░░░░░] 50%
KR3: [██░░░░░░░░] 20%
```

### Confidence Indicators
```
KR1: ████████░░ 8/10 🟢
KR2: █████░░░░░ 5/10 🟡
KR3: ██░░░░░░░░ 2/10 🔴
```

### Trend Arrows
```
↑ Improving
→ Stable
↓ Declining
```

Combine: `🟡↑` = At risk but improving

---

## Dashboard Layouts

### Executive View (Company Level)
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Q1 2026 OKR DASHBOARD              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Overall Score: 0.62 │ On Track: 8 │ At Risk: 4 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ OKR 1: AI & Automation        🟡 0.55   ↑       │
│ OKR 2: EDI Infrastructure     🟢 0.75   →       │
│ OKR 3: IT Modernization       🟡 0.48   ↓       │
│ OKR 4: $100K Cost Savings     🟢 0.70   ↑       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### Team View (Objective Detail)
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ OKR 1: AI & AUTOMATION IMPACT           🟡 0.55 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ KR1: AI notetaker 100%    [██████░░░░] 60% 🟡   │
│ KR2: 3 AI automations     [████░░░░░░] 40% 🟡   │
│ KR3: 5 AI use cases       [██░░░░░░░░] 20% 🔴   │
│ KR4: Spec sheet 1hr→5min  [████████░░] 80% 🟢   │
│ KR5: GPO matching         [█████░░░░░] 50% 🟡   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### Individual View (KR Detail)
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ KR1: Deploy AI notetaker to 100% by Mar 31     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Owner: Project Lead          │ Due: March 31           │
│ Target: 100%         │ Current: 60%            │
│ Status: 🟡 At Risk   │ Confidence: 6/10        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Progress Timeline:                              │
│ W1 ░░ → W3 ██ → W5 ████ → W7 ██████ → Now      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Last Update: "Onboarding delayed by IT backlog" │
│ Blocker: Need IT to prioritize license setup    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

---

## Discord-Specific Formats

### Thread Header (Pinned Message)
```
# 🎯 OKR 1: AI & Automation Impact

**Status:** 🟡 At Risk | **Score:** 0.55 | **Owner:** Project Lead

| KR | Status | Progress | Confidence |
|----|--------|----------|------------|
| 1. AI notetaker to 100% | 🟡 | 60% | 6/10 |
| 2. 3 AI automations | 🟡 | 40% | 5/10 |
| 3. 5 AI use cases | 🔴 | 20% | 3/10 |
| 4. Spec sheet 1hr→5min | 🟢 | 80% | 8/10 |
| 5. GPO distributor matching | 🟡 | 50% | 5/10 |

*Last updated: Feb 12, 2026*
```

### Weekly Update (Thread Reply)
```
**📊 Week 6 Update**

🟢 **KR4** (Spec sheet): Up to 80%! Testing this week.
🟡 **KR1** (Notetaker): Stuck at 60%, IT backlog
🟡 **KR2** (Automations): 2/3 done, last one in QA
🔴 **KR3** (Use cases): Need to schedule workshops ASAP
🟡 **KR5** (GPO): Prototyping matching algorithm with AI assistant

**Blockers:** IT ticket #4521 (notetaker licenses)
**Help needed:** Push on IT prioritization
```

---

## Alignment Visualization

### Vertical Cascade View
```
COMPANY OKR
│
├── TEAM A OKR
│   ├── Individual 1 OKR
│   └── Individual 2 OKR
│
└── TEAM B OKR
    ├── Individual 3 OKR
    └── Individual 4 OKR
```

### Dependency Matrix
```
         │ Team A │ Team B │ Team C │
─────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
Team A   │   -    │   ←    │        │
Team B   │   →    │   -    │   ←    │
Team C   │        │   →    │   -    │

→ = depends on
← = depended upon by
```

---

## Reporting Cadences

### Weekly Snapshot
- Traffic light status for each KR
- Blockers list
- Top 3 priorities this week

### Monthly Summary
- Score trend (was X, now Y)
- Highlights and lowlights
- Dependency status
- Forecast: on track to hit? miss? by how much?

### End-of-Quarter Report
- Final scores with evidence
- Key learnings
- Recommendations for next quarter
- What to carry forward, what to drop


path: references/workshops.md
content: # OKR Workshop Facilitation Guide

## Pre-Workshop Prep

### 1 Week Before
- [ ] Confirm attendees and calendar holds
- [ ] Share pre-read: company strategy, last quarter's OKRs, any relevant data
- [ ] Send prompt: "Come prepared with your top 3 priorities for next quarter"
- [ ] Book room/Zoom with whiteboard capability

### 1 Day Before
- [ ] Prepare templates (digital or physical)
- [ ] Review previous quarter's scores and learnings
- [ ] Identify any known strategic shifts or constraints

---

## Workshop Agenda Templates

### Full OKR Setting Workshop (4 hours)

| Time | Activity | Duration |
|------|----------|----------|
| 0:00 | Welcome & Context Setting | 15 min |
| 0:15 | Last Quarter Retrospective | 30 min |
| 0:45 | Strategic Priorities Review | 20 min |
| 1:05 | Break | 10 min |
| 1:15 | Individual Brainstorm (silent) | 15 min |
| 1:30 | Share & Cluster Objectives | 30 min |
| 2:00 | Vote & Prioritize Top 3-5 | 20 min |
| 2:20 | Break | 10 min |
| 2:30 | Define Key Results (breakouts) | 45 min |
| 3:15 | Present & Critique KRs | 30 min |
| 3:45 | Finalize & Assign Owners | 15 min |

### Quick OKR Refresh (90 min)
For teams with established OKR practice:

| Time | Activity | Duration |
|------|----------|----------|
| 0:00 | Score Last Quarter (pre-filled) | 10 min |
| 0:10 | 3 Learnings, 3 Priorities | 20 min |
| 0:30 | Draft Objectives (pairs) | 20 min |
| 0:50 | Define Key Results | 25 min |
| 1:15 | Final Review & Dependencies | 15 min |

---

## Facilitation Techniques

### The "So What" Test
When someone proposes an objective or KR, ask "So what?" repeatedly:
- "We'll launch the new dashboard"
- "So what?"
- "So customers can see their usage"
- "So what?"
- "So they'll use the product more effectively"
- "So what?"
- "So retention improves"
- **Now you have an outcome**: "Improve customer retention by X%"

### Dot Voting
When prioritizing objectives:
1. Each person gets 3-5 dots
2. Can place multiple dots on one item (shows conviction)
3. Tally and discuss top 3-5
4. Facilitator can override ties with strategic lens

### The "Newspaper Test"
For each objective, ask: "If this were in the news at the end of the quarter, what would the headline be?"
- Bad: "Company Launches New Feature"
- Good: "Company's New Feature Drives 50% Increase in Customer Engagement"

### Red Team Exercise
After drafting OKRs, split into two groups:
- Group A: Defend the OKRs (why they're right)
- Group B: Attack the OKRs (why they'll fail)
- Swap and repeat
- Revise based on vulnerabilities exposed

---

## Common Workshop Pitfalls

| Pitfall | Prevention |
|---------|------------|
| HIPPO dominates (Highest Paid Person's Opinion) | Use silent brainstorm before discussion |
| Too many ideas, no focus | Strict dot voting, force rank |
| Vague KRs slip through | Dedicated critique round with "measurement police" |
| Dependencies ignored | Explicit "who depends on you / who do you depend on" exercise |
| No time for KRs | Protect KR time; better to have fewer, well-defined OKRs |

---

## Post-Workshop

### Within 24 Hours
- [ ] Send cleaned-up OKRs to all participants
- [ ] Flag any unresolved dependencies for follow-up
- [ ] Schedule first weekly check-in

### Within 1 Week
- [ ] Get explicit sign-off from all OKR owners
- [ ] Publish to shared OKR tracker (Discord, Notion, etc.)
- [ ] Share with broader org for transparency


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