Finding Your North Star: The Power of Parent OKRs

Hey folks, 

Can’t believe summer is almost over. As we head into fall, I've got some exciting updates to share with you all. 

First off, our Lean UX workshops are going global, so if you're looking to level up your product development skills, we've got you covered. 

I've also written an article about the power of "parent OKRs" that I think you'll find useful for aligning your team's efforts. 

Plus, Josh and I are kicking off a series of free webinars on OKRs starting in September - you won't want to miss those. Let's dive in!

Catch you on the flip side,

- Jeff

Article: Finding Your North Star: The Power of Parent OKRs

When it comes to setting objectives for your organization, having a clear direction is crucial. That's where the concept of "finding your parent OKR" comes into play, and it's a tipping point for aligning your entire team's efforts.

The Family Tree of Goals

Think of your organization's OKRs as a family tree. Every objective should have a "parent"—a higher-level OKR that it supports. This creates a clear lineage from the top-level strategic goals all the way down to individual team objectives. It's not about cascading orders from the top; it's about building a connected network of goals that all support each other.

Let's look at an example. Imagine a tech company with a top-level goal of becoming the leading innovator in artificial intelligence. To support this, one team might set an objective to work on new ways of interacting with the AI engine, which leads to other teams’ developing OKR goals of increased usage in frequency or the variety of use cases. 

This chain of goals shows how each level supports the one above it. There's a clear connection from the day-to-day work of the team all the way up to the company's main ambition. It's easy for everyone to understand how their efforts contribute to the bigger goal.

Benefits of the Parent OKR Approach

This approach offers several key advantages. First, it ensures that every goal, at every level of the organization, supports the higher purpose. You can trace any objective back to the overall strategy, giving everyone a clear understanding of how their work contributes to the big picture.

Second, it creates clear ownership and accountability. Every OKR has someone responsible for it, which drives progress and results.

Last, it strikes a balance between top-down direction and bottom-up creativity. Leaders set the overall direction, but teams have the flexibility to determine how best to support those goals based on their expertise and insights.

Implementing Parent OKRs

To put this into practice, start by having leadership set the high-level OKRs for the organization. Then, ask each department and team to set their own OKRs that support these higher-level objectives. This creates a network of interconnected goals that all pull in the same direction.

Remember, it's not about rigid hierarchy. A single OKR can have multiple "children" supporting it, and a lower-level OKR might support multiple parent objectives. The key is ensuring that every objective has a clear connection to the overall strategy.

It's a powerful way to align efforts, drive accountability, and ensure that every team member understands how their work contributes to the bigger picture. By embracing the parent OKR approach, you're not just setting goals - you're creating a roadmap for your entire organization's success. 

What I’ve been up to

Josh and I are launching a series of free monthly webinars starting this September, all about mastering OKRs!

Our first session, "Planning 2025 with OKRs: The Basics," will break down what OKRs are, why they're so effective, and how you can use them to create agile, customer-centric plans for 2025.

Whether you're new to OKRs or looking to level up your skills, we've got you covered. We'll start with the basics and work our way up to practical implementation strategies.

Ready to transform your planning? Join us!

Watch, Listen, Read

Watch: What We Do in the Shadows has been my go-to watch as of late. A mockumentary-style show about the secret lives of vampires in Staten Island? What’s not to love? 

Listen: Two Door Cinema Club is a band my whole family can agree on in the car and has agreed on for years. Recently, I finally got a chance to see them live with the kids and it was magical. We sang along to every word of every song. It was amazing. 

Read: Foundation by Isaac Asimov — I first found this book through the Apple TV+ show of the same name. I was surprised to see how short Isaac Asimov’s book was in comparison to the epic scope of the stories told in the show. Still, I’ve really enjoyed it. 

What’s new on the blog

How to build a high-performance culture without culling the herd - Despite working hard, many of my friends in large corporations fear layoffs due to toxic work cultures rooted in high-pressure performance. This approach can lead to mediocrity and stagnation, as employees focus on avoiding termination rather than innovating or serving customers. Alternative approaches are available to build high-performance teams.

How a 60,000 person company scaled their OKRs - It’s possible to implement OKRs at scale, and I use the example of a UK-based mass media and telecommunications company's journey. They found success by focusing on three key factors.