Objectives can be difficult to write well, so we've come up with a template to help you with this. Follow the steps below to create a well-written objective.
Step 1. Set the type, owner & due date
Set the objective type (annual/quarterly), who will own it, and when this objective will be due.
Understanding and setting this first will help you answer the subsequent questions.
Step 2. Set the description
The description should state the overall aim of the objective and describe the change you would expect to see if you achieved the goal.
Answer each of the following questions and place into the description.
Q1: What are you trying to achieve?
A brief statement about the overall aim of the objective. It should speak to the “why” and the “what” - what the goal is and what will change if you succeed. You could use these formats:
- To (achieve this goal), so that (this change occurs)
- To (move from here) to (here) to that we achieve (this goal)
- To create a change from (this state) to (this state), so that we achieve (this goal)
Q2: Why is it important and why now?
Focus on explaining why it is important now.
Give some context about how it fits into the bigger picture (e.g. your vision or goals) and explain why the team feels this is an important focus.
This keeps it relevant and allows your employees to see themselves and their teams coming together to support the objective and connect their contribution to its success
Q3: How will we know we have been successful?
Some questions to ask yourself:
- What problem would we be solving? And what would change if we solved it?
- What would a customer now experience if they walked into our business?
- What would a new team member experience on their journey with us?
The most important part here is to paint a picture of what the outcomes would be if this objective was successful. Any specific measurements belong in the key results.
Some examples might be:
- "Our business development plan is keeping our pipeline full of opportunities", rather than “We have increased our pipeline by 100%”
- Our improved client engagement processes mean our customers are staying with us longer and we are reducing the churn to competitors
Step 3. Set the title
This should be a rallying phrase describing, in the present tense, what change you have achieved.
Check:
- Is it in the present tense describing what has already occurred?
- Does it feel exciting? Could you imagine people wanting to get on board?
- Ensure there are no key results in the title
Two examples:
- “Our new product is ready for market.” is a better title than “We have built a new product” or “Build a new product”
- “Our people feel supported by our Cultural Leadership Framework” is better than “We have implemented a Cultural Leadership Framework”
Further resources
📚OKR learning
See here for a comprehensive guide to OKRs and their usage inside the adapt platform.
How to Create Resilient Business Goals