Do You Really Need OKRs? When the Framework Works (and When It Doesn't)

No. You don’t really need OKRs.

OKRs are goals that drive change — call them ‘change goals’, if you will.*

If you’re not looking for change, you don’t need OKRs.

Some organizations are happy with the status quo. All they need are KPIs: simple 'maintenance goals' that help maintain the status quo.

Think of organizations as humans.

KPIs monitor your internal systems to ensure you’ll stay alive— your heartbeat, breathing, etc.

OKRs are your legs, helping you travel to places, like the top of a mountain 🏔

If you don’t have any mountains to climb, then you may as well sit down and relax. You don’t need ‘change goals’, or OKRs.

But, over time, circumstances change. Markets change, just like the climate. Sit still for too long and you're at risk of freezing, or drowning.

And don’t forget that the view is great at the top of the mountain.

One day, someone else will reach it. And you’ll regret that it’s not you.

_{* You may want to work with another framework to manage change goals — such as 4DX, Balanced Scorecard, or OGSM. That's fine, all these frameworks are built on the same components, they just put just put different labels on them. 4DX calls Objectives 'WIGS', and the Balanced Scorecard calls Key Results 'Measures'. Same same but different. In Perdoo you can choose which framework you want to work with.}