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Asana To Manage OKRs

We use Asana Goals to manage our team OKRs.

We use Team Goals associated with the Team - Tech - General team.

We stick to a 2-level goals hierarchy.

  • The top level goals represent the Objectives.
  • The sub-goals represent the Key Results.

Objectives are defined and tracked yearly.

Key Results are defined and tracked quarterly. KRs can be repeated (these KRs are generally important things that we need to track all year long, but for which the analysis makes sense at a higher frequency).

OKRs are public to the entire company.

The OKR management process is a collaborative process to which everyone is expected to contribute.

ConfigurationManagement Process

Accountability

The CTO is ultimately accountable for the performance of the Tech Team and therefore accountable for the OKR process. Tech Team Management is responsible for its day-to-day execution.

Objectives and Key Results are owned by a single person. That person is accountable for achieving the target. The owner can share or delegate the execution with approval of Tech Team Management. That approval is required to make sure that people have enough capacity to do the work.

Management Calendar

The OKRs are managed following the calendar below.

 

ActivityDescription

Set Yearly Objectives

  • Tech Team Management sets the objectives based on the past year and the already identified goals and challenges for the upcoming year.

Set Q# KRs

  • Tech Team Management sets the goals for the quarter, factoring the inputs from team members.

Mid Q# Scoring

  • Each goal owner updates the scores of their KRs with the score they expect to achieve by the end of the quarter.
  • The scores are reviewed and discussed at the following Tech Team Management Meeting.

Final Q# Scoring

  • Each goal owner provides the final scores for the quarter.
  • The scores are reviewed and discussed at the following Tech Team Management Meeting.
  • A team-wide review takes place at the following All Hands.

Yearly OKR Review

  • Teach Team Management compiles the data on OKRs and shares an analysis with the entire team.

Collaborative Nature Of The Process

The member of Tech Team Management directly manage the entire Tech Team. As such they are expected to socialize and proactively collect feedback on KR: suggestions to achieve current targets, suggestions for future KRs, etc...

All team members are expected to proactively participate in the  OKR process by either providing direct feedback to members of the Tech Team Management during their 1-to-1 and during the planned team-wide discussion blocks such as the All Hands. Feedback and suggestions are welcome at any other time.

Configuration In Asana

Create An Objectives

Fill in the form as follows:

  • Title: Short and clear statement
  • Goal Owner: AnyoneCTO
  • Accountable Team: Team - Tech - General
  • Time Period: FY##
  • Privacy: Public
  • Members: Team - Tech - General [Can edit] (automatically set once the Accountable Team is selected)
  • Parent Goal: None
  • Update Method: Automatic
  • Progress Source: Sub-goals
  • Measurement: Percent

The result should look something like below.

image.png

Feel free to set a description for the objective once it is created.

Create A Key ResultsResult

Fill in the form as follows:

  • Title: Short and clear statement
  • Goal Owner: Anyone in theory, Tech Team Management member in most cases
  • Accountable Team: Team - Tech - General
  • Time Period: Q# FY## 
  • Privacy: Public
  • Members: Team - Tech - General [Can edit] (automatically set once the Accountable Team is selected)
  • Parent Goal: Select the corresponding parent goal
  • Update Method: Manuel
  • Measurement: Choose the appropriate option
  • Current Value: Input the starting value
  • Target Value: Input the target value that we intend to achieve by the end of the quarter

The result should look something like below.

image.png

Management

Once Process

the goal is created, the description must be updated to specify how the KR is going to be scored.

image.png

AccountabilityScore A Key Result

TheScoring CTOa Key Result implies the following

  1. Setting the status
  2. Updating the progress (score)
  3. Provide context

This is ultimatelydone accountableby using the Status Update feature.

Teamandtherefore TeamManagementisfor
StatusDescription
Open Statuses - Relevant for themid performancequarter ofscoring
🟢 On TrackYou expect to achieve the Techtarget.
🟡 accountableAt RiskYou think it's going to be difficult to achieve the target, but that it's still doable.
🔴 Off TrackYou don't think you will be able to achieve the target.
Closed Statuses - Relevant for final scoring
🟢 AchievedAll things considered, you think that the OKRtarget process.was Techachieved.
🟡 responsiblePartial You itsdid day-to-daynot execution.

achieve

Managementthe Calendar

target but did reasonable progress.
🔴 MissedYou did not do substantive progress.
⚪ DroppedYou decided to drop the target during the quarter.