Succeeding with OKRs in Agile (2nd edition)
How to create & deliver Objectives Key Results for teams
Clear concise discussion of what OKRs are, why you want to use them with agile, how to write them, deliver them and the pitfalls to avoid.
About
About the Book
Praise for the first edition:
"This is absolutely brilliant book. If you really wants to learn more regarding OKR in Agile and other important stuff related to it you must read this book. It's truly a master piece."
"Super easy to read, with clear chapter summaries. Lots of solid content that is not hidden amongst fluff. Straight to the point and a must have for any agile practitioner curious about okrs"
"Having read other books that argue strongly for OKRs as a panacea to achieve a high-performing organisation, the perspectives here from Allan are balanced, informed by lived experience and provide patterns and anti-patterns to watch for. Insightful and powerful - thank you Allan for sharing such well-considered feedback."
"Allan's writing is perfect for busy managers who need to set objectives and form initiatives that satisfy diverse stakeholders. Plus, it doesn't sugar-coat OKRs - they are part of a management system - not a medicine. Overall, a wonderfully concise and easy to read guide to using OKRs. Highly recommended."
OKRs are important to agile teams because they deal with big thing, they think forward and they engage with senior leaders.
OKRs are about goals bigger than the next story.
OKRs prioritise purpose and strategy over backlogs.
Does your agile team get lead astray by burning fires? Do you struggle to keep your agile team focused?
Do you feel the need for more than just doing the top of the backlog every two weeks?
Then this hands-on, experience informed book is for you. Acclaimed author Allan Kelly describes why you will want to use OKRs, how to write OKRs, how to execute against OKRs in an agile environment to deliver outcomes, and what pitfalls and problems to avoid.
In this book he doesn't try to sell OKRs - others can tell you why OKRs are great. Allan describes his practical experience working with an agile team adopting OKRs, day-by-day, quarter-by-quarter.
Allan is the author of multiple books on agile and has given advice and training for over 10 years. Now he turns his attention to OKRs.
Allan’s advice includes: be really specific in setting goals, involve the whole team in setting OKRs, think broad when setting then execute narrowly, set analogue not binary OKRs and, most controversially, throw away your backlog and let OKRs drive everything you do.
Initially sceptical about OKRs Allan found them a good fit with agile; OKRs became an effective means of focus teams, exposing problems, communicating with senior managers and a powerful means of asking bigger questions about product strategy and value.
OKRs and agile work well together because they are both outcome oriented and results focused. When used right OKRs give power and authority to teams - one could even say OKRs create test first management.
Yet OKRs can be a double edge-sword, used poorly they can re-introduce command-and-control and hinder agile working. Allan addresses problems with predictability, aspirations, culture, targets and annual reviews.
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Author
About the Author
Allan Kelly
Allan Kelly calls himself an Agile Guide. He helps software professionals enjoy more fulfilling and satisfying work by improving the way work is organised and requests are made. Happier people and better ways of working make for more effective companies, greater value and competitive advantage.
His wide experience of the challenges faced in software development underpins his advice, coaching, training and writing. He is the author of seven books including "Xanpan - team centric Agile Software Development", "Business Patterns for Software Developers" and "Continuous Digital". He has pioneered techniques such as Value Poker, Time-Value Profiles and Retrospective Dialogue Sheets. His blog is at https://www.allankellyassociates.co.uk/blog/
Episode 252
An Interview with Allan Kelly
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Contents
Table of Contents
Praise for the first edition
Free book when you subscribe
Foreword
Preface
Preface to the second edition
Short quick lessons
3 Questions
- IWhy OKRs
1.Introducing OKR
- 1.1Dissecting OKRs
- 1.2OKRs and agile
- Best within constraints
- 1.3Think broadly, execute narrowly
- Iterate
- 1.4Ambition over estimation
- Psychological safety
2.Why use OKRs?
- 2.1Mid-term planning
- Quarterly, three months, 12 weeks
- 2.2Test-driven OKRs
- 2.3Communication
- A team API
- 2.4The team
- 2.5Warning
- 2.6Summary
3.Focus
- 3.1OKRs create focus
- Digital distractions
- 3.2Summary
4.OKR history
5.Outcomes, value and benefits
- 5.1Business benefit and value
- Business
- 5.2Value
- 5.3Pieconomics
- Estimate value
- 5.4Summary
- IIWriting OKRs
6.Writing OKRs
- 6.1Team setting
- Mark aspirations
- 6.2Limited number
- 6.3Priority
- 6.4Effort
- Working backwards
- 6.5Avoid planning by OKR
- 6.6The trouble with pre-work
- 6.7When to set OKRs
- 6.8Not money
- 6.9Summary
7.Objectives
- 7.1Background analysis
- 7.2Objective value
- 7.3Obvious value
- 7.4Wide objectives
- 7.5Feature factories
- 7.6One for the team
- 7.7Testing trouble
- 7.8Take time but not too much time
- 7.9Summary
8.Key results
- 8.1Test first
- 8.2Testable key results
- 8.3Binary or analog?
- 8.4Summary
9.Four types of key results
- 9.1Type 1: Acceptance criteria
- 9.2Type 2: Plan
- 9.3Type 3: Lego bricks
- 9.4Type 4: Vertical slices
- 9.5Contrast
- 9.6Implications for cascading
- 9.7Domino effect
- 9.8Summary
10.Objective worked example
- 10.1The date
- 10.2Minimal?
- 10.3Context and constraints
- 10.4Pharmacy
- 10.5MVP
- 10.6Full-size
- 10.7What is key?
- 10.8Summary
11.Measuring
- 11.1Quantify
- Measurement
- 11.2Measuring the impossible
- 11.3Removing the subjectivity
- 11.4Unintended consequences
- 11.5Don’t boil it down
- 11.6Summary
12.Key result tricks
- 12.1Experiments
- 12.2Hypothesis-driven development
- 12.3Time-boxed
- 12.4Survey
- 12.5Knowing when to stop
- 12.6Summary
13.OKR cycle
- 13.1OKR cycle
- 13.2Cycle length
- 13.3OKR-setting is not work planning
- 13.4What about work planning?
- Estimation?
- 13.5Summary
14.Planning players
- Product Owner, Product Manager or what?
- 14.1Product Owner
- 14.2Stakeholders
- 14.3Managers are stakeholders too
- 14.4Summary
15.Planning to plan
- 15.1Schedule the events
- 15.2When to set
- 15.3Start late
- 15.4During the cycle
- 15.5End-of-cycle review
- 15.6Mid-cycle review
- 15.7Summary
- IIIWorking with OKRs
16.Organizing to deliver OKRs
- 16.1OKRs everywhere
- 16.2Bigger team, fewer OKRs
- 16.3Sprint planning with OKRs
- 16.4Traffic lights and status
- 16.5Summary
17.OKRs and the backlog
- 17.1OKRs, not backlogs
- 17.2Backlog first
- The bottomless pit
- 17.3OKRs first
- An experiment
- 17.4Return of the sprint goal
- 17.5Summary
18.BAU – keeping the lights on
- Software always changes
- 18.1Option 1: suppress BAU
- 18.2Option 2: reduce or remove BAU
- 18.3Option 3: make BAU better
- 18.4Option 4: objective zero – add BAU
- 18.5Downside
- 18.6Summary
19.Executing
- 19.1Keeping focus
- 19.2Prioritize
- 19.3Visual display
- 19.4Revisit often: sprint planning
- 19.5Time-slice
- 19.6Summary
20.Going off-piste
- 20.1Unplanned but valuable
- 20.2Prepare for the unexpected
- 20.3Track distractions
- 20.4Summary
21.Beyond the quarter
- 21.1Three horizons
- 21.2Rolling roadmap
- 21.3OKR roadmaps
- 21.4Feedback
- 21.5Summary
- IVLeadership
22.Strategy
- 22.1Big goals
- Strategic intent
- 22.2Agile makes strategy more important
- Strategy elements
- 22.3Opportunity cost
- 22.4What not to do
- 22.5The backlog
- 22.6Don’t forget the technology
- Technical liabilities
- 22.7Shared mental model
- 22.8Summary
23.Leaders
- 23.1Culture, goals and strategy elements
- 23.2Day-to-day
- 23.3Leaders and culture
- My big failure
- 23.4Bottom-up more than top-down
- 23.5Summary
24.Culture
- 24.1Delivery culture
- 24.2Customers
- 24.3Openness and feedback
- 24.4Psychological safety
- 24.5Ambition
- 24.6Summary
- The next Google?
25.Leaders and planning
- 25.1Broad–narrow
- 25.2Forward planning
- 25.3Cascade up, not down
- Orbiting satellites
- 25.4Summary
- VForewarnings
26.Aspirations
- 26.1Utility mode
- 26.2Predictability
- 26.3Creating aspirations?
- 26.4Leaders and culture
- 26.5An OKR adoption route
- 26.6Exercise: where are you?
- 26.7Summary
27.Everyday pitfalls
- 27.1‘OKR buffet’
- 27.2Late-arriving OKRs
- 27.3Adding to the story hierarchy
- 27.4Counting problems
- 27.5Respect for specialists
- 27.6Respect for managers
- 27.7Summary
28.Trouble with targets
- 28.1Targeting the measurable
- 28.2Questions measurement can’t answer
- 28.3Goodhart’s Law
- 28.4Goal displacement
- 28.5Overcoming tunnel vision
- Rules of thumb
- 28.6A final warning: targets
- 28.7Summary
29.Individuals and performance reviews
- 29.1Integrating employee reviews with OKRs
- Disagree and commit
- 29.2OKRs for individuals
- Behaviours
- 29.3Summary
- Close
Closing words
- Get out of jail free
- Finally
Please review
Further reading
OKRs extra - coming soon
Acknowledgements
Also by Allan Kelly
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