OKR method: what are the experiences after 12 months of deployment?

To transform the company, become more efficient, and move from strategic vision to execution on the ground, use the method of Objectives & Key Results (OKR) is undoubtedly one of the best solutions.

But like many topics, there is both theory and practice. To be able to get started in the best possible conditions, nothing beats experience – and successful ones at that!

During the’OKR Forum 2022 in partnership with talenco, Manon Enoc, Deputy Executive Director of Human Resources at L-Acoustics, Olivier Prié, Director of the Armor Emeraude territory at Veolia, and Thomas Scott, First Director of the agile project office at Radio-Canada, shared their testimony about the reasons that led them to choose OKRs, the implementation steps of the method, and the first results after one year of practice.

Why did you choose OKRs to drive the transformation of the company?

Translating the corporate strategy into action on the ground, aligning the entire company with priorities, mastering acceleration and growth… there are plenty of reasons to choose the OKR method.

⬜ At Chez L-Acoustics, leader of the professional soundproofing industry, in a context of strong business growth and resources and internationalization, To achieve this, it was necessary to face two major challenges: aligning the entire organization with a common ambition and transmitting a common culture internationally and remotely.

For Manon Enoc, there is at least 5 reasons to introduce OKRs :

1. Agreeing on a common ambition
2. formalize the company’s ambition and agree on a common vocabulary
3. sharing, communicating widely about the ambition
4. aligning the entire organization on the common ambition
5. Driving the progress of the OKRs and the achievement of this ambition

⬜ For Veolia, The issue was that of to reject the three-year strategic plans for all territories. The introduction of OKRs was done gradually, first testing it in the Côtes d’Armor-Emeraude region.

Olivier Prié

« Clarifying the strategy, taking ownership of it, sharing a common vocabulary, getting the teams on board, aligning, giving meaning… »For Olivier Prié, the Objectives & Key Results They will make it possible for everyone to know what they contribute to the company’s project.

⬜ At Chez Radio-Canada, In the digital media sector, the main challenges were also to cope with a Strong growth and staying aligned with all the employees (several hundred) and partners.

« There were so many priorities that we had priority ones! »

Thomas Scott, First Director of the Agile Project Office at Radio-Canada

The choice of the OKR method was therefore an opportunity to equip ourselves with «superpowers» to ensure that the work of each employee had meaning.

What were the steps involved in implementing the Objectives & Key Results ?

⬜ At Veolia, the OKRs were initially implemented by the management of a pilot territory, the Côte d’Armor-Emeraude, and have gradually expanded within the local services in several stages:

1. Definition of the territory’s OKRs and the «why» (reason for existence) by the territorial management
2. Transmission of local services to employers to challenge OKRs («bricks to break») through collective intelligence
3. Duplication of OKRs with the teams for each of the 9 local service projects.

For Olivier Prié, « This cascade implementation of the OKRs has enabled the territorial strategy to be aligned with the corporate strategy and to be able to take into account the specificities of each territory. ».

⬜ For L-Acoustics, the implementation of the OKRs was done directly at the level of the entire company thanks to the intuition and conviction of the leaders, according to a fairly classic process (see the client case):

1. Dedicated support for executives to define the company’s OKRs and define the ambition
2. Sharing and dissemination by capillary action within the Codir so that the members can appropriate them
3. Personalized support for Codir members + variation of OKRs by department
4. Onboarding of the Leadership Team (40 Top Directors) and dedicated training within the management teams to implement their OKRs and adopt the method
5. Reporting to operational managers to define their OKRs with their teams

Manon Enoc

For Manon Enoc, the implementation in stages and the formalization in a very attractive format of the OKRs made it easier to onboard the entire organization.« OKR’s have enabled better sharing, uninhibited performance, transparency between all departments, a new culture of feedback, etc. ».

⬜ At Radio-Canada, the steps for implementing the OKRs also took place in a cascade: understand, adopt, and define OKRs at the company level and then by department.

For Thomas Scott, the key is to find the right rhythm and the right habits, to « develop the muscle so that it becomes natural ».

What are the initial results after 12 months of implementing the OKR method?

About a year after the implementation of OKRs among our three stakeholders, the findings are generally convergent. The strategy is well defined and shared internally, the method is well understood, but there are still some areas for improvement to establish routines and anchor new reflexes.

⬜ Within Radio-Canada, for example, OKRs have already been implemented Aligning and involving the teams. For the Director of the agile project office of this radio station, « OKR are an excellent vehicle for the appropriation of the strategy and the managing priorities ».

As for generating commitment and empowering people, there are still a few adjustments to be made to ensure that employees make the process come to life and take ownership of it.

Thomas Scott

However, there are some rituals that are already well established, as evidenced by Thomas Scott:« Once a month, we share the interdepartmental OKRs to ensure that they are being implemented. The Sprint reviews are also linked to the OKRs to achieve the goal. ».

⬜ At Veolia, according to Olivier Prié, good results can already be observed: OKRs have many positive effects such as clarity, readability, and the appropriation of the strategy by the teams, the onboarding of the employees, their adherence to a common core…

The rollout of OKRs is planned across all territories after this pilot.« One point of caution can be noted: work on the «management tool» aspect and firmly establish the rituals to make the OKRs come to life. ».

⬜ More frequent speaking by leaders, and the teams’ appropriation of the strategy, the creation of new rituals OKR, which is most often integrated into existing points, is reviewed semiannually to drive progress and alignment… At L-Acoustics, the OKR method is already well assimilated and embodied.

For Manon Enoc, the balance today is very positive because the OKRs have been successful.« superpowers over the commitment of the teams ». The empowerment of managers has allowed them to acquire a certain level of maturity; they manage through meaning, sharing, and feedback, which allows everyone to identify why and how they contribute to the success of the company's project.".

About a year after the implementation of OKRs, in companies with very different structures, sizes, and sectors, we can already see the effectiveness of the method, particularly in terms of the commitment of the teams and their focus on the priorities that are often adjusted in a context of uncertainty and complexity. 

While there are still some adjustments to make for the OKR method to take root naturally and become embedded in our employees, the first positive results bode well for many future successes and the desire for other companies to embark on the same journey. Objectives & Key Results. Come to the OKR Forum 2023 for more success stories !