Forum Discussion
Supporting Key Results that are Integers, especially when the goal is 1.
We are starting an OKR methodology implementation at our company and have chosen Viva Goals as the OKR Management tool.
One challenge we have is that some of our Key Results are Achieved/Not Achieved types and that does not seem to be supported by Viva Goals (it was in some of the other tools we have looked into).
As an example, we would have an objective that states we are going to be best in our industry by year-end for data security practices. And one of the Key Results supporting that Objective is that we get at least one recognized certification by a 3rd party as we have none today. So we have a metric: number of certifications, that we want to go from 0 to 1. However, because the KR is a floating number, the people doing check-in can write that the current value is something like 0.7. What they mean is that they feel they have done 70% of the work for getting a certification. But what we would like is for the value to stay at 0 until we get the certification as it depends on external stakeholders (the auditors) and even if we feel we have done 70% of the work (or even 95% of the work), it is very possible that we will never get the certification.
While we can tell OKR owners to leave it at 0 until achieved, it would be easier to manage if we could create KR where it is explicitly stated that the metric is an Integer and that floating value are not allowed for check-ins.
Anybody else has this need? What were your solutions? Any plan to bring a feature like this in Viva Goals?
- The issue presented revolves around the intricacies of measuring progress in a binary or achieved/not achieved metric, especially when working with external stakeholders where progress is not linear or predictable. When using Viva Goals or any other OKR tool, the ideal is to have flexibility in defining and measuring Key Results.
To address this:
Feedback to the Tool Provider: Reach out to Viva Goals' support or product feedback channels. Many companies consider user feedback essential for product development. The more organizations highlight the need for a specific feature, the higher the chance it will get prioritized.
Internal Workaround: Create a guideline within your organization that states any Key Results relying on third-party validations, certifications, or similar criteria will remain at 0 until achieved. While this won't prevent someone from putting a decimal value, it sets a clear expectation.
Education and Training: Often, the challenges with tools come down to user understanding. Regular training sessions can help clarify the intent behind certain metrics and how they should be updated.
Alternative Metrics: Instead of tracking the certification directly, you might consider tracking the internal steps leading up to certification. This way, you can measure progress in a more granular way. For instance, "Complete documentation for certification," "Hold preliminary meeting with auditors," etc. Each of these can be a binary or percentage-based KR leading up to the final certification.
Consider Other Tools: If Viva Goals doesn't adapt to your needs over time, it might be worth considering other OKR tools that offer more flexibility in defining and measuring KRs.
1 Reply
- The issue presented revolves around the intricacies of measuring progress in a binary or achieved/not achieved metric, especially when working with external stakeholders where progress is not linear or predictable. When using Viva Goals or any other OKR tool, the ideal is to have flexibility in defining and measuring Key Results.
To address this:
Feedback to the Tool Provider: Reach out to Viva Goals' support or product feedback channels. Many companies consider user feedback essential for product development. The more organizations highlight the need for a specific feature, the higher the chance it will get prioritized.
Internal Workaround: Create a guideline within your organization that states any Key Results relying on third-party validations, certifications, or similar criteria will remain at 0 until achieved. While this won't prevent someone from putting a decimal value, it sets a clear expectation.
Education and Training: Often, the challenges with tools come down to user understanding. Regular training sessions can help clarify the intent behind certain metrics and how they should be updated.
Alternative Metrics: Instead of tracking the certification directly, you might consider tracking the internal steps leading up to certification. This way, you can measure progress in a more granular way. For instance, "Complete documentation for certification," "Hold preliminary meeting with auditors," etc. Each of these can be a binary or percentage-based KR leading up to the final certification.
Consider Other Tools: If Viva Goals doesn't adapt to your needs over time, it might be worth considering other OKR tools that offer more flexibility in defining and measuring KRs.