Summary
Highlights
OKRs are a management and leadership system based on objectives (where we want to go) and key results (how we know we're getting there). It uses objectives and key results to measure progress, with initiatives and projects driving the indicators.
KPIs are key performance indicators that show the performance of an activity, operation, or area at a specific moment. They can vary based on the business type and goals, for example, employee turnover rate or performance in human resources.
OKRs are flexible and adapt to changes, often reviewed quarterly. KPIs are typically set at the beginning of the year and remain constant to monitor daily business performance. OKRs are deployed horizontally across teams with transparent goals, while KPIs are established vertically and may not be transparent across the entire organization.
Both OKRs and KPIs emphasize the importance of 'key' indicators. It's important to focus on the most important indicators. Less is more in both methodologies, allowing for better focus for the team and organization.
KPIs can highlight areas needing improvement, which can then be addressed through OKRs. For example, a low customer satisfaction score (a KPI) can drive an OKR to improve customer delight and increase the satisfaction score.
A software development team used an OKR to reduce bugs by 50%. After achieving satisfactory results, they maintained bug tracking as a KPI to monitor ongoing performance.
OKRs can drive change and KPIs can monitore performance.