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Life beyond OKRs: Tools for effective goal-setting in empowered teams


Rian van der Merwe

On July 20, 2023, Rian van der Merwe joined us to share how his team sets goals and empowers their team to do their best work, without using OKRs.

Key takeaways

  • Rian’s team was finding OKRs didn’t work for them, so they explored other options. They began by exploring how they plan, their desired outcomes, and the principles that would shape their decision-making as a team
  • Pulling from various sources, that fit their team and needs, like the book Traction and the EOS system in that book, W Planning, and the Team Topologies book to shape how their team’s operating model.
  • They ended up with a foundation that provided clarity on who they are, a vision and focus (long-term), and clarity on how they plan (short-term), and how they would execute. The foundation is the product strategy, vision and focus (EOS), planning with W Planning, and they execute with stream-aligned teams.
  • Key is to start with your planning goals — plan your planning and be clear in your goals for planning
  • Then be clear on your principles and values and find what works for you in that

Resources

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