Welcome to the No-BS OKRs™ Blog
Here, you’ll find resources we create to help teams create, implement, and operationalize No-BS OKRs™ (called Evolutionary OKRs® in some workplaces) to set clear goals, stay focused, and build cultures of growth, learning, and high performance.
Featured No-BS OKRs Posts
“Quiet quitting” isn’t over — recent Gallup Data shows that the “Great Detatchment” is still going strong. Learn how No-BS OKRs can counter this trend, fostering a more engaged and motivated workforce and management.
Creating and aligning OKRs can be particularly tricky for busy corporate functions like HR, IT, legal, corporate communications, and finance. Here are some practical tips to help you create clear expectations for yourself and your team.
Based on a reader question, learn some of the most common OKR mistakes I see organizations make, including lack of precise use of words and meaning, and failure to create important goals outside of financial, activity, and known KPI areas. Learn a few quick tips about why these mistakes matter, and how to prevent them in this FAQ answer.
Let’s look at how generative “AI” tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot can (and can’t) assist in strategic planning and the creation of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). We’ll look at some benefits, and some cautions about the limitations and IP implications of using these tools in practice.
Newest Thinkydoer Podcast Episodes
What connects professional motorcycle racing, firefighting, and other very high stakes work for a multi-passionate thinkydoer? The ability to execute perfectly under pressure. Join pro racer and firefighter Jayson Uribe as he shares insights into achieving flow states, balancing technical precision with emotional awareness, and performing at your peak when stakes are highest. Learn practical strategies for managing high-pressure situations that apply far beyond the racetrack.
What happens when motorsports wisdom meets organizational leadership? In this fascinating conversation with Jurriaan Kamer, we explore how professional racing teams' approaches to clear goals, mistake recovery, and continuous learning can revolutionize business performance. Discover practical frameworks for decision-making, prioritization, and building psychological safety that work as well in the boardroom as they do in the motorsports paddock.
When you're feeling stuck, taking the first step toward getting help can feel overwhelming. In this episode, Dr. Sherlonda Adkins shares practical guidance for finding the right therapeutic support, including how to interview potential therapists, what to do if the fit isn't right, and why it's never too late to start. Learn why the journey to getting unstuck shouldn't be a solo endeavor, and how to build the support system you need.
Ever felt "off" but couldn't quite name it? What if that feeling of being "stuck" is actually trying to tell you something important? In this illuminating conversation with Dr. Sherlonda Adkins, a physician assistant and unstuck strategist, we explore how feeling stuck can masquerade as depression, anxiety, or burnout - and why recognizing the difference matters. Whether you're questioning your career path or feeling stagnant in life, this episode offers vital insights into identifying and understanding stuckness before it impacts your wellbeing.
Posts by Category
Principles of No-BS OKRs
Don’t know an OKR from a KPI from any other TLA? Dive into the world of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) with our no-nonsense WTF are OKRs guide. You’ll find basic words, meanings, and context about when and how OKRs are useful, and access No-BS OKR cheat-sheets not available anywhere else
One of the first jobs to be done when implementing (or rebooting) OKRs is to identify how they fit into an organization’s existing planning “stack” and get clear about what job they’re being hired to do.
This is an excerpt from an early draft of Sara’s upcoming book, You Are A Strategist.
You’ll be introduced to the first of three models that Sara uses every day in her work with organizations implementing OKRs: the Connected Strategic® Implementation Stack.
The Connected Strategic Implementation Stack is a framework that helps us understand where OKRs may fit into an organization's existing operating Stack; and, spot what gaps they may fill in connecting what we do, to what's strategically most important.
After years of writing alone and then sharing with (wonderful, patient) beta readers, with this rewrite I’m doing something different. It’s time to write in public.
Here, I’m sharing the first full chapter, Chapter One. (It’s also available in podcast form via the Thinkydoers Podcast.) I look forward to your feedback; the rewriting is done, but the editing is not, so there’s still time to incorporate constructive edits.
Leadership + Management
“Quiet quitting” isn’t over — recent Gallup Data shows that the “Great Detatchment” is still going strong. Learn how No-BS OKRs can counter this trend, fostering a more engaged and motivated workforce and management.
I’ve always found assessments helpful not only for personal development and self-knowing, but also for helping organizations develop a shared language around important topics in how we work together. I am a huge supporter of using assessments personally for self-discovery and increasing your understanding about yourself, your default modes, and non-default options for behavior. Here, I share the assessments I use most frequently in my coaching and consulting …
All posts about Leadership & Management →
Strategic Planning
One of the first jobs to be done when implementing (or rebooting) OKRs is to identify how they fit into an organization’s existing planning “stack” and get clear about what job they’re being hired to do.
This is an excerpt from an early draft of Sara’s upcoming book, You Are A Strategist.
You’ll be introduced to the first of three models that Sara uses every day in her work with organizations implementing OKRs: the Connected Strategic® Implementation Stack.
All posts about Strategic Planning & Goals →
OKR FAQs
Creating and aligning OKRs can be particularly tricky for busy corporate functions like HR, IT, legal, corporate communications, and finance. Here are some practical tips to help you create clear expectations for yourself and your team.
Based on a reader question, learn some of the most common OKR mistakes I see organizations make, including lack of precise use of words and meaning, and failure to create important goals outside of financial, activity, and known KPI areas. Learn a few quick tips about why these mistakes matter, and how to prevent them in this FAQ answer.
All No-BS OKRs FAQs →
OKR Coaching
Establishing clear objectives and key results (OKRs) isn't just about direction and accountability. It’s about driving real change within organizations. Today’s episode kicks off our two-part conversation with the wonderful Jason Johnston, OKR Practice Lead for Genetec, a leading tech company in the security products and solutions space. Jason is also a veteran whose 20-year military career has given him a unique perspective on leadership and problem-solving.
All posts about OKR Coaching →
Architecting Change: Rethinking goal setting's role in achieving necessary change
We talk a lot around here about Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), and in this episode, we dive into an adjacent topic: the role that goal setting can play in making a case for and achieving important change in our organizations. The audio for this episode is from a LinkedIn Live that I hosted recently (if you'd like to hear about our every-other Wednesday Live gatherings, join our email list). Those Live sessions are geared toward changemaker leaders and strategic implementors within organizations who are hungry for ways to increase change effectiveness, increase employee engagement, and spend more time focused on achievement of their most important priorities.