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
Are you an overthinker looking for a way to calm your mind? Have a busy brain, and struggle with the question in therapy of: "Where do you feel that in your body?" Join host Sara Lobkovich and guest TJ Matton, founder of the Playful Revolution, as they explore how play can be a powerful mindfulness practice. Discover how play, a primal drive essential for our neurological health, can help break the cycle of constant rumination. Learn about balancing novelty and repetition, and creating safe play environments. This episode promises to bring more joy, curiosity, and mindfulness into your life. Tune in to transform your approach to mindfulness through the science of play.
Have you ever thought about a career in product -- whether product management, product development, or product engineering?
You'll enjoy this conversation with Sten Pittet, CEO of Tability. In our last episode, Sten interviewed Thinkydoers host Sara about her journey into OKRs; today, we flipped the script for Sara to interview Sten about his fascinating journey starting in software development after uni, into product engineering in a mid-size company (that became a large company during his tenure), and then the transition into the CEO and founder seat with his latest venture, Tability.
Have you ever wondered how to take charge of your career without a formal leadership title? In our latest Thinkydoers episode, we dive deep into self-leadership strategies with Sally Ivester. Discover how to manage up, communicate your boundaries, and work loudly to ensure your contributions are recognized. Learn to create a personal operating model that sets you up for success and helps you navigate the corporate game with confidence. Whether you’re an early-career professional or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you excel.
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.