millenials

Its not 1970 any more, even 1974 was 50 years ago. I used to make this point regularly when discussing the project model and #NoProjects. Now though I want to make the same point about OKRs.

The way some people talk about OKRs you might think it was 1974: OKRs are a tool of command and control, they are given to workers by managers, workers have little or no say in what the objectives are, the key results are little more than a to-do list and there is an unwritten assumption that if key results 1, 2 and 3 are done then the objective will be miraculously achieved. In fact, those objectives are themselves often just “things someone thinks should be done” and shouldn’t be questioned.

I’d like to say this view is confined to older OKR books. However, while it is not so common in more recent books many individuals carry these assumptions.

A number of things have changed since OKRs were first created. The digital revolution might be the most obvious but actually digital is only indirectly implicated, digital lies behind two other forces here.

First, we’ve had the agile revolution: not only does agile advocate self-organising teams but workers, especially professional knowledge workers, have come to expect autonomy and authority over the work they do. This is not confined to agile, it is also true of Millennials and Generation-Z workers who recently entered the workforce.

Digital change is at work here: digital tools underpin agile, and Millennials and Gen-Z have grown up with digital tools. Digital tools magnify the power of workers while making it essential the workers have the authority to use the tool effectively and make decisions.

Having managers give OKRs to workers, without letting the workers have a voice in setting the OKRs, runs completely against both agile and generational approaches.

Second, in a world where climate change and war threaten our very existence, in a world where supposedly safe banks like Silicon Valley and Lehman Brothers have failed, where companies like Thames Valley Water have become a byword for greed over society many are demanding more meaning and purpose in their work—especially those Millennials.

Simply “doing stuff” at work is not enough. People want to make a difference. Which is why outcomes matter more than ever. Not every OKR is going to result in reduced CO² emissions but having outcomes which make the world a better place gives meaning to work. Having outcomes which build towards a clear meaningful purpose has always been important to people but now it is more important than ever.

Add to that the increased volatility, uncertainty and complexity of our world, and the ambiguous nature of many events it is no longer good enough to tell people what to do. Work needs to have meaning both so people can commit to it and also so they can decide what the right thing to do is.

In 2024 the world is digital and the world is VUCA, workers demand respect, meaning and to be treated like partners not gophers.

OKRs are a powerful management tool but they need to be applied like it is 2024 not 1974.