How Objectives and Key Results Workshops Drive Real Change
Most OKRs fail for one simple reason: they aim for the what instead of fixing the why.
Every quarter, leadership teams spend hours in planning sessions crafting objectives designed to move their business forward. The targets are ambitious. The metrics make sense. Everyone leaves feeling energized about the path ahead.
But six months later, those same OKRs sit untouched while teams remain stuck in the same patterns that held them back before the first workshop began.
This pattern reveals something important about Objectives and Key Results workshops: their true purpose isn't setting ambitious goals. These sessions must drive real change in how organizations work.
The Hidden Problem with Most OKRs
The problem starts in the earliest moments of planning. Leadership teams treat OKRs as targets to aim for, turning hopes into quarterly objectives. Take a common example: "Increase revenue by 20%." This goal sounds clear and measurable, but it doesn't address why revenue isn't growing - whether that's inefficient processes, problems in the sales pipeline, or challenges keeping customers.
This creates a predictable cycle. Teams set OKRs that end up competing with their daily work instead of improving it. The urgent always wins over the important. Transformative goals fade into the background as teams struggle to keep current operations running.
Rethinking OKRs as Agents of Change
The real power of OKRs comes from their ability to change how organizations work - making companies better at serving customers, faster at solving problems, and stronger at executing plans. This means approaching Objectives and Key Results workshops differently.
A recent workshop with a sales team shows this principle in action. They came in wanting to grow their pipeline by 30% - a typical example of setting targets without addressing root causes. But when we dug deeper, we discovered their real challenge: sales representatives were spending too much time on deals unlikely to close.
Instead of focusing purely on growth targets, they shaped their objective around improving how they qualified leads. The final OKR centered on increasing the percentage of pipeline that turned into closed deals, fixing the underlying problem while naturally driving toward their revenue goals.
The Essential Workshop Discussions
Moving from goal-setting to real change requires two critical conversations in every Objectives and Key Results workshop:
Challenge and Opportunity Diagnosis
Before talking about metrics, teams need to examine:
What's truly holding the organization back or creating opportunities
Which specific changes in operations would address these factors
How they'll know if these changes are working
Impact vs. Effort Reality Check
Once potential OKRs are on the table, the discussion must turn to:
Whether these changes matter enough to shift resources away from current work
What the team needs to drive these changes effectively
Which current priorities need to change to make room for new ones
Why OKRs Aren't Business-as-Usual (and Why That Matters)
One concern I often hear in workshops comes from teams worried about balancing OKRs with their daily operations. But this mindset misses something crucial.
Daily operations keep your business running today. OKRs should make it run better tomorrow. When focused on the right changes, OKRs deserve priority because they build your future capabilities rather than maintaining the status quo.
Running an Objectives and Key Results Workshop That Drives Change
Here's how to structure workshops that focus teams on meaningful change:
Step 1: Find the Real Obstacles
Start by asking what's holding the organization back from its potential. What opportunity sits right in front of you? Frame your OKRs as solutions to these core challenges.
Step 2: Define Success Signals
Once you know what needs to change, work backward to define how you'll measure progress. If you improve a specific process or system, what measurable impact should you expect?
Step 3: Make Hard Choices
This often proves most challenging. Which two or three changes would unlock everything else? Push teams to make difficult decisions about what not to focus on.
Step 4: Build Cross-Team Alignment
Ensure every team understands their role in driving these changes. Have clear discussions about which work will shift to make room for OKR initiatives.
Real Examples: Transformative OKRs vs. Surface Changes
Consider these contrasting examples from real workshops:
Surface-Level OKR:
"Increase customer satisfaction score by 10 points"
Transformative OKR:
"Redesign customer onboarding to cut time-to-value from 30 days to 10 days"
The first OKR measures an outcome but ignores the system causing low satisfaction. The second tackles the root cause - helping customers succeed faster naturally improves satisfaction while building a more scalable business.
Here's another comparison:
Surface-Level OKR:
"Launch new marketing campaigns for Q1"
Transformative OKR:
"Automate 80% of nurture campaigns to free marketing team for strategic initiatives"
The first creates a task list. The second builds the team's ability to deliver better results over time.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
As teams begin their annual planning, the pressure to set broad, ambitious goals grows stronger. But in today's business environment, the ability to spot and fix systematic problems matters more than ever.
Your Objectives and Key Results workshop marks the beginning of this journey. It creates space to step back from daily operations and focus on the fundamental changes that will strengthen your team for the challenges ahead.
Making It Work For Your Team
Put these ideas into practice in your next OKR workshop:
Begin with the question: "What needs to change about how we work?"
Focus on OKRs that address root causes rather than symptoms
Be explicit about trade-offs - what will stop to make room for these changes?
Check progress quarterly to see if the changes create real impact
Moving Forward
Turning OKRs from goal-setting exercises into drivers of real change requires both strategic thinking and skilled facilitation. This work challenges teams, but the rewards of genuine organizational improvement make it worthwhile.
Consider bringing in support to help your team identify and prioritize the systemic changes that will define your success in the year ahead. Whether you need workshop facilitation or guidance in designing your OKR program, focusing on fundamental change rather than surface-level goals will transform how your organization grows.
