Introduction
Measure What Matters is a book about a management system known as objectives and key results (OKRs). It has a foreword by Larry Page, the cofounder of Google. Furthermore, the names in the subtitle (Google, Bono and the Gates Foundation) further pique my interest in this book. This system is not developed by the author but by Andy Grove in Intel.
Author
John Doerr is an investor and chairman of Kleiner Perkins. He cofounded a graphics software company while earning his master’s degree. He joined Intel in 1974 and advanced to be one of its most successful salespeople. The author dabbles in venture capital after being offered a job with Kleiner Perkins in 1980. He is the backer of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, including Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt (Google), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Scoot Cook and Bill Campbell (Intuit).
Content
Measure What Matters is divided into 2 parts. The first part is about the system’s features and how it turns good ideas into superior execution and workplace satisfaction. There is a total of 14 chapters in this part. The second part is about the application and implications of OKRs. This part contains 7 chapters. There are 5 resources at the end of this book. Resource 1 is Google’s OKR Playbook, Resource 2 is A Typical OKR Cycle, Resource 3 is All Talk: Performance Conversations, Resource 4 is In Sum and Resource 5 is For Further Reading.
Review
Measure What Matters is about setting goals in workplace and how to achieve the goals. The author substantiates his recommendations with examples. These examples include companies like Google, Intel and Intuit and organizations such as The Gates Foundation and ONE Campaign.
OKRs involve setting objectives and key results. An objective is simply WHAT is to be achieved while key results benchmark and monitor HOW we get to the objectives. The most powerful and energizing OKRs often originate with frontline contributors. In the book, the author shows us the ways to develop OKRs. He also mentions that there is no one size fits all strategy to develop OKRs.
There are 4 superpowers of OKRs: Focus and Commit to Priorities, Align and Connect for Teamwork, Track for Accountability and Stretch for Amazing. To complement OKRs, we need continuous performance management. The author introduces the process of CFRs (conversations, feedback and recognition). By following the system, the company or organization will have a higher chance to succeed.
Resource 4: In Sum is the cheat sheet of this book. If you want to revisit the concepts or have limited time, you can just read this part of the book.
Although the OKRs system is meant for business, I feel that we can apply it on personal life too. The goal setting and the tracking of performance will help us to achieve what we want in life. By practising the OKRs system, we can do well in career or even our personal lives, if we choose to.
Quotes
- Morale suffers when people know they can’t succeed.
- Peak performance is the product of collaboration and accountability.
- Our goals are servants to our purpose, not the other way around.
- Ideas are easy. Execution is everything.
- Less is more.
Rating
Interested in Measure What Matters?
You may get the book from Kinokuniya Malaysia through the link below*.
*Disclosure: The above link is Involve Asia affiliate link. Thus, I may earn a small commission when you purchase the book through this link.
No Comments