Struggling to create a healthy synergy between OKRs and Agile/SAFe? You're not alone. In this session, we will identify some OKR anti-patterns and suggest alternative approaches that are more aligned with SAFe Lean/Agile principles. You will learn how to organize around value through an OKR lens as well as how to improve portfolio focus through economic prioritization and flow management of OKRs. We will understand the connection between OKRs, KPIs, Operational and Development Value Streams, and what that means for leveraging OKRs in the different SAFe elements. By the end of this session, you will have an understanding of the relationship between OKRs and SAFe and concrete ideas for how to help your organization leverage them in synergy.
In this session, you will learn to:
Understand the relationship between OVS/DVS through KPIs and OKRs and using it to reorganize around value through the OKR lens
Focusing at the strategic level by combining OKRs, Epics, WSJF and the Portfolio Kanban
Using SAFe's PIP PI Objectives approach to set more aligned and realistic OKRs. Using OKRs thinking in PIP to move from output to outcomes on the DVS/ART
3. 3
OKRs - An Example using this session’s objective
Objective Key Results
Learn how
to effectively
use OKRs in
the SAFe
enterprise
Achieve a good understanding of SAFe guidance for Applying
OKRs in SAFe (75% or more in assessment exam)
Be able to describe and identify at least 3 out of the key OKR
implementation challenges you might encounter when applying
OKRs in SAFe
Be able to describe success patterns to overcome at least 3 OKR
challenges leveraging SAFe Lean/Agile principles and practices
Bonus: Be able to describe how to use SAFe Lean/Agile practices
to help in non-SAFe OKR implementations
Bonus: Be able to pitch SAFe as a solution to struggling OKR
implementations.
5. 5
OKRs - Align and Focus around Outcomes
1. Enhancing
strategic
alignment across
a SAFe portfolio
2. Defining
business
outcomes for
epics and lean
business cases
3. Setting
improvement
goals for the
SAFe
transformation
https://www.scaledagileframework.com/applying-okrs-in-the-scaled-agile-framework/
10. 10
OKR
Implementation
Challenges /
Symptoms
1. Output/Activity focused OKRs
2. Too many OKRs
3. Set and Forget
4. Command and Control / Too detailed
5. Many OKRs require
collaboration/dependencies across the
organization
6. OKRs run in parallel to the SAFe
Epics/PI Objectives/Features
12. 12
#1. Output/Activity focused (tasks / milestones) OKRs
Why it matters?
▪ Fixes specifications designs too early
▪ “Feature Factory”
▪ Impediment to Autonomy and Innovation
Output-focused OKRs
Objective: Release ALICE v1
Key Results:
● Develop Rear and Side
Camera Distance Warning
● Fix 10 major/critical defects
● ALICE Gold Subscription
● Customer onboarding wizard
13. 13
What to do ? Output-focused OKRs Outcome-focused OKRs Well-formed
Outcome-focused OKRs
Objective: Release
ALICE v1
Objective: Increase
market position within the
autonomous delivery
market
Objective: Achieve a
dominant position within
the autonomous delivery
market
Key Results: Key Results: Key Results:
● Develop Rear and
Side Camera
Distance Warning
● Ability to deliver in
dense metro areas
through parallel
parking
● Increase
serviceable market
to 75% including
dense metro areas
● Fix 10 major/critical
defects
● Improve customer
satisfaction rating
● Increase Net
Promoter Score
from 35 to 60
● ALICE Gold
Subscription
● Focus on driving
repeat business
● Improve repeat
business rates from
60% to 80%
● Customer
onboarding wizard
● Onboard new
customers
● Acquire 15% new
customers over the
next 12 months
● Identify type of OKR
(awareness of
output-focus)
● Form
Outcome-focused
Objectives
● Form
Outcome-focused
KRs (even
qualitative is better
than nothing…)
● Form quantitative
Outcome-focused
KRs
14. 14
What to do ?
● Treat OKRs as an Hypothesis
(Assume Variability -
Preserve Options)
● Implement a Learning Loop
15. 15
Why it matters?
Excessive WIP
▪ Decreases organizational
productivity
▪ Confuses priorities
▪ Increases context switching
▪ Impedes the flow of value
▪ Everything is important ==
Nothing is important
What to do about it
▪ Think of the Flow of OKRs
▪ Apply Flow Accelerators -
Visualize and Limit WIP
▪ Consider the work needed to
achieve the OKRs as a feasibility
test
▪ Use OKRs for Wildly Important
Goals (Not the Whirlwind) (4DX)
#2. Too many OKRs
SAFe Flow Accelerators - https://www.scaledagileframework.com/make-value-flow-without-interruptions/
4DX, WIG, Whirlwind - https://www.franklincovey.com/4dx-book/
17. 17
#3. Command and Control - Too Detailed, Too Strict, Top-Down
Cascading
Why it matters?
▪ Strict Cascading kills Autonomy /
Initiative
▪ Leads to task/output orientation
by the time teams create KRs
What to do about it
▪ Provide high-level OKRs as input
▪ ARTs define their own OKRs -
Bottom-up and sideways
▪ Align/relate through “Why Now”
▪ Take inspiration from PI Planning/
PI Objectives structure
18. 18
What’s the difference between OKRs and MBO?
https://www.whatmatters.com/resources/okr-and-mbo-difference-between
19. 19
Case Study - Big Room OKR Term Planning (Does this look familiar to anybody?)
When What Facilitator Outcome Location
30m
Quarterly Planning
Adjustment
Guidance for Team
Quarterly OKR
finalization
Main room
2-3h
Teams finalize Quarterly
OKRs
Individual
Team
Breakouts
Leadership
Team
circulates and
available to
give feedback
/ answer
question
Updated Quarterly
OKRs
Assigned Breakout
Rooms
1-2h
Final Quarterly OKRs Review
Align on Final Quarterly
OKRs
Main room
LUNCH
1h
Risks Management &
Confidence Vote
Determine what part of
Quarterly Plan still
needs work
Main room
As needed
Rework as needed
(if short - plenar. if this is
in-depth will be in breakouts /
open space mode)
Final Quarterly Plan Main room
30m
Retrospective / Closing
Documented learnings
for next cycle
Main room
Length What Facilitator Outcome Location
15m
Opening / Overview
Clarity on purpose/
approach to Planning
Main room
30m
Reiterate Company OKRs
Leadership
Team
Clarity on annual +
Quarterly Company
OKRs
Main room
2h
Teams draft realistic
Quarterly OKRs
Individual
Team
Breakouts
facilitated by
SMs/POs
Team Quarterly Draft
OKRs
Assigned
Breakout
15m
Leadership Team + PO -
Huddle
Plan how to collaborate
cross-team around
dependencies
Leadership
Breakout room
1h LUNCH (Opportunity to connect across teams or continue to plan in
teams)
room
Breakouts
1h
Teams draft realistic
Quarterly OKRs (continued)
Individual
Team
Breakouts
facilitated by
POs
Team Quarterly Draft
OKRs
Assigned
Breakouts
1-2h
Review Team Quarterly Draft
OKRs - Lightning round
readout from each team +
Confidence Vote
Feedback on Quarterly
OKRs
Main room
1h
Leadership Team + PO -
Review & Problem Solving
Adjustments / Guidance
for Day 2
Leadership
Breakout
Day 1 Day 2
20. 20
#4. Many OKRs require collaboration/dependencies across
the organization
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/improving-focus-alignment-organizing-around-okrs-managing-yuval-yeret/
Loan
Origination
Credit Scoring
System
AI
Underwriting
Channels Core
Banking
Why it matters?
▪ Coordination overhead
▪ Tempting to cascade into
output/task OKRs (since each
value stream / ART cannot
own outcomes)
▪ Value Streams get farther and
farther from desired outcome.
Purpose/Meaning is lost.
▪
21. 21
AI-Powered Loan
Underwriting
Product
What to do about it
▪ Organize around Value -
Identifying/Assessing DVS using
an OKR lens
▪ Also unlocks engagement/
motivation through Purpose
(Principle #8)
#4. Many OKRs require collaboration/dependencies across
the organization
22. 22
#5. Set and Forget
Why it matters?
▪ OKRs are just a waste of time if
they aren’t integrated into the
day-to-day
▪ Over time people will ignore them
and lose interest since they see
them as irrelevant
What to do about it
▪ Integrate into SAFe artifacts,
cadence, accountabilities
▪ Leaders and Product people
should mention and connect to
OKRs whenever possible
24. 24
#6. OKRs run in parallel to the SAFe Epics/PI
Objectives/Features
Why it matters?
● Confusion - What do we use as Input for PIP? Features? OKRs? Both?
● When are ART OKRs created? How? How do we keep them realistic?
● What’s the relationship between Team/ART PI Objectives and OKRs?
25. 25
#6. OKRs run in parallel to the SAFe Epics/PI Objectives/Features
What to do about it
● Use OKRs to guide Feature
creation and prioritization
● Consider OKRs draft until PIP
● After PIP refine OKRs based on PI
Objectives
26. 26
Did you notice a theme
here in how we addressed
these issues?
1. Output/Activity focused (tasks
/ milestones OKRs)
2. Too many OKRs
3. Many OKRs require
collaboration/dependencies
across the organization
4. Command and Control / Too
detailed
5. Set and Forget
6. OKRs run in parallel to the
SAFe Epics/PI
Objectives/Features
SAFe Lean/Agile Leadership
#FTW
29. 29
1. Output/Activity focused (tasks /
milestones OKRs)
2. Too many OKRs
3. Set and Forget
4. Many OKRs require
collaboration/dependencies across
the organization
5. Command and Control / Too
detailed
6. OKRs run in parallel to the
organization’s current way of
working
Can we use SAFe Lean/Agile
Leadership to improve OKRs
outside of a SAFe context?
Can we use some of these
OKR success patterns to tip
towards SAFe?