How did Google go from late starter to pack leader?
Late in the 1990s, 17 different search engines were fighting to dominate the web.
Then the 18th search engine started up – Google.
Normally, someone arriving so late to the party would not stand a chance, especially as the others had all had time to establish themselves.
So how did Google soar, with repeated annual growth and with being rated as the best place to work more times than any other this century?
Google did this by using a method that guaranteed company-wide focus on a handful of priorities –
OKRS (Objectives and Key Results). This approach was introduced to them in 1999 by John Doerr, business icon and author of Measure What Matters.
Google had (and continue to have) a quarterly focus on specific strategic objectives and measurements.
Every single person in the business is clear on Google’s objectives for that quarter, as well as the key measures in place to evaluate progress.
These OKRs are not used as financial incentives for the team, they are used for a higher purpose – to get collective commitment from every employee to truly stretch goals.
How clearly do the people in your team understand the objectives of your business?
Even in times of uncertainty, the objectives of your business are important. Your team need reassurance that your business has a future and that they are all a part of that future. When you focus on one priority together, you can manage the uncertainty and galvanise and motivate a team through a common purpose.
How long would it take you to write down a handful of strategic priorities for the future of your business? How long would it take you to choose just one priority from this list?
OKRs force you and your team to focus the future of your business on what matters most.
Click here to learn how to implement OKRs successfully in your business. They will allow you to have a single objective and track the activities and results to ensure that you and your team achieve it.
