Episode Overview
In this episode, we dive into a brutally honest and all-too-common sentiment from the scaleup world: “OKRs suck, but we don’t know anything better.” This quote from a Chief of Staff at a cybersecurity scaleup sets the tone for a candid discussion about the challenges-and surprising potential-of OKRs when scaling fast-growing companies.
Yuval shares real-world insights from working with scaleups, including a fascinating case study from a BioTech company struggling to make OKRs work beyond just a box-ticking exercise. We unpack the typical pitfalls that trap many organizations, from reinforcing silos instead of breaking them down, to drowning in tools and processes that create overload rather than clarity.
Key Takeaways
OKRs often become “Manager Mode” artifacts: They’re introduced as a grown-up way to manage growth but can feel like a bureaucratic burden if not thoughtfully implemented.
Common pitfalls with OKRs:
Using new processes to reinforce silos rather than bridge across teams.
Leaders micro-managing details instead of setting clear missions and stepping back.
Overloading teams with too many initiatives and tools, causing context-switching fatigue.
Imposing goals top-down without involving the team in mission and planning.
Fixing the OKR operating system:
Focus OKRs on what truly matters, not everything happening.
Organize teams and structure around these focused OKRs.
Shift from output to outcome-based goals (e.g., “Double the velocity of our search for therapeutics”).
Use collaborative, big-room goal-setting sessions to align the entire company.
Emphasize principles over pedantic processes: Agile is about empiricism and adaptation, not dogmatic Scrum rituals.
Leverage agility beyond software teams: Empower cross-functional teams to tackle key initiatives iteratively.
The payoff: More traction on important goals, less micromanagement, leadership freed up to focus on strategy, and employees feeling like players, not pawns.
Why This Matters
Scaling isn’t just about adding headcount or processes-it’s about evolving your operating system to keep Founder Mode alive while gaining the structure needed to grow. This episode offers a pragmatic, down-to-earth look at how to make OKRs work as a tool for agility and alignment, not just another checkbox.
Who Should Listen
Founders and leadership teams in scaleups who feel stuck or frustrated with their current goal-setting and agile practices.
Chiefs of Staff, COOs, and people leading organizational design and ways of working.
Anyone curious about the real-world challenges and solutions around scaling with agility.
Now What
If you’re wrestling with OKRs or scaling challenges, you might find Yuval's Mastering Organizational Traction Email Course useful - https://yuvalyeret.com/mastering-organizational-traction-trail-map/
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