Christina Wodtke, the most influential OKR expert and the author of the best OKR book, Radical Focus, thinks I’m “one of the most insightful voices in the OKR practice“.
MY SERVICES
OKR IMPLEMENTATION
- OKR Foundation with Leadership
- OKR Architecture & Process
- OKR Audit
OKR COACHING
- Vision & Strategy Workshops
- OKR Definition & Reflection
- OKR Execution with Scrum, Kanban and Design Thinking
- OKR Alignment
- OKR Check-ins
- OKR System Reflections
OKR TRAINING
- Certified OKR Master Trainings (by die.agilen)
- Train the Trainer and Sparring
- Supervision of OKR Agents and Integration Team
- OKR 101 sessions
OKR IMPLEMENTATION
There is a lot of misinformation around OKRs. In order to avoid common mistakes it is advised to have an expert to guide you when you start implementing OKR.
OKR Foundation with Leadership (1 d)
In OKR Foundation Workshop we establish a common understanding of OKR, and reflect on problems you face to figure out if and how OKR can solve these.
OKR Architecture & Process (0,5 d)
In this workshop I introduce you several OKR models (e.g. Shared OKR, Product OKR, Flex Team OKR), we define where and how to start your OKR journey, and shape the OKR process.
OKR Audit
If you’ve already started with OKR and would like to have a health check to understand how to move forward, I can audit your current OKR system and consult you how to bring OKR to the next level.
OKR COACHING
Having an expert guiding and coaching you during the first 3-4 cycles (~1-1,5 years) will determine the success of your OKR investment. My coaching services take place in 3 phases.
START OKR CYCLE
Mid-Term Strategic Goal (1 d/year)
In strategy workshops I coach the leadership to define the mid-term strategic goal (like annual OKR) for the next 12 months that give teams orientation to define their OKRs.
OKR Definition (0,5 d/team/cycle)
I coach teams to shift from output to outcome thinking and define their short-term goals for the next 3-4 months to contribute to strategic mid-term strategic goal.
OKR Alignment (0,5-2 d/cycle)
In scaled environments I facilitate marketplace-like alignment workshops to secure cross-division alignment, identify synergies and dependencies.
DURING OKR CYCLE
Bi-Weekly Initiatives Plannings (2 h/team)*
Defining OKR is not easy; operationalising them even harder. In these meetings teams plan their initiatives to connect OKR with their day-to-day work.
I also help teams to connect OKR with Scrum, Kanban, and Design Thinking.
Bi-Weekly OKR & Monthly Strategy Check-Ins (15-30 m/team)*
To make sure the conversation around OKR carries on and teams don’t loose their focus we set up regular check-ins
*I facilitate these meetings once. Afterwards OKR Agents / Team Coaches take over these meetings.
END OKR CYCLE
OKR Reflection (0,5 d/team/cycle)
At the end of the cycle it’s time to pause and reflect on what worked well, what not, in order to learn and get better.
Mid-Term Strategic Goal Reflection (0,5 d/cycle)
After each cycle I recommend to reflect about the strategy overall, to see if and how teams’ OKRs drive business results and what outcomes can be pursued as next and if the strategy needs to be adapted.
OKR System Reflection (0,5 d/cycle)
Since we implement OKR iteratively we’ll inspect the past iteration and adapt it to bring the OKR system to the next level.
OKR TRAINING
OKR Agent Trainings (2-3 d)
After defining employees who potentially match the profile of an OKR Agent, I train the internal OKR Agents, to grow in-house know-how for you to become self-sufficient.
Once OKR Agents start taking over we can carry on scaling the OKR implementation steady.
Also as partner at die.agilen, I’m entitled to train and certify you as OKR Master (English & German).
Supervision of OKR Agents
After 1-2 years, once the OKR Agents started managing the OKR process self-sufficiently, they’ll start facing challenges that need support of an expert.
Every once in a while or regularly after each cycle, we get together to discuss challenges you struggle with and deep dive into specific topics.
This way we can ensure a long lasting quality of OKR framework in your organisation.
OKR 101 Sessions (1-4 h)
I offer an easy access for all employees interested in OKR.
These sessions can be for an hour like a keynote, or a 3-4 hours interactive workshop, where participants get to try out OKRs.
At a later stage of the OKR integration, these types of sessions can become part of your employee onboarding program.
Location: I’m based in Germany, Cologne, however I’m open for collaborations worldwide.
Languages: 
I offer my services in German, English, and Turkish.
MY EXPERTISE BEYOND OKR
OKR is not a stand-alone framework that manages and fixes everything. For OKR to work well it requires an holistic and systemic approach. I can also support you in the those neighbouring areas.
Vision & Strategy Development
One of the most relevant part of the OKR puzzle is the vision & strategy. If there is no inspiring vision and/or a clear focussed strategy the organisation will never be aligned no matter how good you are at OKR.
In this area I support you with following frameworks:
- Golden Circle
- Just Cause
- Playing to Win
- Wardley Mapping
- North Star Framework
- Business Model Canvas
OKR in Product Management
B2B, B2C, B2B2C, SaaS – I had the chance to work with all sorts of products and know what the challenges are. I help you to make OKR part of your product development and management process.
In this area I support you with following frameworks:
- Impact / Outcome Mapping
- Customer Journey Mapping
- Story Mapping
- OKR with Scrum, Kanban
- Design Thinking
- Value Proposition Canvas
- Lean UX Canvas
Agile Organisation and Transformation
Implementing OKR is a challenging cultural change that requires shifting the ways of working. I promote invitation based agile and lean change to enable an organically growing transformation.
In this area I support you with following frameworks:
- Agile Leadership
- Management 3.0
- Portfolio Management
- Flight Levels
- Liberating Structures
- Working Out Loud
What differs my approach from others?
- 🚩 Stop Unlimited OKR: One of the top reasons, why people start with OKR is to stay focused. The best way to set focus is to limit your OKRs (1, 2 or max. 3 Objectives and 2-3 Key Results per Objective).
- 🚩 Stop Output OKR: Outcome over Output. Not the things you do (output) are important but the change you create (outcome).
- 🚩 Stop Top Down cascaded “Must Do” OKR: You want to use the potential of your people, right? That’s why you hired them, because you believe they are the best for the job, right? So, trust and let them do it! While leadership set the strategic focus and align everyone with a shared vision, the teams think of best solutions.
- 🚩 Stop OKR Silos: Value Stream OKR instead of Org Chart based OKR. Spend your time in creating value instead of long alignment meetings. If you want to create an end-to-end value for your customers and stakeholders you need a cross functional team who works together.
- 🚩 Stop OKR for everyone and everything: OKR is a framework to execute a strategy, to collect data and pivot accordingly.There are many ways proven to be good to manage repeating work and business as usual, which are way easier to apply than OKR. So why use OKR for daily business? If you want to automatise or improve part of your daily business, so that you have more time for strategic work, then you can write OKR accordingly but not to manage your usual daily business.
- 🚩 Stop Individual OKR: In which world can one individual in an organisation execute the strategy on their own? So why the need of individual OKR? Besides, in a conflict of priorities, people will choose their own individual goals over team’s goals. If you’re a solo-entrepreneur or go through a personal development than you might have your own OKR, but this is a different story.
- 🚩 Stop linking OKR to compensation or performance: If you judge or praise a person based on their goal results they’re going to set goals they can definitely reach. It’s called sandbagging. Besides, it is scientifically proven that knowledge workers perform worse when their work is linked to a bonus. All what knowledge workers need is to be motivated intrinsically.
FOR WHOM?
I guide organisations of all sizes in different industries from e-commerce to pharmaceuticals and automative.
START-UPS & INNOVATION TEAMS
Only 20% of startups make it. 3 main reasons are: no market need, run out of cash, lack of alignment. The biggest challenge of a startup is to find the “product market fit” as fast as possible. This requires a clear understanding of the needs of your target group.
Second, it requires testing and validating ideas as quickly as possible, with least possible investment.
Last but not least, alignment doesn’t happen automatically. It requires an inspiring vision, a clear strategic focus to channel all the efforts into the same direction.
SMALL & MID-SIZED ENTERPRISES
Most SMEs suffer from growing too fast before establishing the structures. Before you implement one framework after another, let’s find ways that enable you to work smarter not harder.
With OKR you can figure out how to create alignment in a scaled environment, create focus and make sure everyone channels their efforts towards shared goals.
Through outcome focused thinking you can drive business results with least effort. This way you optimise the flow and time to market. Sometimes it is better to slow down a little to get even faster later again.
NGOs & SOCIAL BUSINESS
I’m fascinated by all the social organisations finding this difficult balance between being a successful business and creating a social impact.
I’d love to help your Social Business to execute your vision to break down into manageable steps and measurable goals. I’ll challenge you to focus on things that really matter and make great things happen.
I’ll support you to visualise your purpose, vision and mission that inspires. I’ll support you to focus o great outcomes with least effort. Also with measurable outcomes you’ll start measuring your influence and social impact along the way.
Cansel Sörgens 