Bing Gordon's Forever OKRs: A new approach to define and measure your success
Template: Forever OKRs
Now it’s your turn! Copy this page, clear the example data, and follow the 3 steps below.
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Clear example data
Step 1: Rate your peers.
Start by listing 10-20 people who have performed your role before. Start by look within the company. If less than 10 people have been in your role at your company, expand your list to include examples from outside your company.
Then, rate each person (1-10) on your perception of their overall performance. Don’t get stuck trying to make the ratings precise. This exercise is deliberately quick and directional, not an exact science.
Add person
Name
Rating
Name
Rating
1
Rhys Hawkins
00
10
2
Vilma Jarvi
00
7
3
Ted Ellison
00
4
4
Heath Atwood
00
8
5
Kinslee Fink
00
6
6
Joshua Wilson
00
9
7
Victoria Roach
00
3
8
Ellis Schaefer
00
5
9
Regan Rosen
00
8
10
Daisy Morgan
00
7
There are no rows in this table
Step 2: Identify attributes of success.
Here are the people from your list that scored a 9 or 10. What made each of those people successful in their role? Take a few mins and write down a few success attributes of each person.
Name
Success attributes
Name
Success attributes
1
Rhys Hawkins
Great at finding product-market fit
Loved by direct reports
High organizational value
Ensured the company had enough cash
2
Joshua Wilson
Lots of successful product launches
Took bold risks
Engineering efficient; very little wasted engineering time
No results from filter
Step 3: Define your metrics.
Now that you’ve established the high water marks set by your most successful predecessors, create Forever OKRs for your role. Turn the success attributes above into concrete performance metrics below. Anybody who achieves these metrics should be considered an A+ player in your role.
Like any effective goal, Forever OKRs should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound).
Add Forever OKR
Forever OKR
Date created
Forever OKR
Date created
1
90% employee unaided recall of vision/mission/strategy
Jul 2022
2
4.25+ avg rating of direct reports.
Jul 2022
3
1-3 named 10x product and/or tech features
Jul 2022
There are no rows in this table
That’s it! You now have a set of measurable goals that will persist beyond your ever-changing projects and quarterly initiatives. Anchor everything you do at work to your Forever OKRs and periodically revise the list as needed.