Create Annual OKRs with Quarterly Results

Overview

WorkBoard allows you to create annual objectives with specific, unique quarterly key results to identify how your short term results are driving progress against the annual plan. With variable quarterly key results, set and measure a single, annual OKR rather than unique OKRs for each quarter.

Variable quarterly key results allow you to:

Simplify the process of setting and managing quarter progression on a given objective, when you know what you want to achieve each quarter from the outset of the year.
See what's intended for each subsequent quarter more easily with simplified views on My OKRs, Biz Reviews, and other pages.
Get smarter quarter-over-quarter plans versus actual charts for your annual objectives on Biz Reviews and key result detail pages automatically.

Set Quarterly Results for Annual OKRs

Hover over your Objective
Click on the Kebab
Select Edit
Choose Add another key result
Note: When creating an OKR, select a fiscal year time period and follow the following steps.
Type in the name of the Annual Key Result and Select Advanced Options
Note: If you accidentally hit Enter on your keyboard, select More Options and then Change Measurement Type to navigate to the Key Result Selector in the OKR Wizard.
Select "Set multiple key result targets for the period.”
Select from the five different options available to calculate quarterly targets.
Fill out the resulting fields as outlined below for the option to calculate you’ve selected.
Note: Your Objective has to be set to an annual time period (I.e. FY21, FY22) for the below steps to appear. The images appear when you hover over the tooltips to the right of the button.

Add up results from each quarter

This option adds all of your quarterly results together and displays your key results as a bar chart.

Select the radio button Add up results from each quarter.
Note: The form will auto-populate with the OVERALL TARGET section for the annual result and 4 rows for each quarter under SET YOUR TARGETS section
Choose the Starting and Target Values for the Annual Key Result
For Result Value choose whether the value Should increase to or Should decrease to depending on the outcome.
Select the Unit of Measurement (Number, Currency or Percentage)
Decide if this Key Result should be a Committed Key Result
Enter your quarterly Target names (if different from the annual result name) and quarterly Target values
Choose who will measure the progress as well as the result frequency
Note: Update frequency cannot be modified once the key result is created
Click Save

Track progression from quarter to quarter

This option shows progress on a curve, tracking progress over time.

You might choose this option if:

Targets set per interval are milestones that need to be reached, and the achievement for the intervals should not be totaled together, but rather show progression from target to target, to calculate progress.

Select the radio button Track progression from quarter to quarter.
Note: The form will auto-populate with the OVERALL TARGET section for the annual result and 4 rows for each quarter under SET YOUR TARGETS section
Choose the Starting and Target Values for the Annual Key Result
For Result Value choose whether the value Should increase to or Should decrease to depending on the outcome.
Select the Unit of Measurement (Number, Currency or Percentage)
Decide if this Key Result should be a Committed Key Result
Enter your quarterly Target names (if different from the annual result name) and quarterly Target values.
Select how your updates will be provided.
1. If “Result from a person”, no changes are necessary. Click on the dropdown and search and assign the Key Result to a team member.
  1. If you select Result from a Person, then choose an update frequency
    Note: Update frequency cannot be modified once the key result is created.
2. If you would like to connect to a data stream, select “Automated data stream” and search for and select the data stream that you would like to feed this key result.
  Note: Only Datastreams made available to you by the WorkBoard Administrator will be available to choose from.
Click Save.

Average results from each quarter

You might use this option if you want results to reflect an average across the selected time period.

Select the radio button Track progression from quarter to quarter.
Note: The form will auto-populate with the OVERALL TARGET section for the annual result and 4 rows for each quarter under SET YOUR TARGETS section
Choose the Starting and Target Values for the Annual Key Result
For Result Value choose whether the value Should increase to or Should decrease to depending on the outcome.
Select the Unit of Measurement (Number, Currency or Percentage)
Decide if this Key Result should be a Committed Key Result
Enter your quarterly Target names (if different from the annual result name) and quarterly Target values
Enter your quarterly Target values
Choose who will measure the progress as well as the result frequency
Note: Update frequency cannot be modified once the key result is created
Click Save.

Create supporting quarterly results that do not contribute to annual progress

You might use this option when the results aren’t considered for the mathematical achievement of the outcome but help support the achievement of the overall annual outcome.

Examples include:

New product innovations
New market strategies
Long term strategic initiatives

Select the radio button Create supporting quarterly results that do not contribute to annual progress
Name your key result
Assign person responsible for business result
Choose the Starting and Target Values for the Annual Key Result
Choose Result value
Decide if this Key Result should be a Committed Key Result
Select the Unit of Measurement (Number, Currency or Percentage)
Choose how to calculate overall progress
Assign ownership to who will measure progress, and by what cadence
Add supporting key results information as needed
Click Save

Set a custom target period and calculation

With this option, you can select the specific time period to calculate results.

Select the radio button Set a custom target period and calculation
Note: The form will auto-populate with the OVERALL TARGET section for the annual result and 4 rows for each quarter under SET YOUR TARGETS section
Choose the Starting and Target Values for the Annual Key Result
For Result Value choose whether the value Should increase to or Should decrease to depending on the outcome
Select the Unit of Measurement (Number, Currency or Percentage)
Decide if this Key Result should be a Committed Key Result
Set your targets by Monthly or Quarterly intervals
Choose to calculate overall progress as last entered value or total of all intervals
Calculate each interval’s progress as Last entered update or Total of all updates
Assign who will measure progress and by what cadence
Select Save

Note: The custom time period targets will not be displayed on OKR pages and will only be visible on Key Result Details.

Measurement Options (Including Integrations)

Adding up results from each quarter, tracking progress from quarter to quarter, and averaging results from each quarter all have the options to connect to an integration to pull data automatically and assign specific owners for better accountability. To update how results are measured:

Click the Kebab next to the current owner
Select Edit measurement type
Follow the prompts to select the measurement method of your choice (options include measuring from a workstream, external application, roll up key result or objective, or mirror).

Exclude Key Results

You can exclude key result if you’re not ready to set a target or don't want those results to contribute towards your overall progress.

To do so, check the box next to "Exclude from objective progress calculation"

Updating Multi-Target Key Results

Multi-target Key Results can be updated from the Objectives module and from the Key Result details page. Data Providers will have the Update icon on the different tabs of the Objectives module, depending on permission. Managers, Co-Managers, and Team Admins will update the Key Result from the Key Result details page shown below.

Please note there is no Update icon on the parent Key Result, a target (Q1, Q2, etc.) must first be selected from the right-side menu.