OKR Goal Setting One-on-One Meeting Template

OKR goal setting one-on-one meeting

OKR, standing for Objectives and Key Results, is an effective framework for defining measurable goals and monitoring the results. It is widely used in the modern workspace by organizations, teams, and individuals.

As a team leader, it’s your responsibility to set OKRs with each team member and ensure the goals are completed.

The OKR goal-setting one-on-one meeting is a short meeting where you set OKRs for an employee based on the broad organizational goals.

Below are some of the benefits of this meeting: 

• Ensure an employee is aligned with the company's goals.

• Provides the perfect opportunity to know what an employee needs to achieve the OKRs.

• Provides the window to know the changes in the business environment and make changes to the set goals accordingly.

Who? When? How long? 

The OKR goal-setting one-on-one meeting should include the manager and the employee.

This meeting should be held quarterly to review the last quarter and preview the next quarter. Lastly, the ideal duration for this meeting is 60 minutes and below.

Goal setting one-on-one agenda walkthrough

With the importance of the OKR goal-setting meeting and the limited time involved, it is vital that you have a carefully-created agenda.

Below is a walkthrough of the agenda for this all-important meeting:

Analyze Last Quarter

There is no better place to start this meeting than to review your OKRs in the last quarter. And you sure have more than enough to look into.

You can start by discussing the high points and advancements over the last 3 months. Note the things that are working and why they are getting results.

At the same time, talking about the failures and low points is paramount. Draw lessons from them to avoid similar situations in the future.

Goals for Next Quarter

After analyzing the past quarter, you need to plan. Here, you need to brainstorm with the employee on measurable and aspirational goals to achieve in the next quarter.

Objectives: Ideally, you should have a minimum of 3 goals and a maximum of 5 you want to achieve. Take your time to set these goals and communicate them clearly.

Key Results: Objectives without actions belong in the trash can. So, you need to draw out a clear path on how you want to achieve your goals. List the things you need to do to hit your target or make significant progress. Formulate and iterate a strategy at this point and discuss the order of priority, as well as projected completion dates for critical results.

Open Discussion

Don’t forget to take out some time to discuss freely with the employee any concerns or feedback he may have. For example, ask if they need any additional tools or resources to attain the goals.

Finally, you need to prepare for the worst. Envisage potential barriers that might hinder you from achieving your goals. Prepare the employee ahead and let him know it won't be plain sailing. If possible, create buffers that can cater to unexpected situations that might affect your goals.