Why should you opt for the OKR platform over spreadsheets?

Published On: July 15, 2022|Categories: Objective and Key Results|

Why should you opt for the OKR platform over spreadsheets?

Published On: July 15, 2022|
Why should you opt for the OKR platform over spreadsheets_

I love Spreadsheets, they are great for my data analysis and data management. I have always been a great fan of spreadsheets and understand the value they bring. Excellent to maintain and analyze data.

Would it help track my OKRs? Well, spreadsheets can only do that much. If you want to track your OKRs, Spreadsheets are not the answer. OKRs accelerate growth, so it is important to have the right platform to track OKRs

What are the general problems to expect while tracking in a spreadsheet?

  • OKRs get tracked in isolation. There is no collaboration to see the larger picture
  • The spreadsheet cannot roll up your progress to the company objectives
  • Conversations cannot take place or track
  • Identifying the dependencies is difficult
  • Multi-directional alignment is not possible.

Companies who want to start with OKRs, the first thing that comes to mind is starting with a spreadsheet. Starting with OKRs was a great decision but starting with a spreadsheet make it a great decision. The main reason one wants to start with OKRs is to track the progress of the Organisation, team and individual. But that purpose is not solved when starting with spreadsheets.

Curious about the best OKR software for 2023, Read more in Best OKR Software 2023

It is nearly impossible to track OKRs manually be it in a spreadsheet or a word document. while the teams are working remotely and having to manage online meetings and getting the job delivered, they are already swamped. Maintaining OKR spreadsheets is another load for them and collaborating OKRs between individuals and teams can be a daunting task. Even if you can collect the data manually, bringing meaningful insight out of the data will not be possible. The very essence of tracking OKRs will be lost if we are unable to track and measure our progress.

While organizations think using spreadsheets is a cost-effective method, no denial of that. But we do not get the desired results out of the spreadsheets. The entire purpose of implementing OKRs gets beaten away by preferring to use the sheets than software.

Adding software in the initial days’ helps streamline the process and increase adoption. Adoption is one challenge organizations face highly. Introducing OKR software help in increasing adoption and the teams are highly motivated by tracking and progress one makes.

Why has OKR Software is essential to scale?

The right OKR tool will help you to scale and grow 10x. It is proven that the OKR software will benefit the organization in multiple ways. Even though the organization is diverse, big or small, it always suits best.

These are the top 5 benefits that you can leverage while implementing OKR software.

Achieve 10x growth by implementing OKR software

OKR Tracking

The biggest challenge faced while implementing OKRs is that people set and forget. An ample amount of discussion and resources are used during OKR planning sessions.

These sessions help you to understand the top-level objectives and how we are aligning towards them. While so much effort has gone into creating OKRs, it must be tracked as well. If we fail to track and do a retrospective analysis the time and resources will not be effectively used.

Organisations cannot afford to get derailed from their goal or vision. Tracking OKRs helps teams and individuals to understand where they are currently and should we iterate to achieve the goal. Otherwise, it becomes a ritual and will not help in achieving audacious goals.

OKR reporting

Another important aspect that can be achieved only through the OKR platforms is Reporting. Manual tracking will create chaos and will not help in goal management or tracking. While there is a lack of reporting there is also lesser accountability.

Focus on the organisational objectives will be lost while we get carried away by the day-to-day firefighting. So, it’s important to have OKR reporting that will help individuals and teams understand where we stand now and what will it take to move forward.

Datalligence OKR software help in OKR reporting. The platform enables to create of downloadable reports that can be used as pre-read for the OKR reviews

Alignment at its best

We cannot do without alignment. Alignment is key to OKRs. If an individual or team fails to align, then the purpose is lost and the OKRs start operating in Silos.

Multi-directional alignment provides visibility of how the OKRs are linked and their current progress. As mentioned by Measure what Matters both explicit and directional alignment should be possible by the software.

Datalligence aligns and rolls up the objective progress to have a clear visualization of the overall progress.

Realtime insights

Decisions should be made on the OKR progress else it becomes a futile exercise to track or report OKRs. We should be able to understand how we are progressing quarter by quarter and also by department and team.

Real-time insights support decision-making and help in taking action. Insights support in guiding the team in the right direction.

Best OKR software should be able to provide insights on an individual level as well as department level.

Trends and progress provide the storyboard for the organisational objectives. With one single view, one should be able to understand where are we currently and what is the gap

Connect and engage

The main advantage of OKR software is to connect and engage the team in one place. The conversations that are around the OKRs provide constant feedback and reviews.

While we are currently working in a remote and Hybrid environment, it’s essential to have the OKR conversation continuously. The multi-directional feedback and conversation increase collaboration and accountability.

Datalligence provides multi-directional feedback and allows organisations to conduct 180˚ and 360˚ feedback on what the OKRs are delivered.

Transparency provides a clear view of how everyone progressing and is there any intervention is required at any given point in time.

Conclusion:

There are multiple benefits we can quote for adopting OKR software. The mentioned five benefits are the key to scaling and growing with OKRs. OKR software adopted early will guide the team seamlessly and understand the performance. With today’s young workforce bringing in accountability and ownership is a challenge.

OKRs software will drive accountability from day one. While digitizing OKRs from a spreadsheet to the software the one undeniable benefit is that brings people together on a common goal. Seeing the company goal and working towards it makes it easier and we prioritize what matters to business than dwelling on things that are of the least importance.

Datalligence OKR software is highly intuitive and easy to use. Getting on board with the software will help you to track and measure OKRs. The insights and reports provided in the software help you make quick decisions making. It creates a platform to converse, connect and engage with the team constantly.

Talk to our Sales champions to take a free trial today.