Thinkydoers®

In this Thinkydoers short, I'm sharing a few exciting updates from Red Currant Collective. For one, we just revealed the covers for my two upcoming books: the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" and "You Are A Strategist: Use No-BS Objectives and Key Results to Get Big Things Done." The Workbook, set to print in Q3, provides essential tools for creating effective OKRs quickly, while "You Are A Strategist" is a playbook for change-makers to connect strategy with goal-exceeding implementation and will fast-follow the Workbook's release -- all in time to help with your year-end reset!

Highlights:

• Book Reveals: Sara announces the cover reveal of her two books, emphasizing the practicality of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" and the strategic depth of "You Are A Strategist"
• Not Sure You're a Strategist? Think Again!: A few quick thoughts on the importance of strategic thinking in today's fast-paced business environment, and an invitation to reflect on your own strategic capabilities
• Live OKR Coaching: Sara shares her experience hosting a LinkedIn Live session, offering free OKR coaching, and invites listeners to participate in future sessions
• Coaching Course: Details are provided about the upcoming "Coaching No-BS OKRs" course, designed for those looking to enhance their OKR coaching skills 
• Gratitude and Acknowledgements: Sara expresses gratitude for the support received during her book-writing process and teases future interview episodes for the podcast.

Call to Action:

• Book Pre-Launch: Join the pre-launch crew for Sara's books at findrc.co/yaas
• LinkedIn Live: Follow Sara on LinkedIn for updates on live OKR coaching sessions at linkedin.com/in/SaraLobkovich
• Coaching Course Registration: Apply for the upcoming "Coaching No-BS OKRs" course at findrc.co/okrcoachtraining
• Podcast Participation: If you're interested in being a guest on Thinkydoers, use the link in the show notes to express your interest: Thinkydoers Podcast Guest Application

Closing Thoughts: Sara encourages listeners to focus on their important goals and looks forward to sharing more insights in the next episode.

For more information, or to pitch a guest appearance on this podcast, please visit: https://saralobkovich.com/thinkydoers-pod

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Want to suck less as a manager? Or, do you work with a manager who sucks?

Either way, you are NOT alone. Many managers struggle to become good at the difficult job of management: whether it stems from insufficient self-awareness, ineffective communication skills, or a lack of necessary tools, Ben Arendt believes that all managers have a responsibility to improve themselves for the benefit of their careers and the teams they lead. Ben is Principal Consultant at Depth Charge Consulting and author of the recently-released book: How to Suck Less as a Manager: A Practical Guide to Making Your Team Less Miserable Today! 

In this episode, you’ll learn practical strategies that managers can take right now to better understand, communicate with, and support their teams.

Ben highlights the far-reaching impact of leadership and management, we discuss the importance of intellectual humility and the role that vulnerability plays in leadership, as well as his some tips for managing yourself when your manager sucks.

We also take a side trip into why we both believe leaders should increase their awareness around skills for working with diverse teams and disabled team members, and a few insights on leading and being led while neurodivergent.

From fostering a positive work environment to driving team performance, this conversation is full of valuable insights that can transform your leadership approach today.

Ready to take the first step towards becoming a more effective and inspiring manager? You're in the right place.

Key Points From This Episode: 

• An overview of Ben’s fascinating career journey and how it led him to write this book.
• The self-awareness and continuous self-improvement required to be a better manager.
• How listening to and learning from others can help you develop intellectual humility.
• Why difficult conversations with diverse groups of people are key to a leader’s success.
• Three types of activities managers need to do to improve their craft.
• Practical advice for those who are dealing with managers that suck.
• Why Sara coaches that “productive struggling” may be a learning step, but sufferring at work is not acceptable.
• Ben's basic toolkit for better communication skills.
• Strength in vulnerability: why leaders should embrace emotional transparency.
• Why you should probably never be the smartest person in the room as a manager or leader.
• Pro tips for leaders and aspiring leaders who are neurodivergent or "wired differently."
• Major setbacks that helped to propel Ben forward in his career.
• Three key similarities between OKRs and being a better manager.

Quotes:

“If you don't care, you don't deserve to be here [in management]. If you're not willing to listen to other people, you're probably going to do a bad job.” — Ben Arendt [09:50]

“Communication, as sophisticated as it is, is imperfect. There are a lot of things that we as managers – can do better, both to help people be [motivated and engaged], but also get them the things that they want so that their careers improve down the line.” — Ben Arendt [15:50]

“There are a lot of people that should not be in leadership [who] have become managers because that was just the next step in their career.” — Ben Arendt [18:38]

“Getting a diversity of thought and perspective is not value signaling. It's an imperative.” — Ben Arendt [24:18]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

How to Suck Less as a Manager, on Amazon

How to Suck Less as a Manager website

Ben Arendt on LinkedIn

Bed Arendt Email

Depth Charge Consulting

Sara Lobkovich

Sara Lobkovich on Instagram

Sarah Lobkovich Email

Sara Lobkovich on Mastadon

Red Currant Collective

Sign up for RedCurrantCo’s Newsletter

Red Currant Collective on Instagram

Become a guest on Thinkydoers

Thinkydoers Podcast Home

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

How do you find balance as a Thinkydoer with a busy, curious, learning-focused brain? Today, we explore this question (and more) as I continue my insightful conversation with Jason Johnston, OKR Practice Lead at Genetec. (If you missed Part 1, pop back to Episode 17 and then come back here after.)

Tuning in, you’ll discover some of the most profound lessons from Jason’s unique and varied career.

From facing a career-altering setback J.J. considers his "greatest professional accomplishment," to finding new paths forward, his journey demonstrates the importance of adaptability and continuous learning.

Join us as we explore how personal passions outside of work--whether it's building LEGO, climbing mountains, or repairing antique typewriters -- can recharge our professional lives, and why disconnecting and taking proper breaks is essential for reconnecting with our intrinsic motivation.

Don't miss this enriching conversation as we dive deep into the human side of leadership!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How to check out the new No-BS OKR Self-Assessment tool.
• What Jason considers to be his greatest professional accomplishment.
• The biggest learnings that have propelled him forward.
• Navigating setbacks and how to have a learning-focused career.
• Lessons for making OKR work sustainable, including recharging outside of work.
• How taking meaningful breaks can help you reconnect with your intrinsic motivation.
• Sara and Jason’s mutual love for LEGO!
• How having the mentality of a four-year-old benefits Jason’s well-being.
• Jason’s top book recommendations.

Quotes:

“It is a failure, [but] I think the success comes [from] realizing that I didn't have control over it, and it's not my fault. Why should I let this get me down? You’ve got to keep going. You’ve got to keep moving.” — Jason Johnston [05:52]

“It's about cutting yourself off completely [and] giving your brain time to think and do something else.” — Jason Johnston [08:38]

“Take what it is that you love, disconnect, and go do it. Make it big, whatever it is. Make it big. Make it worth a four-year-old's mentality.” — Jason Johnston [12:14]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Genetec
• Jason Johnston on LinkedIn
• Red Currant No-BS OKR Self-Assessment Tool
• Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal
• Sara Lobkovich
• Sara Lobkovich Email Address
• Sara Lobkovich on Mastadon
• Red Currant Collective
• Sign up for RedCurrant’s newsletter
• Red Currant Collective on Instagram
• Thinkydoers

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Establishing clear objectives and key results (OKRs) isn't just about direction and accountability. It’s about driving real change within organizations. Today’s episode kicks off our two-part conversation with the delightful Jason Johnston, OKR Practice Lead for Genetec, a technology company in the security products and solutions space.

Jason is also a veteran whose 20-year military career has given him a unique perspective on leadership and problem-solving.

Join us as Jason shares his insights on fostering an environment where OKRs can thrive, the challenges of shifting from a task-oriented to an outcome-oriented mindset, and the critical role of leadership in guiding teams. We also explore how positive reinforcement and diverse perspectives on outcomes can drive success and why so many OKR practitioners exemplify servant leadership.

Tune in to discover practical tips and inspiring stories from Jason’s journey, and learn how to navigate the complexities of OKRs in your own work environment!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A quick update: How to check out the new No-BS OKR Self-Assessment tool.
• Insight into Jason’s role as the OKR Practice Lead at Genetec.
• Why he’s a self-described servant leader and why that’s often the case for OKR practitioners.
• How he first started working with OKRs and got his company to create a position for him.
• Driving change within a company by leading others rather than doing the work for them.
• Jason’s unique career background and what initially attracted him to the practice of OKRs.
• Lessons on heroism and preparation from his military career (and how it relates to OKRs).
• The adaptive nature of Jason’s work environment: how it has facilitated his career transitions.
• How the No-BS OKR class changed Jason’s approach to OKRs and made it more intuitive.
• The biggest challenges Jason has seen when it comes to implementing OKRs.
• Using leadership to help people shift from a task-oriented to an outcome-oriented mindset.
• Why existing metrics aren’t always adequate for measuring outcomes and leading indicators.
• Key aspects of OKRs that have made a difference in Jason’s life and work.
• How continuous learning and service leadership among OKR practitioners foster positivity.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Genetec
• Jason Johnston on LinkedIn
• Red Currant No-BS OKR Self-Assessment Tool
• Measure What Matters
• Christina Wodke & Radical Focus
• Sara Lobkovich
• Sara Lobkovich Email Address
• Sara Lobkovich on Mastadon
• Red Currant Collective
• Sign up for RedCurrant’s newsletter
• Red Currant Collective on Instagram
• Thinkydoers

Quotes:

“I consider myself a servant-leader, that’s how I function and how I act. I get my success from others succeeding. I don’t get my success from me succeeding.” — Jason Johnston [07:35]

“If we want to create real change in anything we’re doing, especially in the companies we’re in, somebody has to drive it.” — Jason Johnston [14:03]

“The No-BS OKRs class really kind of changed the way I look at OKRs and [made] it more intuitive.” — Jason Johnston [22:28]

“We have to put as much emphasis on the things that we accomplish as well as the things we don’t accomplish. And the process built around that is important.” — Jason Johnston [37:02]

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

One of the most challenging things for people to wrap their heads around when learning to create No-BS OKRs is the power of progress key results, otherwise known as leading indicators. But leading indicators serve as critical data that may give you objective data on which to assess your progress, and, to inform decisionmaking. Today’s guest is Elena Chopyak, a self-professed "data nerd," who I met through our mutual friend Rachel. When Rachel introduced Elena to me as an expert in leading indicators, I couldn't schedule a coffee talk fast enough. That coffee talk turned into an invitation back for this podcast episode.

Aside from Elena's wiring for data and analysis, her career history also follows the Thinkydoer pattern: a winding, multidisciplinary path included interest in working outside the U.S., and curiosity in the emergency humanitarian space, which ultimately lead her to working with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Iraq for two years. She was brought on in a monitoring and evaluation role in child protection and education, where she became responsible for instrumenting, monitoring, and reporting on important indicators to assess impact; and then moved into a role in IRC's emergency response team that was focused both on monitoring and informing decisions about natural disaster and armed conflict responses (as well as deploying, herself). 

In this episode, you’ll hear about Elena's experiences and learnings working with leading indicators in high-stakes settings, tips for creating leading indicators that are useful and actionable, and, more about her self-described "squiggly" career.

Also: the No-BS OKRs Workbook is live; we're getting ready to launch our No-BS OKRs Self-Assessment Tool; and the best way to keep track of what's happening with Thinkydoers and No-BS OKRs is to join our mailing list!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Elena ended up in the nonprofit space working on leading indicators.
• What drew her to the data and analytics side of nonprofit work.
• The purpose that leading indicators serve in resource-constrained companies.
• Challenges of creating leading indicators that provide actionable data.
• Two ways to determine whether or not an indicator is useful.
• Why there is no such thing as a perfect decision, even in high-stakes settings.
• Working back from your ‘why’ and other pro tips for creating leading indicators.
• Reasons that intentionality and testing are so important.
• Setbacks that ended up propelling Elena’s career forward.
• The value of having thought partners and focusing on tangible change.
• How continuous learning and mentorship can benefit your career.

Quotes:

“It’s important not to wait until something is a full-blown emergency and has made it to the news – One of our responsibilities is to be prepared – That’s why [leading indicators are] so important.” — Elena Chopyak [11:25]

“We don’t create leading indicators so that we have pretty numbers on a dashboard in any setting. We create leading indicators because we’re going to use them to inform a decision.” — @saralobkovich [15:50]

“It comes back to thinking about the why. Why are you going to collect this [data]? Who is going to look at it? Who is using it? – Who is actually going to make any actionable change based on the data you’re collecting?” — Elena Chopyak [20:33]

“If you have a squiggly career, just know there are people who appreciate that. There are people who themselves have linear careers and don’t understand you. That’s fine, but there are those people out there who will appreciate your varied background.” — Elena Chopyak [27:22]

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Are you ready to create big, bold goals for Q2 and beyond, and achieve remarkable results?

In this Thinkydoers Short, I'm sharing a slew of resources to help you get ready for Q2 -- whether you have a budget or not, and whether you are excited to get visionary and curious and plan your Q2, or are hoping to spend as little time as humanly possible, so you can get right to achieving your goals!

1. It's OKR Quarterly Reset Time: Q1 performance review and Q2 goal-setting are upon us. Tune in to our LinkedIn Live sessions for my creative and generative approach to quarterly retrospectives.

2. No-BS OKRs Workshop: Our popular workshop is now available in a hybrid format. Join anytime, learn at your own pace, and get your OKRs written in just one week. 

3. The Evolutionary OKRs Playbook:

   • No-BS OKRs Workbook: A 50-page download with essential OKR basics and valuable cheat sheets, available later this March!
   • No-BS OKRs Playbook: The "big book," covering deeper explanations and tackling OKR challenges, is scheduled for release in September.
   
   

4. Stay Connected: Shoot me an email at [email protected] if you have questions about anything mentioned here -- and I appreciate your shares on this episode!

• FREE LinkedIn Live Webinars: Get ready for Q2!
  • RSVP on LinkedIn
  • Follow Sara on LinkedIn for updates about additional Live opportunities!
  
  
• No-BS OKRs Workshop: Asynchronous, self-paced learning
  • Find more info at http://findrc.co/nobsokrs
  • Or, register at https://www.thinkydoers.com/nobsokrs1
  
  
• No-BS OKRs Workbook Excerpt: WTF Are OKRs?
  • Download at: http://findrc.co/wtfokrs
  
  
• Evolutionary OKRs Playbook and Workbook updates:
  • Join the pre-launch list at http://findrc.co/evokrpb
  
  

Let’s set your Q2 goals up for inspiration, progress, and success! Tune in, subscribe, share with a friend or colleague, and let’s keep the conversation going! 🚀

Reach out if you have any questions: [email protected].

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

The long-term stress sustained during and since the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a serious impact on our collective wellbeing. The American Psychological Association’s annual “Stress in America” report this year shared that “APA psychologists widely agreed there is mounting evidence that our society is experiencing the psychological impacts of a collective trauma.”  

In our personal and professional lives – especially for those of us who possess an “overthinky” brain -- we’re experiencing high levels of stress, overwhelm, and burnout. To help us understand these issues (and what we can do to resolve them), we’re joined by Dat Tran, an inspiring leadership coach and speaker (and fellow Thinkydoer). After more than a decade in the consulting and global strategy world, Dat discovered that the path to realizing his purpose focuses on inclusion and resilience. Today, he empowers leaders and organizations to reach their peak potential with well-being as a central focus. Since taking the stage for the first time in 2022, he has delivered over 50 keynotes and workshops, reaching thousands of people at leading companies and organizations worldwide. In this episode, Dat offers insight into the relationship between stress and resilience, provides us with a practical framework for managing stress, and shares some easy-to-understand examples to help us understand the risks of burying or processing stress without releasing it. To transform how you manage stress in your everyday life, become more resilient, and propel yourself toward higher performance and wellness, tune in today.

Key Points From This Episode:

•   Insight into Dat’s vision and the role of inclusively and resiliency in his practice.
•   His experience of stress and burnout on the path to becoming a life coach.
•   Ways that neurodivergent people may excel at simplifying complex information.
•   An understanding of the relationship between stress and resilience.
•   What Gabor Maté teaches us about trauma and healing.
•   Bury, release, process: three options for managing stress.
•   Surprisingly simple ways to release stress mentally, emotionally, and physically.
•   Why there is no “perfect” way to release; get creative!
•   Risks of processing stress without release, particularly for over-thinkers.
•   The significance of play, sleep, passion, and community.
•   How to intentionally design your life to release and process stress.
•   Dat’s advice for knowing when and how to speak and show up.

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

One of the first jobs to be done when implementing (or rebooting) OKRs is to identify how they fit into an organization’s existing planning “stack” and get clear about what job they’re being hired to do.

This episode is based on chapter three of Sara Lobkovich’s upcoming book, The Evolutionary OKRs Playbook, which focuses on what is possible with Evolutionary OKRs®.

You’ll be introduced to the first of three models that Sara uses every day in her work with organizations implementing OKRs: the Connected Strategic® Implementation Stack. You’ll learn about each layer of this stack, how it applies to individual projects and initiatives, why some organizations may struggle with OKRs, and why you don’t necessarily need to have every element in the stack present to be successful.

Today’s episode offers you a chance to reflect on your organization's Strategic Stack, what elements might be most important to prioritize to increase shared meaning and understanding, and what elements you might want to consider adding to increase your organization’s strategic alignment and impact.

Be sure to stay tuned for future episodes on the other two models: Connected Strategy on a Page and OKR Maturity! 

Key Points From This Episode:

•   Why it’s important to identify how OKRs fit into an organization’s existing planning stack.
•   Three models to consider, starting with the Connected Strategic Implementation Stack.
•   Unpacking each layer of the stack: strategic input, North Star Metrics, and more.
•   Some of the typical sources of aversion to OKRs that Sara sees in organizations.
•   Defining mandatory commits, health watch measures, and stretch goals.
•   How delivery fits into the Connected Strategic Implementation Stack.
•   Why you don’t need to tick every box in this stack in order to be successful.
•   Stay tuned for more on the Connected Strategy on a Page and OKR Maturity models!

Also: don't miss out -- No BS OKRs Annual Reset Edition registration closes on November 5th, so if you'd like help with your 2023 retrospective and 2024 OKR creation, join us for this practical, applied, OKR creation workshop: http://findrc.co/nobsokrs

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

We're excited to share Chapter Two of our work-in-progress Evolutionary OKRs Playbook with you. This chapter re-introduces Objectives and Key Results for people who may be less familiar with traditional approaches, and then shifts into the unique elements of the Evolutionary OKR model (which we've developed specifically to aid innovative and transformative organizations and teams in setting and achieving bigger, bolder goals). 

I also share a bit more about what we mean when we talk about the Evolutionary Organization. 

I share the actual definition that I use for the terms "Objective" and "Key Result," and I cut to the chase and provide the most essential question each of those terms answers in our businesses, and the building-block-formulas I use to help make sure we're creating useful, usable Objectives AND Key Results every time.

If you'd like to receive each chapter before it goes live on the podcast, join our email list: http://redcurrantco.com/newsletter

Key Points from this Episode:

• Objectives and Key Results are introduced as a method for collaborative goal setting and alignment. 

• OKRs bridge the gap between high-level strategy and tactical implementation, ensuring alignment with important outcomes. 

• OKRs were popularized by John Doerr's book "Measure What Matters" and were influenced by Peter Drucker's "Management by Objectives." 

• Over 127 different OKR management software platforms have caused some confusion in OKR methodology. 

• Sara introduces the Evolutionary OKR model, which is her approach to OKRs, especially suited for high-change, innovation-oriented organizations. 

• Evolutionary OKRs are about achieving growth, transformation, and innovation by aligning with important measures of success. 

• Evolutionary organizations align on their theory of success and progress before planning activities, fostering continuous learning. 

• Objectives are directional, purpose statements describing what to pursue and why; they provide focus on essential improvement directions. 

• Key Results are objectively measurable targets describing essential measures of progress and success towards an objective. 

• Key Results should not describe activities but outcomes; they need to be creatively measurable and focused. 

• Evolutionary OKRs encourage outcome-based goals as key results, recognizing the importance of influence and aspiration. 

• Key Results are experiments in quantifying improvement, focusing on the most important measures of progress and success. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

After years of writing alone and then sharing my work on the Evolutionary OKRs Playbook with (wonderful, patient) beta readers, with this rewrite I’m doing something different.

It’s time to write (and read) in public. 

Certain chapters of the book are being shared via our email newsletter first; then after a week or two, some will be shared via the Red Currant Collective Blog, via Medium, and here, as Thinkydoers podcast episodes.

As terrifying as this is for me personally, it’s time. The final rewrite is buzzing along, I’ve got a target date for the v1 eBook release if I keep up at this writing and editing pace, and it’s necessary to get this thing out so it can help the people who need it.

So here in this episode, I’m sharing the first full chapter, Chapter One: Objectives and Key Results: How did we get here?

And if you don't want to wait for the public release of each chapter, you can get the early peek by joining our newsletter at http://findrc.co/newsletter.

Show notes are available at thinkydoers.com and you can read the first chapter via the Evolutionary OKRs Blog on redcurrantco.com.

Key Points From This Episode:

•  My excitement to bring you chapter one of Sara’s Evolutionary OKRs Playbook.

•   The resources that we’re planning on offering for the rest of the year and in 2024.

•   How many of us stumble into OKRs 

•   Why I'm an emphatic OKR activist. 

•   A sneak peek for next week: why should you adopt a glossary of OKR terms at the very beginning of implementation. 

Quotes:

“Incoherence is my kryptonite.” — @saralobkovich [08:22]

“The transparency with which I'll share my approaches, tools, and tactics, as well as the why behind them in this book may just put my consulting business out of business.” — @saralobkovich [10:16]

“I hope that at some point you take a step back from the day-to-day labor of your work and think a bit about what changed world you'd like to see someday. What difference would you like to make? How would you like to leave your community, career, or self better than you find it now?” — @saralobkovich [10:37]

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.