Principles - Processes - Categorization - GitLab the Product - Being a PM - Performance Indicators - Leadership
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a simple goal setting technique propelled by Google and implemented by many leading companies with astounding success. [Five key OKR benefits] include: Focus, Alignment, Commitment, Tracking and Stretching.
John Doerr is a leader in the OKR world and authored the book Measure What Matters, a handbook for setting and achieving audacious goals. He as since built a company called What Matters, that gives leaders the tools they need to achieve their goals. The What Matters website is a rich and detailed resource for OKRs.
Product Management has the potential to drive and influence growth as well as company goal attainment in ways that other organizations in a company cannot. When we consider our Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) across the Product, Engineering, UX, and Quality organizations, we can do more to make them connected and concerted. One of the key implications for alignment across teams is that you share goals and KPIs. We want to focus on Essentialism to drive results that matter most for the customer across the product group. As it is written in the handbook, GitLab's OKRs are meant to be the "how to achieve the goal" of a KPI. So, the question we need to consider is are we optimizing our goals to achieve the KPI in the best way?
GitLab uses the OKR (Objective and Key Results) framework to set and track goals on a quarterly basis. You can read more about OKRs at GitLab OKRs including the overall process as well as current and past OKRs here. Every department participates in OKRs to collaboratively goal set across the organization. GitLab does quarterly objectives which align with our Fiscal Year.
Currently, Product team OKRs are tracked as Epics gitlab.com and the KRs are tracked as Issues in the Product project and on the Product OKR Board. Starting in FY22-Q2, all OKRs are also in Ally.io so we can get familiar with the tool before FY22-Q3. Starting in FY22-Q3, we're aiming to replace use of GitLab epics, issues and boards and fully port all OKRs into Ally.io. Details on that process and instructions on how to participate will be added to this page as they solidify.
To learn more about the rollout process for Product and Engineering see the linked Ally OKR Rollout GitLab Project.
Each organization at GitLab may follow a slightly personalized process for OKRs. Below is the process for Product. Product works closely with Engineering and collaborates on some Objectives and Key Results. You can reference the Engineering's process here.
The Product OKRs are initiated by the Chief Product Officer each quarter per the details and timeline below.
Please note that the FY22-Q2 process is a "hybrid" model as we continue to leverage Gitlab epics and issues as SSOT for OKR content but shift to scoring OKRs in Ally.io. We fully transition into Ally.io in FY22-Q3. Thank you for your patience!
Updating the status of Product OKRs
Note: OKR owners will get reminders via Slack/Ally.io on or near the first of each month to do this. To set up more reminders or opt out of reminders, check out how to use Ally.io
In FY22-Q3/Q4 we'll have an updated process to fully leverage Ally.io as SSOT for OKRs and sunset usage of GitLab epics/issues. Details forthcoming.
Context:
The Q3 OKR process outlined below is a follow-up to the Q2 OKR experiment and designed to pilot Product Group OKRs. This initiative aims to get ahead of the executive OKR process and provide the e-group with our opinionated view of what we plan to do. We will create shared key results across the quad planning team (Product Managers, Engineering Managers, Product Designers, and Quality) at the Product Group-level. Two key benefits of this approach:
Guiding themes for shared KRs (Relevant KPIs):
SaaS First (add links to relevant KPIs?)
For guidance on drafting clear and achievable OKRs check out: How to write ORKs
5 weeks prior to the start of the fiscal quarter, the CEO and Chief of Staff initiate the OKR process. The CEO will share an MR in the #e-group Slack channel with the 3 Company Objectives for the quarter, and one to three Key Results for each objective.
Updating the status of Product OKRs
Note: OKR owners will get reminders via Slack/Ally.io on or near the first of each month to do this. To set up more reminders or opt out of reminders, check out how to use Ally.io
To learn more about what OKRs are and the importance of OKRs at GitLab, see the company OKR handbook page.
To learn about the industry best practices for OKRs, how setting the right goals can mean the difference between success and failure, and how we can use OKRs to hold our leaders and ourselves accountable, watch John Doerr's Ted Talk. You can also find more resources in Product Management Learning & Development
For information on getting started with OKRs and writing basic okrs see the linked courses from our OKR vendor Ally.
Samples of well written KRs from GitLab team members:
For an overview of how Product is currently using Ally.io and how to do some basic tasks, check out this overview video. We also have additional training materials provided by Ally.io and Gitlab in this issue We recommend you check out everything in this issue but these are some specific links for common topics:
We encourage suggestions and improvements to the Product OKR process so please feel free to raise an MR to this page. To keep us all aligned, as the process touches all teams across the company, please assign all MRs for collaboration, review and approval to Product Operations and the EBA to the Chief Product Officer.
