If you’ve ever found yourself knee-deep in a project and wondering, “What the hell are we really trying […]
The Easiest Way to Start Working with OKRs
What You Want isn’t Always What You Want
I was sitting on a patio with two of my dearest friends, polishing off a second bottle of […]
The Product Journey and the Product Portfolio
A product’s journey from inception to decline involves several distinct phases. Understanding these phases is crucial for anyone […]
Fast Ways to Estimate Capacity
Estimating the capacity of your organization or team quickly is crucial for setting realistic goals and effectively planning […]
Understanding Organizational Capacity: Why It Matters in OKR Practice
Setting goals is crucial for any organization, and one effective method for doing this is through OKRs (Objectives […]
Building an Instinct for Metrics
In any organization, informed decision-making relies heavily on the use of analytics. Analytics is the systematic analysis of […]
Why We Struggle to Prioritize
Why We Struggle to Prioritize: Insights from My Work Prioritization is one of the most challenging tasks we […]
Setting Personal OKRs
Life happens. It’s easy to get swept away by our myriad responsibilities and lose sight of our personal […]
Pre-Work for Setting OKRs
Pre-Work for Setting OKRs: Building a Foundation for Success Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) offer a proven framework […]
Harnessing Confidence Ratings for Effective OKRs
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are like a compass for organizations, helping teams align around clear objectives and […]
Using Temporal Landmarks for Effective OKRs Adoption
Anyone familiar with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) knows that the heartbeat of this framework is its cadence—how […]
Cialdini’s Influence: The Secret to Achieving OKRs
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are a powerful framework for achieving strategic goals. In practice, it can be […]
The effect of goal setting on group performance: A meta-analysis
Introduction to Something New! This blog is 24 years old, and I’ve done many things with it. I’ve […]
Beyond Indecision: The Psychological Forces Shaping Our Choices
Achieving peak productivity hinges on focus, a theme central to “Radical Focus.” However, making informed decisions, essential for […]
Crafting Personal OKRs for Real Change
In the quest for personal growth and improvement, setting Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) can be a transformative […]
Closing Open Loops for Better Personal OKRs
In the whirlwind of our daily lives, it’s easy to feel swamped by endless tasks and commitments. Between […]
Psychological Safety in the Classroom
This is from a talk I gave in the weekly faculty meeting. Feel free to use and share […]
Podcasts of Late
Hello folks, I keep forgetting to mention podcasts I’ve been on lately! check it out: First, a conversation […]
Good OKRs, Bad OKRs
I spoke at Dan Olsen’s Lean Product Meetup last night. Talk Slides
Are You Sure You Want to Use OKRs?
There is a concept I call drift. Drift means that a process has drifted away from the original […]
The Goal Fits the Team
Beyond the Usual OKR approach Since I first started writing about OKRs seven years ago, I have had […]
Cascading OKRs at Scale
How do you avoid the slow waterfall of goals? A draft of a chapter for Radical Focus 2.0. I […]
The Art of the OKR, Redux
The original “Art of the OKR” was written in 2014. I returned to it as I began […]
Let the Wrong One Go
Clear Feedback and Compassionate Firing The biggest problem with firing is we’re afraid to do it. If you’ve […]
Let the Right One In
Hiring. Everyone says it’s the most important thing you need to get right in your company. And yet […]
Mind the Product Keynote on Teams
My Mind the Product opening keynote on High Performing teams is up. They do a great write up, […]
From the half-bakery: Temporal Landmarks
I am about to start a new habit. I’ve starting writing more and more formal essays, and I […]
Using OKRs to Increase Organizational Learning
This is a draft chapter from the second edition of Radical Focus. It’s coming… eventually. Hopefully soonish. Leave […]
Working the Weekly 1:1
A better approach for the most important meeting of the week There are a lot of work “rituals” that […]
Norms Exercise
I learned this exercise from Andre Plaut and have used it, tweaked it, and loved it. I do […]