Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) is the management methodology or goal-setting framework that was originally implemented by Google and has since been effectively used at companies like LinkedIn, Twitter, Uber, and Microsoft.
The main principle is that objectives (goals) at the top of the organization are directly linked to the 3-5 Key Results in the next level, which become objectives for that level and cascade key results downstream again. The goal of OKR is to execute objectives through specific and measurable results.
If the objectives at the top of the organization are not linked to the results at subsequent levels of the organization, then those organizational levels become strategically misaligned. As a result, Goals & Rocks outlined during annual and quarterly planning will rarely be completed by the end of the quarter. Not completing more than 50 percent of the rocks by the end of the quarter is a good indicator that OKRs methodology may be effective at mitigating this risk.