47: Jeff Gothelf - OKRs, Humility, and the Real Value of Innovation in Business
Dec 26, 2023
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Jeff Gothelf, an expert on OKRs and being outcome-driven, discusses humility and accountability in executives, setting outcome-driven goals for exploratory research, the role of humility in organizational success, common failure points in organizations, and the future of impactful startups.
Humility and accountability are crucial factors in the success of an agile transformation.
Setting realistic goals is paramount in ensuring the success of outcome-driven planning.
Deep dives
The Power of Humility and Accountability in Agile Transformation
Humility and accountability are crucial factors in the success of an agile transformation. Leaders must be willing to admit when they are wrong and open to the idea that they may need to pivot their approach. The story of a bank's executive team undergoing an agile transformation highlights the impact of a leader acknowledging the challenges of agility. By recognizing and accepting the difficulty of the process, leaders can create an atmosphere of learning and course correction based on evidence.
The Importance of Setting Realistic Goals
Setting realistic goals is paramount in ensuring the success of outcome-driven planning. Leaders need to assess the baseline of current practices and identify the main concerns in the customer journey. By understanding where improvements can be made, organizations can set goals that address these issues and drive change. It is crucial to focus on the problems being solved for customers rather than prescribing solutions. Testing different approaches, including AI, can be valuable in achieving the desired outcomes.
The Role of Regular Check-ins in Outcome-Driven Planning
Regular check-ins are essential for maintaining progress and adaptability in outcome-driven planning. Waiting months to reassess goals can waste time and resources if the team realizes early on that their current path is not working. By implementing regular check-ins, teams can present evidence and recommendations to their stakeholders, fostering a collaborative environment and allowing for early course correction. This ensures that teams can pivot, experiment, and make informed decisions based on evolving circumstances.
The Need for Humility in Leadership
One of the most critical factors in organizational success is humility in leadership. Executives must be willing to acknowledge when they are wrong and accept feedback and evidence from their teams. This requires leaders to have strong opinions, but to hold them loosely, recognizing that they may need to pivot based on new information. Cultivating an environment of humility and accountability allows for honest and open communication, empowering teams to make data-driven decisions and drive innovation.
Jeff Gothelf, one of the most critical voices around OKRs and being outcome-driven, sat down with me for an hour-long amazing conversation: We touch on why using OKRS is useless if you can’t admit when you are wrong and be open to feedback from your teams.
How do you set outcome-driven goals for exploratory research and the role of humility in organizational success? Why shipping something does not mean you’re adding value. Finally, we discuss common failure points in organizations and the future of impactful startups.
Takeaways
Executives should practice humility and accountability, admitting when they are wrong proactively.
Setting outcome-driven goals for exploratory research helps determine the value and feasibility of new ideas.
Common failure points in organizations include a lack of humility, a failure to prioritize the customer, and an overemphasis on the next hottest thing.
Timestamps
00:00 The Power of Humility and Accountability
13:06 The Importance of Putting the Customer First
19:08 Avoiding the Overuse of AI
25:46 Setting Outcome-Driven Goals for Exploratory Research
32:31 The Role of Humility in Organizational Success