How to run a remote OKR workshop

Lessons learned from facilitating dozens of remote OKR sessions for dozens of teams

The end of the quarter is quickly approaching and for many companies, that means it’s OKR setting time once again. That process can be stressful and confusing under the best of circumstances. And with many leaders finding themselves suddenly in charge of partially or fully remote teams (thanks, COVID-19), that stress and confusion multiply tenfold.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve spoken with many leaders who are looking for advice on how to set OKRs remotely for the first time. This short primer summarizes what I’ve learned from facilitating dozens of remote OKR sessions. If you have any questions or thoughts, drop a comment below or reach out on Twitter.

Environment

Planning a workshop involves many moving pieces but none is more fundamental than planning your environment. Just because you aren’t laying out sticky notes or organizing chairs, doesn’t mean there’s no work to do. Your virtual environment deserves just as much care and attention as your physical environment would have.

Engaged participants are key to any successful workshop, in person or otherwise. And unfortunately, it’s much harder to feel fully engaged when you aren’t in the room. As facilitators, we have to do everything we can to help people stay present and active participants. These are the biggest leverage ways to make people feel more…