Last updated 1 July 2022 ·
Research shows that 40% of people that write down goals never go back to check whether they’ve achieved them. When this is transferred into the business world, as it frequently is, businesses risk becoming swinging pendulums, constantly bouncing back and forth through the same strategies yet expecting different results.
So, top executives often appoint a business coach who works with them to decide on a new approach to getting them out of that dilemma. After working together extensively, making complex business decisions and designing a new business strategy to catapult them to greatness, the business coach leaves. Soon enough, that all-exciting strategy document is often put on a shelf and forgotten.
What does it take to maintain momentum, implement this exciting new strategy and start achieving better results for the business?
Breaking down these new strategic business goals into actionable OKRs, objectives and key results can make all the difference. Furthermore, to realise the maximum potential of OKRs, as a business coach or CEO, integrating OKR Software can mean the difference between a dusty document nobody reads and having a real-time, live performance dashboard showing the entire team’s progress towards your new strategic objectives.
Sounds good, right?
OKR Software is simply a goal-setting framework created to track and monitor teams’ progress in achieving the primary business goals. So, how does OKR software affect business coaching?
Five benefits for business coaching
Here are five of the main benefits that OKR software can bring to business coaching:
1. OKR software makes it easy to track and measure progress
We’ve seen it happen so often in small, medium and large organisations alike, where the managerial officers and the employees are all pulling in different directions. And what this means is a goal/objective that would have taken a short duration to achieve actually takes forever. That means revenue is lost, and time is wasted.
OKR software helps you set highly structured goals and aligns them with the overall vision and mission of the business. You can track progress in real-time and provide feedback to help everyone move in the same direction while holding them accountable. You can also use and analyse data generated by teammates daily while constructing graphs and other tools to visualise the progress.
2. OKR software simplifies the goal-setting process
Research has shown that when people set up their own goals and objectives, they’re more likely to achieve them than if they were simply dictated to them. Once the business coach has worked with the C-Suite to establish the new strategy, this can be turned into OKRs and cascaded throughout all teams in the business. OKR software helps break down overall business goals and objectives into departmental objectives. Team leaders can then break this down into department-level key results and finally into individual-level objectives, easily achievable and measurable. Employees at all levels are given the autonomy to decide how best they can achieve the overall objectives presented to them within their area of specialism. This empowers employees to work hard and make a lasting impact on business performance.
3. OKR software increases employee engagement
OKR software provides a medium of transparency and visibility within the organisation. Suddenly, employees that felt unseen before can see how their actions and hard work directly affect the company’s overall success in improving their engagement. An engaged team means that the business coaching process will be more effective as employees are open to new ideas and ready to work on new strategies without resistance or frustration. Sharing the business OKRs with all teams helps employees feel included, valued and motivated to work hard. Furthermore, with tangible tracking metrics to measure their contributions, they’re more likely to perform better and provide a supportive work environment.
4. OKR Software promotes teamwork
OKR software can help inspire a culture of collaboration, communication and teamwork. The increased visibility and transparency of roles and responsibilities means that employees can help each other and solve problems together. They begin to consider the bigger picture and how achieving their objectives will improve the business’s overall bottom line. This means everyone will be pulling towards the same goal, breeding a sense of responsibility for each other.
Sometimes, when a business coach has come in and changed the strategic focus for the organisation, this can be met with some degree of resistance, as with all business changes. However, if managed correctly through clearly established OKRs and effective communication of what is expected from all teams and individuals, this can reduce that resistance.
5. OKR Software helps monitor progress remotely
Using OKR software means that, as a business coach, you can still keep track of the progress each of your clients’ organisations is making remotely, measuring and tracking their activities and ensuring that all your work does not go down the drain.
All you need to do is log in to the system, and you’ll see the live progress, performance and achievements of all teams. You will then be able to drill down into specific groups if required. Furthermore, using a system like Reclaro highlights adoption rates, usage, top performers, and any areas of improvement needed.
It also means that CEOs and team leaders can still carry out the strategies developed during the business coaching process even in your absence. This also means you can continue providing feedback and suggestions remotely even after your work is done, making it more impactful while leaving a lasting transformation.
Such visibility allows you, as a business coach, to ensure you help your clients make lasting changes that make a difference to their business.
Final Word
Business coaching has so much to offer, but these benefits can quickly be curtailed as soon as the business coach departs and business leaders have a different way of doing things. To reduce this misalignment, OKR software provides the much-needed continuation, coordination and transparency, allowing everyone to work together, measuring and tracking their progress while delivering the desired results.
It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
If you want to find out more, email us at hello@reclaro.com, and we will be happy to help you. Alternatively, if you want to learn more about OKRs and have a go at creating some of your own, remember these work for businesses of all sizes, then download The OKR Builder™ today to get started.
