Udo Wiegärtner gave a presentation on using OKRs more effectively at Paessler AG. Some key points included focusing on inspiring goal talk rather than metrics, creating an environment where it's acceptable to say "no", and checking in on progress toward goals instead of just discussing tasks completed. The presentation discussed Paessler's experience with OKRs over the past few years and highlighted lessons learned around strategic planning, objective setting, and check-ins. The overall message was that OKRs work best when they encourage imagination and real conversations rather than getting bogged down in metrics and tasks.

1. Udo Wiegärtner
Agile Coach
Paessler AG, Nürnberg
Gelaber Eats OKR
for Breakfast

2. [Gelaber]
“Waffling”
”Blathering”
“Prattling”
“Babbling”

3. [Gelaber] – 2 Countries
Bluristan
Taskany
Created by the AI chat bot ChatGPT

4. Purpose
• Share learnings about OKR blathering
• Inspire thoughts / discussions
• Focus: The way we talk in OKR

5. Non-Purpose
• Selling frameworks / tools
• Recipes / solutions

6. Confession
• Most colleagues don’t like OKR
• It’s (partly) my fault

7. Your speaker today
Udo Wiegärtner
Agile Coach
Paessler AG, Nürnberg
• Linkedin.com/in/UdoWiegaertner
@UdoWiegaertner@mastodon.social
Linkedin.com/in/udowiegaertner

8. Key Points
• Goal talk > metrics talk
• Saying “No”
• Environment for inspiring goal talk
à no OKR needed

9. Agenda for today
1
OKR @ Paessler
3
Planning talk
2
Strategic talk
4
Check in talk
5
Conclusion
6
Discuss

10. Agenda for today
1
OKR @ Paessler
3
Planning talk
2
Strategic talk
4
Check in talk
5
Conclusion
6
Discuss

11. Quick facts
• 400+ employees
• > 20 years (since 1997)
• Branches in the USA and Malaysia
Paessler AG
Headquarter Nuremberg Paessler companies

12. The Monitoring Experts
• We create Monitoring Software
• 500.000 Users

13. Our OKR Quick Facts
• OKR for 4.5 years
• OKR quarters
• 4-5 annual goals / 2-4 Objectives each
• No cascading
• Inhouse OKR Coach(es)

14. Our OKR Participant History
• 2018: ~90 Paesslerists out of 300
• 2019: ~ 60/300
• 2020: ~ 40/300
• 2021: ~ 30/350
• 2022: ~ 30/400 ❤

15. Aha!
• OKR doesn’t need to be for everyone
• Less is more
• Create conversations …

16. OKR Gallery Walk

17. Agenda for today
1
OKR @ Paessler
3
Planning talk
2
Strategic talk
4
Check in talk
5
Conclusion
6
Discuss

18. [Gelaber] – 2 Countries
Bluristan

19. • 2018: OKR is hard enough
• 2020: New long term strategy + OKR
• 2021: OKR as Project Management? ☠ - forgot Vision/ Mission L
• 2021: Less Objectives (+ outside Project Management)
• 2022: Mid term strategy + OKR (+ outside Project Management) J
Our Strategic History

20. Mid Term Strategy ”Program 2030”

21. Working Backwards

22. Aha!
• Strategy storytelling
• Mid term strategy: CxO + Area Strategists
• Filling gaps
• Surprise learning: …

23. The magic outside of Miro
Monthly mid term Strategy Day

24. Agenda for today
1
OKR @ Paessler
3
Planning talk
2
Strategic talk
4
Check in talk
5
Conclusion
6
Discuss

25. [Gelaber] – 2 Countries
Taskany

26. Output vs. Outcome
Pure fiction. No
similarities with
existing Objectives
whatsoever. ;-)
Objective:
We want to have 10 Blog posts about our new feature XY…
… so that …
… we have 10 Blog posts more than before
Key Results:
- Our graphics department created 15 visuals
- The work group met at least 5 times 🤦
Our new feature XY in OKR

27. Working Backwards
👍

31. Solution focused questions
à They work for OKR, too!
e.g. the „Miracle question“

32. Miracle Objective
It’s 1 year from now and our new feature XY is the best thing we ever created.
How would that look like?
Released
Key Results:
Objective for new feature XY:
Used
Solves the
problem
Partner added
Plugin
Extended it to
feature Z
It replaced that ugly
legacy feature
Our Sales loves it
Customers
share their
success stories
Sales wants
Devs for Pre-
Sales dates
Invitations for
conference
talks
Devs volunteer
for Sales dates
Solves
additional
problems

33. Trap for Coaches
🙀

34. Our Status Quo
We’re not there yet, …
Franconian company à enthusiasm is hard

35. No!

36. No!
How can we create a healthy environment for saying “No”?

37. Our Status Quo
We’re not there yet, …
à Franconian company: Maybe we‘ll do it anyway.

38. Visual Helpers for more “No!”

39. Visual Helpers for more “No!”

40. Aha!
• Dare to do goal talk
• Solution Focus == OKR
• Create environment for healthy “No!”

41. Agenda for today
1
OKR @ Paessler
3
Planning talk
2
Strategic talk
4
Check in talk
5
Conclusion
6
Discuss

42. [Gelaber] – 2 Countries
Taskany

43. The Ugly Truth
Nobody is interested in what tasks you finished.
Besides all your numbers, are we still on track
towards our goal?

44. Metrics Obsession

45. Metrics Obsession
Metrics are the enemy of inspiring goals.
SMART goals have ruined our imagination.

46. Magic Moment
💣

47. Our Status Quo
We’re not there yet, …
… but get more bombs (luckily).

48. Aha!
• OKR Checkin: Psychological Safety needed
• No need to proof being busy
• Be aware of metrics obsession

49. Agenda for today
1
OKR @ Paessler
3
Planning talk
2
Strategic talk
4
Check in talk
5
Conclusion
6
Discuss

50. Key Points
• Citizens of Bluristan or Taskany?
• Dare to imagine inspiring goals
• Dare to have real conversations
• Dare to say “No”
• Dare to kill stupid metrics

51. Our Status Quo
• We are still OKR rookies
• We are still allowed to experiment
• A bit of “Gelaber” is ok
• Trying to celebrate learnings more

52. Celebrate learnings

53. [Gelaber] – 2 Countries
Bluristan
Taskany

54. Thank you!
Udo Wiegärtner
Agile Coach
Paessler AG, Nürnberg
• Linkedin.com/in/UdoWiegaertner
@UdoWiegaertner@mastodon.social
Linkedin.com/in/udowiegaertner