With the Goals module, Leapsome provides the opportunity to set and track different types of goals, such as development goals, KPIs, SMART goals, and OKRs. OKRs are a particular methodology of goal management, and our Goals module is optimized to build up OKRs. Let’s explore the difference between those.
An OKR is almost the same as a goal, but a few slight differences will be explained in this article.
Goals are the kind of long-term strategy or guideline. They explain what you want to achieve in your organization, and they are usually long-term and global. OKRs are short-term goals (often created quarterly) that are split into two parts: an Objective (the “what”) and Key Results (the “how”). The objective describes the direction or your mission-supporting goal. They are inspiring, bold, concise, and straightforward, expressing the company’s vision. The key results are a set of metrics that measure your progress toward the Objective. They help you know whether or not you’re on the path to meeting your goals.
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To learn more about creating OKRs and defining valuable Objectives and Key Results, please read our playbook on ‘How to implement OKRs.’
Another differentiation between goals and OKRs is alignment and transparency. A team OKR should be aligned to the company OKR, and an individual OKR should be aligned to a team OKR to support a strategic approach. This is how you align the whole company behind your mission. The alignment can easily be visualized within the Leapsome module by creating a goal tree. Leapsome can help you visualize your goal alignment and increase the transparency of your company’s progress and direction.
While SMART goals guide you on how to build goals, OKRs offer an entire framework for your team or organization on how to align efforts and each contribution towards your organization’s mission.