OKRs in corporate communications: a journey of discovery

OKRs in corporate communications: a journey of discovery

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In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set off on an expedition to cross the Antarctic continent. His ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the ice and Shackleton faced the daunting task of keeping his crew alive in extreme conditions. With clear goals and an unwavering commitment to his team, he managed to maintain morale and bring his entire crew home safely after 635 days.

Corporate communications may be less life-threatening than an expedition to Antarctica, but it is similarly challenging. Just like Shackleton, we are also looking for ways to stay on course in rough waters – and this is where Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) come into play.

Why Objectives & Key Results?

Communication is dynamic, creative and not always tangible. But this is exactly where OKRs come in. They provide a clear structure and create transparency. In a world where communication is a key competitive advantage, we need tools that help us to constantly improve, adapt and focus our efforts. OKRs do just that: they connect the strategic vision with the operational implementation and ensure that all team members are focused on the essentials.

Our journey of discovery to OKRs

When we at Siemens made the decision to introduce OKRs in corporate communications, there were also some concerns. “Isn’t a quarterly rhythm too rigid for our creative work?” or “Can’t the value of our work only be proven after a long time?” We decided to explore OKRs practically rather than theoretically.

Instead of dictating OKRs from the top down, we started at an operational level with teams that were open to change and offered a high degree of psychological safety. These teams were our pioneers. They explored the method, gained initial experience and then helped to transfer their findings to other teams. The next step was to involve the management level in order to create a solid foundation for further implementation. Finally, we are now rolling out the method in waves to over 25 teams – step by step, based on shared experience.

OKRs in practice

During our journey of discovery, we identified two types of OKRs in particular that work especially well in corporate communications:

1. Target group-based OKRs: These focus on how we reach our audience and successfully place topics. Key performance indicators such as social media engagement, reach of publications and audience sentiment are measures of success here.

2. Process-based OKRs: These promote internal collaboration and improve processes. We often measure success here by how well coordination with stakeholders works or how smoothly communication activities are planned and published.

The power of worldbuilding

One of the most important findings of our journey of discovery was the importance of storytelling and worldbuilding. The introduction of the OKRs is designed as an adventure. Each OKR Shepherd, i.e. team representative, receives a goodie bag with a compass – as a symbol of their role as navigator. Stickers were distributed to all team members to make the project visible in the newsroom. Information material was designed around the metaphor of the voyage of discovery. Activities like these can strengthen motivation for the long, transformative journey.

Changing the way we work

Introducing OKRs also means changing the way we work. It requires the well-known mindset change. Because before a quarter starts, the entire team has to sit down together for 2 to 3 hours for OKR planning and jointly define what is to be achieved (objective) and how success is to be measured (key results). Once a week, each objective and each key result must be checked in and the status updated. At the end of the quarter, the OKRs are evaluated and the process reflected upon. The cycle requires discipline and practice, but it is worth it. It creates transparency, personal responsibility and continuous development.

Our biggest learnings

• Introduction: The introduction of OKRs works best in stages, starting with teams that are open to change. Practical experience and steady, small successes are important in order to implement the method successfully.

• Discipline: The success of OKRs depends on consistent planning, weekly review and reflection at the end of the quarter to ensure that the method is practiced and the OKR cycle becomes a habit.

• Responsibility: OKRs can only be successfully implemented if responsibilities are clearly allocated and clear owners have been defined for each objective and its key results. These owners are responsible for bundling information that influences both strategic and operational decisions.

Conclusion

OKRs help us to define clearer goals and strengthen our teams. They show us how important it is not only to set goals, but also to clearly plan and regularly review the way to get there. Like Shackleton, we have learned that only through clear goals, regular review and the commitment of the entire crew is it possible to successfully navigate the complex waters of corporate communications.

About the author:
Timo Radzik originally wanted to become a game developer. He is therefore convinced that a good user experience is crucial – not only for video games, but also when dealing with data. Dashboards should be easy to understand and inspire action in order to be truly valuable. In addition to his role as an analyst, Timo is responsible for the OKR program at Siemens, which aims to strengthen clarity and collaboration within the organization. By combining clear, measurable goals with recommendations for action based on data, the circle of planning, execution and analysis is closed in the most effective way.