Effective Collaboration Boost with Coda for Teams Adhering to the OKR Structure
Hey there! I'm Jamie, co-founder and Head of Growth at our awesome app dev company, Apps, based in Melbourne, Australia. Started in 2016, we've grown from a small gang of local employees to a big squad of skilled folks from around the globe.
Our success had its challenges though, as our client intake rate skyrocketed, our workload became unmanageable. Expanding our team was the logical next step, but it wasn't easy due to the remote nature of the app dev industry. That's when we realized our onboarding process and systems had to be adjusted and moved online for quick onboarding of our newbies.
Our goal-setting methods also required rethinking, and the 12-month goal plan based on KPIs wasn't cutting it anymore. It was slow, and the goals were too easy for our rapidly expanding company. I stumbled upon Objective Key Results (OKRs) and thought they were just what we needed.
Goal Setting
OKRs encourage more challenging and meaningful goal-setting, as well as increased transparency throughout the company.
Objectives are overarching aims defined by measurable key targets, demonstrating achievements and progress. Unlike KPIs, OKRs are based around quarterly goals, giving regular growth indicators, with aggressive goals encouraged. Failure is even promoted as part of growth.
John Doer, who championed the OKR framework, believes failure should be cherished, not feared. He says reaching for the stars often leads us to reach the moon. I share this view: startups that experience early success can fall into an overly cautious trap, and their fear of failure can weigh them down, stifling growth.
As a tech company that's smashed far-reaching goals with ease, OKRs were crucial for our consistent growth and striving for excellence over complacency.
While individual successes are applauded, OKRs prove that no employee can achieve meaningful goals on their own. Everyone from the CEO to a new hire has goals, and this transparency encourages teamwork and accountability.
The Need for a Custom System
Before fully adopting OKRs, we knew we needed a complementary management tool. A fully customizable software that could adapt to our fluid company dynamic and growing team was a must. We had to assign tasks, track goals, and manage projects.
Existing tools like Lattice and Profit were fantastic, but we needed something moldable to fit our unique strategy. We found that solution in Coda.
What we achieved with Coda
Coda helped us take on the challenges of our growing company head-on. For new team members, we created onboarding.io, a Coda doc that automated and tracked the onboarding process, reducing it from a week to just three days, all while increasing effectiveness.
Not only did this digital onboarding process help us scale to a team of 150 across three continents, but it also allowed for a 100% digital recruitment and onboarding process.
Having separate docs per department lets us personalize processes according to each team's needs, making it easier to track progress and get insightful views of each team member's performance. N pow! More efficiency led to launching a total of 11 apps since COVID restrictions started.
We also have a roadmap that consolidates all company OKRs, which we present during company-wide standups and helps track our progress as a whole. Take that, competition!
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Download Case Study## How you should do it
While Coda offers ready-made templates, you must identify how your team will work with OKRs and find the tool that best suits your unique framework. So don't blindly copy what others do! Build something that works for you, and your way to the moon will be smoother than a greased pig.
- To enhance our lifestyle and business growth, we partnered with technology to develop financial management apps, expanding our portfolio beyond app development.
- As our sports-focused app gained traction, we realized the potential for monetization through in-app purchases and subscriptions, boosting our company's revenue.
- With our team now equipped with efficient onboarding and management tools like Coda, we can effectively scale our app development operations, paving the way for continued success in the global market.
