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Comment by kenjackson | Hacker News Reader

The business scorecard just seems like it is measuring a set of key results. If it’s a KPI the team is trying to achieve then how is that different than a key result?

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In my opinion, one of the best parts of the definition of key results is that when done right, meeting all key results should result in the objective being accomplished. If you can hit all the key results and still not have met the objective, there was an issue in the definition process.

The answer lies in the frequency of updates across the org. KRs in most orgs are reviewed on a quarterly basis, whereas marketing spend, conversions and similar need a weekly cadence. We are currently reporting on KRs on a weekly basis, but that requires a lot of indoctrination for new hires.

I think it’s best practice to monitor your top-level KRs in your weekly/bi-weekly leadership meeting. I have never heard anyone recommend to only use OKRs for retrospective evaluation of a quarter/half.

For example I’m sure Doerr recommends regular syncs on the status of your KRs.

They are intended to be both a way of reviewing the work in a planning period, and also determining what is red and needing attention within the planning period.

Tactical/team-facing KRs could be measured daily if you need to, though the CEO wouldn’t want that report.

There isn't a practical difference between PIs and KRs other than that KRs might be more vague or binary and PIs more like a gauge. It's just semantics around framing goal-setting.

KPIs are more operational "is anything broken". OKRs are more aspirational "achieve something new".

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