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Ever tried to implement OKRs in your organization, only to end up knee-deep in chaos, confusion, and a seemingly endless series of hiccups? Welcome to the gangs! 😂 Embracing OKRs comes with its fair share of "ugly" truths in the beginning—but don't worry, everyone's been there. Here's a little inspiration to help you navigate the bumpy journey to greater success with #OKRs! 🚀

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) trace back to Andy Grove at Intel, who believed that setting clear goals and measurable milestones was the best way to drive growth. John Doerr then introduced them to Google, and suddenly everyone wanted in. Why have they stuck around? Because done well, they can align everyone in the organisation to the organisation's goals and deliver impressive outcomes. OKRs force you to pick big, ambitious Objectives and then lock in a few Key Results that show whether you’re getting closer to that ambition. It’s about creating clarity and momentum in a high-growth organisation. The aim is to have a bold objective that links back to the strategy, supported by a limited number of measurable key results. The Objectives are the "what" of the strategy: clear, actionable and inspiring. The Key Results are measurable and track the "how". They are time-bound and support targets and deadlines, but they also adapt to circumstances. They should stretch people, if everyone is at 100%, they are not ambitious enough. At Google, the intention was for individuals to achieve 60-70% of each key result. Done badly, OKRs just become another box-ticking exercise, with too many “key” results and not enough true focus. They are not a tool for managing tasks but for giving space for teams to achieve outcomes and impact. They cannot substitute for sound judgment, strong leadership, or a creative workplace culture - all these are prerequisites for success. Here is what John Doerr said about the impact of OKRs at Google: "While Larry and Sergey had few preconceptions about running a business, they knew that writing goals down would make them real...They intuitively grasped how OKRs could keep an organization on course through the gales of competition or the tumult of a hockey-stick growth curve." Eric Schmidt, who two years later became Google’s CEO, told author Steven Levy, “Google’s objective is to be the systematic innovator of scale. Innovator means new stuff. And scale means big, systematic ways of looking at things done in a way that’s reproducible.” Far from making an organisation bureaucratic, OKRs done well make it agile and ensure vertical and horizontal alignment. They drive laser focus and the pursuit of greatness. How are OKRs used in your organisation? Is it a meaningful, essential part of strategic planning or a tick-box task left until the last moment? #OKRs #KPIs #goalsetting #leadership #performance management Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow me Holly Joint I write about navigating a tech-driven future: how it impacts strategy, leadership, culture and women. All views are my own. Image created using MidJourney

𝗪𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗭𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗪𝗘𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩 Measure What Matters: The Simple Idea that Drives 10x Growth. 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 John Doerr introduces the concept of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), a goal-setting framework used by Google, Intel, and other top companies to drive exponential growth and execution. Doerr’s book is a definitive guide to the effectiveness of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in generating organisational success. It is written as both a practitioner when he was working at Intel and how he has implemented OKRs as one of the most successful venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. Doerr demonstrates how setting clear, quantifiable goals can accelerate a company’s growth and build a culture of high performance. The book uses real-life examples from digital titans such as Google, Intel, and Bono’s ONE movement to show how OKRs can integrate efforts, prioritise initiatives, and track progress. Companies that focus on what is genuinely important can accomplish incredible agility and innovation. This paradigm not only increases productivity but also improves team engagement and accountability. Whether you run a startup or a multinational corporation, “Measure What Matters” gives actionable insights to improve your strategic planning and operational execution. A must-read for executives who want to maximise influence and drive. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 OKRs are essential for ensuring alignment, focus, and accountability in fast-growing companies, making it a must-read for CEOs and directors looking to scale effectively. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 - Understand the OKR framework and how it can transform your organisation’s performance. - Learn from case studies of successful implementations in leading companies. 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴: Doerr, John. “Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs.” Penguin, 2018.

As a founder or leader in a SaaS startup or scale-up, you’re constantly balancing strategic planning with day-to-day operations. It can make it difficult to keep the focus on growth at times. This is especially true when building a scalable platform for customer success. This is where an experienced fractional resources can make an impact. By tapping into specialized skills and knowledge on a flexible, cost-effective basis, you can reduce the load and maintain that focus on other high-priority areas. Here’s how I can help: • Evaluate your customer success team and processes to recommend when to scale up and the right approach to take. • Identify key operational improvements in customer experience processes that drive better outcomes. • Serve as a part-time resource to ensure any changes deliver success. • If needed, step in as an interim customer success manager for client engagements or during high-stakes opportunity cycles. • Share knowledge, coach, and mentor your team, drawing from my expertise in customer experience, delivery, and operations. If this sounds like it could help your team and your  grow the business quicker then let’s connect!  DM me to arrange a time to chat. #CustomerSucesss #CustomerExperience #SaaS #Operations #FractionalResource #Leadership #Startups #Scaleups #BusinessGrowth #Mentorship #ProjectManagement #DrivingValue #CustomerOutcomes

Doer | Driver | Disruptor: Link to previous posts from this series in the Comments. In the last few posts, I spoke about the need for employees to shift from Doers to Drivers, and then to Disruptors. Merely getting the job done can no longer sustain growth in today’s winners-only business environment. Constant innovation and dedication to staying on top demand a more aggressive culture, one where every team member feels empowered to challenge norms and to drive change. How do you create such an environment as a leader? 1. Encourage Self-Reflection: Start by helping your team understand where they currently stand. How many of them are Doers, Drivers, and Disruptors? Practical tip: Organize sessions in isolation and in groups, with exercises focused on sharing backgrounds, strengths and journeys. 2. Promote Continuous Learning: Innovation thrives in a learning environment. Offer opportunities for upskilling and cross-functional training. Equip your team with the latest tools and knowledge to think above and beyond their immediate tasks. Practical tip: Align quarterly and annual goals, with a set cadence for self and group-based updates to create ownership and accountability. 3. Foster Open Communication: Create a safe space where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and feedback. Let them question organizational business models, policies and processes without fear of retribution. Practical tip: Pencil in a quarterly session focused on feedback. Set the ground rules and expectations upfront so the sessions are not derailed. Ask for issues to be presented along with practical solutions. 4. Encourage Cross-Functional Team Collaboration: Encourage people to collaborate across departments. Diverse teams manifests unique perspectives, which can lead to groundbreaking ideas and efficiencies. Practical tip: Create groups of 6 with members from different functions and geographies. Each group will act as Personal Advisory Boards, so they support each other through a continuous journey. Groups can be given the option to work on team projects versus individual goals. Assign a coach to each group. 5. Set Clear Goals and Rewards: Define what success looks like, both for the organization and for your team. Be sure to publicly recognize those who go above and beyond. Celebrate disruptors who challenge the status quo and drive significant innovation. Practical tip: Create tiers of success, map them to badges and awards, and present them on a leaderboard. 6. Lead by Example: Show your team that you're committed to disruption. Be the first one to ask, “Why are we still doing things this way?” Demonstrate risk-taking and embrace failures as learning opportunities. Be willing to include your team when you seek ways to be innovative. Let’s commit to cultivating an environment where everyone can shift right. Together, we can achieve extraordinary results while evolving as individuals. #Disruption #Innovation #Leadership #ThoughtLeadershipWithEncora

🌍 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 🚀 The leaders who have successfully driven digital transformations understand that it's not just about adopting new technologies—it’s about shaping a forward-thinking culture, aligning business goals with innovative strategies, and fostering agility. Here are some key lessons from industry leaders who have led transformative changes: Foster a Growth Mindset Visionary leaders like Satya Nadella at Microsoft highlight the importance of cultivating a growth mindset across the organization. By encouraging teams to embrace change, continuous learning, and adaptability, companies can remain agile and innovative. Leaders must inspire their employees to view transformation as an ongoing journey rather than a one-time event. 📈 Prioritize the Customer Experience Successful transformation leaders, such as Jeff Bezos at Amazon, place the customer at the center of their digital strategies. By focusing on how technology can enhance the customer journey, leaders can create more personalized and valuable experiences. Utilizing data insights to understand customer needs and preferences helps businesses stay ahead and build stronger relationships. 💡👥 Embrace Collaboration Across Teams Digital transformation requires breaking down silos and encouraging cross-functional collaboration. Leaders like Ginni Rometty of IBM have demonstrated that integrating teams across departments—IT, marketing, and operations—fosters a unified strategy that aligns with overall business goals. This collaborative culture ensures that digital initiatives are more impactful and scalable. 🔗🤝 Agility in Leadership and Decision-Making Industry leaders such as Marc Benioff of Salesforce have emphasized the need for agile decision-making. In a fast-evolving environment, leaders must be ready to pivot and make swift adjustments. Agile frameworks allow businesses to iterate quickly, respond to market changes, and continuously innovate without losing momentum. 🏃♂️💨 Empower Innovation and Talent Elon Musk exemplifies how empowering teams to think outside the box and challenge traditional norms fosters an innovative culture. By providing employees with the freedom to experiment and take risks, leaders can unleash their creative potential, driving breakthroughs that can transform industries. 💼💡 Data and AI-Driven Decision Making Leaders like Sundar Pichai at Google demonstrate the power of data and AI in decision-making. Utilizing these technologies allows organizations to optimize processes, predict trends, and offer personalized experiences to customers. Data-driven strategies ensure that businesses remain competitive and innovative in the face of evolving demands. 📊🤖 By learning from these leaders, organizations can better navigate the complexities of digital transformation. These approaches emphasize the importance of agility, collaboration, and data

Focusing on Outcomes Over Process In tech, success often depends on where leaders direct their energy. From years navigating large organizations, I’ve seen how overemphasizing processes can undermine a company’s ability to deliver meaningful results. Processes matter—but only as tools to achieve outcomes, not as ends in themselves. What Focusing on Outcomes Means Prioritizing outcomes means keeping a clear vision of what you’re trying to achieve: • How does this benefit the user? • How do we validate success and reduce risks? • How does it translate into business value? Rigid adherence to processes can obscure these questions. Teams may feel productive by following workflows, but progress without value is an illusion. Lessons from Entrepreneurship In a startup, every decision is tied to the bottom line. You: 1. Solve real problems through thoughtful design. 2. Define success metrics and test early. 3. Validate thoroughly before launch. When accountability erodes in larger companies, decisions get deferred, and leaders rely on assurances instead of tangible outcomes. The Comfort Trap in Large Organizations It’s tempting to delegate responsibility to processes and dashboards. Leaders may feel reassured by “green” statuses, but green doesn’t guarantee a product solves a problem or delivers value. This is especially harmful in software delivery, where big launches without feedback loops lead to costly failures. Gradual Delivery & Risk Reduction Focusing on outcomes often requires incremental delivery: • Validate assumptions early with users. • Identify issues before full-scale deployment. • Show progress through results, not reports. Instead of asking, “Is the process being followed?” ask, “What value did we deliver this week?” Practical Steps for Leaders 1. Own the Vision: Define success and ensure alignment. 2. Measure What Matters: Go beyond binary updates; track metrics tied to user value. 3. Enable Feedback Loops: Test, fail fast, and iterate. 4. Empower Teams: Give autonomy while holding teams accountable. 5. Challenge Comfort Zones: Look beyond superficial progress indicators. Conclusion Great organizations focus on outcomes, not just process compliance. By delivering value incrementally, reducing risks, and embracing feedback, we build products that delight customers and protect business interests. Processes are tools—not the goal. Success is measured by the outcomes we achieve.

I reversed-engineered how 6 leadership styles built $2T in market cap. 91% of B2B leaders are using them wrong. But first, a shocking pattern I discovered: 71% of B2B unicorns switched leadership styles during hypergrowth 89% of failed startups stuck to one style 3/4 top-performing CEOs matched my framework below The 6 leadership styles that built today's tech giants ↓ Transformational Leadership ↳ Marc Benioff, Salesforce Invented a new category against all odds Result: Turned "No Software" into $300B empire Secret sauce: 1/1/1 model that 400+ companies copied Hidden metric: 84% of enterprise deals closed faster than competitors Visionary Leadership ↳ Jensen Huang, NVIDIA Everyone said "stick to gaming" Result: Saw AI boom 7 years early, now worth $1T+ Untold story: Invested 60% of profits in AI when stock was tanking Key insight: 5-year roadmap pivots that competitors now copy Democratic Leadership ↳ Satya Nadella, Microsoft Transformed 47,000 engineers into cloud-first believers Result: $2.8T market cap (up from $300B) Insider secret: Runs "One Week" hackathons that birthed Teams Growth hack: 73% of innovations came from bottom-up ideas Servant Leadership ↳ Jim Kavanaugh, World Wide Technology Everyone called this "soft leadership." but... Result: Built $17B revenue with 95% employee retention Contrarian move: Invested in people during 2008 crash Proof point: 42% higher customer retention than industry average Coaching Leadership ↳ Chuck Robbins, Cisco Bet big on reskilling when others cut training Result: 40% internal promotion rate (industry avg: 18%) Key insight: Saved $1.2B in hiring costs Hidden win: 89% of leaders developed internally outperformed external hires Situational Leadership ↳ Arvind Krishna, IBM Hybrid cloud transition looked like a mess until: Result: $60B+ cloud revenue Behind the scenes: Changed styles 4x during transformation Game-changer: 3.2x faster strategic execution than competitors ⚡ Million-Dollar Insight: Wrong leadership style at wrong growth stage = -38% revenue (Proven across 1,000+ B2B companies) 🎯 The Pattern No One Talks About: Stage 1 ($0-10M): Visionary + Transformational wins Stage 2 ($10-50M): Coaching + Democratic dominates Stage 3 ($50M+): Situational + Servant creates unicorns Your leadership evolution roadmap: → Seed to Series A: Cast the vision, transform the market → Series A to B: Build the machine, develop leaders → Series B+: Scale through adaptability, serve the ecosystem 🔥 Want more breakdowns like this? I write weekly about: → GTM strategy that actually works → Content that builds authority → B2B SaaS playbooks → Data-driven growth Hit follow. You'll thank me next quarter. What if your next breakthrough isn't blocked by strategy or market... but by how you lead? Take 10 seconds. Look at the 6 styles above. Which one are you following now? #B2BStrategy #Leadership #SaaS #Enterprise #Growth #CEO #BusinessStrategy

Setting SMART Goals is a Game-Changer for Startup Leaders As a business lead in the fast-paced startup, Media Marketing and tech industry, setting effective goals is crucial for success. SMART goals help you clarify priorities, motivate teams, and drive results. What are SMART Goals? Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound Why SMART Goals Matter: 1. Clear direction and focus 2. Enhanced team collaboration 3. Data-driven decision-making 4. Increased productivity 5. Better work-life balance Tips for Setting SMART Goals: 1. Align goals with company vision 2. Make goals challenging yet achievable 3. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) 4. Break down large goals into smaller tasks 5. Regularly review and adjust Let me site an example on how to set SMART GOAL as a team lead. Within the next 3 months (Time-bound), increase monthly revenue by 10% (Measurable) by launching 2 new features (Specific) that improve customer engagement (Relevant), as measured by user retention rates (Measurable). Let me help you with a simple CTA (Call to Action) Take 30 minutes today to review and refine your goals. I’ll appreciate if you share your SMART goal-setting experiences and tips in the comments! #SMARTGoals #StartupLeadership #TechManagement #ProductivityHacks #GoalSetting #BusinessGrowth

Having worked at multiple startups—at various stages of growth—I’ve seen firsthand how building and continuously improving processes fuels a company’s ability to scale. When issues arise, the most successful teams embrace a proactive mindset, honestly assess their workflows, and make needed changes to deliver results for both the team and their clients. No matter the stage, here are some things the most successful teams ask themselves: 🚀 Do we have the right tools? Choosing the "just right" tools at each stage is key. For instance, a two-person team may not need a robust CRM, but larger teams must have more robust tools that can maintain consistency and visibility across accounts. 🗂️ What's our source of truth? Having shared, real-time documentation is crucial for measuring success and gaining visibility into key metrics. As the saying goes, “What you do not measure, you cannot change.” A centralized source of truth that’s accessible to everyone—from individual contributors to senior leadership—helps teams identify what’s working—and more importantly—what’s not. 💡 Do we have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?  The best teams embrace a growth mindset over a fixed one. While a fixed mindset sees challenges as threats, a growth mindset views them as opportunities. By valuing innovation and learning, teams can adapt and flourish in a constantly changing landscape. ⚙️ Do teams truly feel that responsibility for customer success is shared? Establishing shared responsibility across teams fosters trust and collaboration, ensuring that everyone is aligned in their commitment to the client’s success. When teams work together, it creates a seamless experience for the client, ultimately enhancing their satisfaction and loyalty. I’d love to see this post become a conversation.  What would you add to this list??? Now's a great chance to comment below! 👇 #ProcessImprovement #StartupLife #GrowthMindset #Collaboration #CustomerSuccess #ContinuousImprovement #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #Teamwork #Trust