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tability.ioWhat are Technical Skills OKRs?
The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.
OKRs are quickly gaining popularity as a goal-setting framework. But, it's not always easy to know how to write your goals, especially if it's your first time using OKRs.
To aid you in setting your goals, we have compiled a collection of OKR examples customized for Technical Skills. Take a look at the templates below for inspiration and guidance.
If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read our OKR guide online.
Technical Skills OKRs examples
We've added many examples of Technical Skills Objectives and Key Results, but we did not stop there. Understanding the difference between OKRs and projects is important, so we also added examples of strategic initiatives that relate to the OKRs.
Hope you'll find this helpful!
OKRs to master new relevant technical skills
ObjectiveMaster new relevant technical skills
KRApply newly learned skills in 3 different ongoing or upcoming projects
Evaluate improvements and performance after applying new skills- Identify projects where new skills can be effectively implemented
- Strategically incorporate newly learned skills into project roles
- KRComplete at least two comprehensive technical courses in my industry
- Research relevant technical courses within the industry
- Regularly attend and complete all course requirements
- Enroll in two chosen comprehensive courses
- KRScore at least 85% on all post-course assessments or certifications
- Create a thorough study plan for each course's material
- Allocate dedicated daily study periods
- Seek assistance for topics you struggle with
OKRs to improve the UX team's design and technical skills
- ObjectiveImprove the UX team's design and technical skills
- KRIncrease weekly training hours by 25% within the team
- KRAchieve a 15% improvement in project completion time
- Enhance team communication and collaboration
- Streamline processes to remove unnecessary steps
- Implement effective project management tools
- KRImplement two skills-based workshops or seminars per member
- Schedule two workshops/seminars per member
- Develop curriculum customised to member's needs
- Determine skills focus for each workshop or seminar
OKRs to develop the skills and knowledge of junior data scientists
- ObjectiveDevelop the skills and knowledge of junior data scientists
- KREnhance junior data scientists' ability to effectively communicate insights through presentations and reports
- Establish a feedback loop to continuously review and improve the communication skills of junior data scientists
- Encourage junior data scientists to actively participate in team meetings and share their insights
- Provide junior data scientists with training on effective presentation and report writing techniques
- Assign a mentor to junior data scientists to guide and coach them in communication skills
- KRIncrease junior data scientists' technical proficiency through targeted training programs
- Provide hands-on workshops and projects to enhance practical skills of junior data scientists
- Monitor and evaluate progress through regular assessments and feedback sessions
- Develop customized training modules based on identified knowledge gaps
- Conduct a skills assessment to identify knowledge gaps of junior data scientists
- KRMeasure and improve junior data scientists' productivity by reducing their turnaround time for assigned tasks
- KRFoster a supportive environment by establishing mentorship programs for junior data scientists
OKRs to boost efficiency and effectiveness of Prod Support/Service desk
- ObjectiveBoost efficiency and effectiveness of Prod Support/Service desk
- KRImplement a training program to enhance technical skills of support staff by 35%
- Implement training program and monitor progress
- Define key technical skills needing enhancement among support staff
- Select or design a comprehensive training program
- KRReduce average ticket resolution time by 25%
- Implement mandatory customer service efficiency training for all staff
- Integrate AI-based automation tools in ticket resolution process
- Streamline communication channels between departments
- KRIncrease customer satisfaction rates related to issue resolution by 15%
- Implement weekly training on conflict resolution for customer service representatives
- Regularly monitor and improve the issue resolution process
- Develop an efficient, user-friendly online system for complaint submission
How to write your own Technical Skills OKRs
1. Get tailored OKRs with an AI
You'll find some examples below, but it's likely that you have very specific needs that won't be covered.
You can use Tability's AI generator to create tailored OKRs based on your specific context. Tability can turn your objective description into a fully editable OKR template -- including tips to help you refine your goals.
- 1. Go to Tability's plan editor
- 2. Click on the "Generate goals using AI" button
- 3. Use natural language to describe your goals
Tability will then use your prompt to generate a fully editable OKR template.
Watch the video below to see it in action 👇
Option 2. Optimise existing OKRs with Tability Feedback tool
If you already have existing goals, and you want to improve them. You can use Tability's AI feedback to help you.
- 1. Go to Tability's plan editor
- 2. Add your existing OKRs (you can import them from a spreadsheet)
- 3. Click on "Generate analysis"
Tability's Strategy Map makes it easy to see all your org's OKRsTability will scan your OKRs and offer different suggestions to improve them. This can range from a small rewrite of a statement to make it clearer to a complete rewrite of the entire OKR.
You can then decide to accept the suggestions or dismiss them if you don't agree.
Option 3. Use the free OKR generator
If you're just looking for some quick inspiration, you can also use our free OKR generator to get a template.
Unlike with Tability, you won't be able to iterate on the templates, but this is still a great way to get started.
Technical Skills OKR best practices
Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.
Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇
Tip #1: Limit the number of key results
Having too many OKRs is the #1 mistake that teams make when adopting the framework. The problem with tracking too many competing goals is that it will be hard for your team to know what really matters.
We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.
Tip #2: Commit to weekly OKR check-ins
Setting good goals can be challenging, but without regular check-ins, your team will struggle to make progress. We recommend that you track your OKRs weekly to get the full benefits from the framework.
Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.
Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row
Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples above). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.
As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.
Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.
How to track your Technical Skills OKRs
The rules of OKRs are simple. Quarterly OKRs should be tracked weekly, and yearly OKRs should be tracked monthly. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:
- It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
- It will highlight poorly set OKRs
- It will surface execution risks
- It improves transparency and accountability
We recommend using a spreadsheet for your first OKRs cycle. You'll need to get familiar with the scoring and tracking first. Then, you can scale your OKRs process by using a proper OKR-tracking tool for it.
If you're not yet set on a tool, you can check out the 5 best OKR tracking templates guide to find the best way to monitor progress during the quarter.
More Technical Skills OKR templates
We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.
- OKRs to develop an efficient IT Audit SaaS system
- OKRs to accelerate company's digital transformation journey
- OKRs to enhance wellness and productivity of workforce
- OKRs to strengthen strategic partnership for maximum business growth
- OKRs to increase usage of D365 Sales Hub in our organization
- OKRs to strengthen communication effectiveness