40 vs 8 — Ep5: Even a 8-year-old is ready for OKR
“40 vs 8” is a weekly newsletter where a generation gap meets literary exploration. Join me, a reader with four decades of life experience, and my curious 8-year-old daughter as we share our favorite reads and uncover captivating stories together.
My 8 years old likes Harry Potter, she finished all 7 books in 2 weeks last winter, and currently, she’s rereading the series, 5 books in 5 days so far.
8 years old
“A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter.”
- From the book “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling
I asked her why?
I like it because it’s detailed, it says “a thousand” instead of “a lot” or “some”. It says “fluttered” instead of “flew” and it says “low black clouds” instead of “cloud”.
40 years old
I am amazed by how people prefer specific concrete numbers, such as “a thousand” instead of “a lot.” This is even true for an 8-year-old kid. This reminds me of the book I finished last year while learning and applying OKRs for myself and my team.
“Research suggests that making measured headway can be more incentivizing than public recognition, monetary inducements, or even achieving the goal itself. Daniel Pink, the author of Drive , agrees: “ The single greatest motivator is ‘making progress in one’s work.’ The days that people make progress are the days they feel most motivated and engaged.””
- From the book “Measure What Matters” by John Doerr
Basically, OKR is a goal-setting framework consisting of Objectives and their supporting Key Results. Objectives are similar to goals, which people typically write every new year and then forget about within two months. What sets OKR apart from normal goal-setting frameworks is the inclusion of Key Results. By definition, Key Results should be measurable, binary (either done or not done), and concrete. For example, “releasing the product by August 1, 2023” is a Key Result.
Listing Key Results along with Objectives forces you to think clearly about the goal. As the quote mentioned, specific, measurable, and trackable numbers motivate people.
My personal story confirms this.
First, I must admit that a couple of years ago, I didn’t have a good, stable habit of brushing my teeth every night, let alone flossing. During a dental visit, the hygienist frowned at my gum measurement results: “Hmm, you really have a lot of 3s and 4s in your teeth.” “Is 3 and 4 bad?” I asked curiously. “Yeah, 3 is bad, and 4 could be a sign of a serious issue. You should start brushing twice a day and floss after every meal. Let’s recheck in three months.”
So, I gave it a try — brushing in the morning and at night, for at least two minutes (sometimes less I have to admit again), and flossing after every meal.
Three months later, the hygienist was surprised at my results. “There are no more 4s, and there are only two 3s. What did you do?!” I was surprised but also felt happy. To this day, I still remember her tone when she said that. A simple habit of brushing resulted in a significant improvement. And seeing the numbers decrease dramatically motivated me to continue every day afterward.
So, what did I learn from this experience?
- When setting a goal, pair it with measurable key results.
- Seeing progress feels great.
- Measure measure measure — “If you can’t measure it you can’t improve it”
- Don’t underestimate simple work. Simple work done consistently is powerful.
- When you see people making progress, give them a shoutout and encourage them. I’m sure the hygienist witnesses patient improvements every day, but her comments about my progress made me feel extremely motivated.
By applying the fifth lesson learned above, I congratulated the 8-year-old: “That’s a great start! You did great!” This newsletter has now reached its fifth episode.
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