Outputs vs. Outcomes
Outputs vs. Outcomes
The vital distinction between the work you do (Output) and the measurable impact that work has on the business (Outcome).
This is the hardest lesson for companies adopting OKRs to learn. Outputs are actions: shipping a feature, writing a blog post, or launching a marketing campaign. Outcomes are results: higher retention, increased revenue, or lower latency.
Traditional project management tracks Outputs. True Strategy Execution tracks Outcomes. Your OKR Key Results should almost never be Outputs. Nobody cares if you shipped a feature on time if nobody inherently uses the feature.
Traditional project management tracks Outputs. True Strategy Execution tracks Outcomes. Your OKR Key Results should almost never be Outputs. Nobody cares if you shipped a feature on time if nobody inherently uses the feature.
Output (Avoid for KRs)
Key Result: Ship the new dark mode user interface by Friday.
Outcome (Perfect for KRs)
Key Result: Increase daily active user session length from 12 mins to 18 mins. (You might 'ship dark mode' as an Initiative to try and achieve this!).
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