Timeline and History of OKRs

The origin of OKRs

The origin of OKRs can be traced back to the early days of the technology industry when Andy Grove, a leader and innovator in the field of semiconductor technology at Intel, was looking for a way to help Intel set and track its goals more effectively.

One day, Grove came across a goal-setting framework called Management by Objectives (MBO), which was developed by the management consultant Peter Drucker. This framework focused on setting clear and specific objectives, and tracking progress towards those objectives using key results.

Grove was intrigued by this approach, and he decided to adapt it for use at Intel. He called the adapted framework “Objectives and Key Results,” or OKRs for short. He believed that OKRs could help Intel to set ambitious goals, track progress towards those goals, and make adjustments as needed to achieve the desired results.

Over time, OKRs proved to be very effective at helping Intel to set and track its goals. Grove wrote about OKRs in his book “High Output Management,” and the framework quickly gained popularity within the technology industry. Today, OKRs are used by companies and organizations around the world to set and track their goals, and to drive continuous improvement and growth.

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