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    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Open Questions. Honest Answers

    What is GroSum?

    GroSum is a new age employee engagement platform which automates the Performance Management process. It enables continuous feedbacks on goals, set up flexible review cycles and do compensation planning.

    GroSum builds comprehensive performance review data for every single employee using Instant Feedback, check-ins, comments on the performance measure, inputs on training and development needs.

    For the HR, GroSum can create personalize Performance Reviews at scale, save time on manual tasks, and focus on training-development plans, compensation planning, and succession planning. GroSum is available on mobile too.

    What is CXO Performance Guidance Program?

    Our experience in working with startups in the last decade has made us realize that there is a need for strong Performance Management, from the top. Due to the lack of management experience, young startup Founders/CXO do not follow a structured Continuous Performance Management process in place.

    In our CXO Performance Guidance Program, we help in the following ways:

    1. A collaborative goal-setting workshop, where we help to set the most important Objectives and define Key Results
    2. Weekly Check-ins: Contemplation on Key Results. Weekly Followup to help you fine-tune your Key Results
    3. Monthly Reviews: To help you assess your Performance and focus on the most important things.

    Once the program is complete after 3 months, Continuous Performance Management will be part of your DNA and you can roll it out for your entire team.

    How does GroSum help me with OKRs?

    With GroSum OKR, CXO/Founders can lay down their Objectives and Key Results clearly. The  Team Members can link their Objectives to the Key Results of Team Members. 

    Thus, everyone knows how they are contributing to the company mission and values. 

    GroSum helps people to do check-ins on their Key Results, every week. Their check-in remarks can be related to achievements, plans and challenges faced. Regular check-ins helps people to work towards their Objectives better, by planning, tweaking Key Results.

    Continuous Performance Management is a vital pillar to make OKR an effective process. With 1:1 Conversation between Manager and Team Members, along with crowdsourced feedback on Objectives and Key Result, helps team members course-correct with agility, or to fail fast.

    GroSum helps OKRs up-to-date and on point. At the end of the day a public, collaborative, real-time goal-setting system works best.

    Can I combine OKRs and Continuous Performance Management with GroSum?

    With GroSum you can say goodbye to Annual performance reviews and introduce lightweight reviews to improve performance, engagement, and accountability among Team Members.

    When running OKRs, 1:1 allows managers to have a conversation with their Team Members regularly. Manager act as coaches and better.

    Feedback from team members, help people to be ’empowered’ and ‘inspired’. GroSum’s Instant Feedback is ad-hoc, real-time and multi-directional. People can give inputs to each other at any point of time.

    You can configure lightweight quarterly reviews, which involves a self-assessment, manager assessment. These reviews contain all the 1:1 conversation, feedback from peers, recognition, which will help to recalibrate their OKRs. Reviews done in this way, helps people to plan their self-development to improve competence and achieve their objectives.

    How flexible is the Performance Review?

    Performance Review in GroSum is flexible to meet the need of every organization. As a Performance Management Manager, you can:

    1. Create Balance Scorecard/OKR/KRAs or your own performance metric to set up in the system.
    2. Monthly/Quarterly/Half-Yearly/Annual Review Cycle
    3. Customized Review Flow: Want to have multiple managers in a review? Or a Business Unit head reviewing the final scores?

    GroSum supports Performance Reviews Configuration up to 30 different combinations.

    Can I run multiple reviews?

    Yes! Absolutely. We understand that you might want to run different reviews for different departments, or for different group companies. You can run multiple reviews, with their own unique configuration, email preferences, reporting.

    Do you offer a 360 Degree Feedback Platform?

    Yes, we do have a 360 Degree Feedback platform. The platform is customized for the type of questions that can be set, type of rating scales, email notifications and a personalized report for every employee. The platform can be used independently and is perfect for mid and senior level management.

    Does the product offer compensation management?

    GroSum’s compensation module lets you set a budget for different locations, teams. You can set managers to recommend increment and bonus. Once the workflow is decided, managers/business unit heads can recommend increments within the allocated budget.

    It comes to the compensation controller to approve increments. Grosum also shows real-time budget use, employee performance, mid-market salary, and an auto recommendation to make the process easier, hassle-free for you.

    Do you have any tool to generate Review Letters?

    Review Letters is an inbuilt tool in GroSum, which helps you to create review letters for Performance Review, Performance Review + Increment, Increment etc. Once the Review Letter content (like Mail Merge) is created, you can put employees in different groups. Dynamically all data related to employees will be generated and personalized review letters will be created. With one click, all review letters will automatically go everyone’s email.

    What kind of reports I can generate from the system?

    You can download reports related to Employee’s Overall performance, individual goals, development plans, promotion recommendation.

    Does GroSum provide Analytics?

    GroSum analytics help you to do succession planning, plan training development program, find out hidden strengths, blind spots for employees. Analytics is available at manager level, Business Unit head level.

    How does Instant Feedback work in GroSum?

    Giving feedback or getting feedback on the go is done with Instant Feedback. When employees are giving feedback, they can give it to anyone within the organization, tag their Performance Measures.

    People can request feedback about themselves or on someone else from people.

    Feedback generated in GroSum is related to goals and competencies. Every employee has their own repository with all feedback from all respondents.

    At end of every review cycles, feedbacks get automatically attached to employee’s review forms, to every performance measure. This helps to have a complete view of an employee’s performance in the past months, removing any biases.

    What is Check-ins in GroSum?

    Check-ins are a continuous conversation between employee and manager on Performance Measures. They can be accessed at any time in a review cycle.

    Every conversation in check-ins are on employee’s objectives, and it can be associated with tag – plan, achievement, challenge, or a red flag.

    With Check-ins managers and employees can create notes for themselves on performance measures. These conversations, notes are helpful at the quarterly/half yearly./annual review meetings.

    What is One Touch Goal Template in GroSum?

    In GroSum, you can group a combination of Performance Measures (Goals/Competencies/OKR/KRA) specific to employee role in a one-click template. During Objective Setting exercise, with the help of one click, all performance measure related to an employee’s role is visible.

    This helps to save time during objective setting exercise, and also helps the employee and manager to understand expectations related to the employee’s role.

    What is Plan & Schedule in GroSum?

    You can plan and schedule review tasks. For example

    • Set timeline for Goal Setting
    • Set timeline for Self Review, Manager Review, Moderator Review
    • Set time for increment and bonus recommendations by managers
    Does GroSum provide automated E-Mail notifications?

    For every task in GroSum, there are automatic email notifications. The body of these emails can be edited by the tool administrator. You can also days for reminder alerts: how many days before you want the mail to go and how frequently the mail should go.

    360 Degree Feedback

    What is 360 degree feedback?

    360 Degree Feedback is a system or process in which employees receive confidential, anonymous feedback from the people who work around them. This typically includes the employee’s manager, peers, and direct reports. A mixture of about eight to twelve people fill out an anonymous online feedback form that asks questions covering a broad range of workplace competencies.

    The feedback forms include questions that are measured on a rating scale and also ask raters to provide written comments. The person receiving feedback also fills out a self-rating survey that includes the same survey questions that others receive in their forms.

    360 degree feedback is a method and a tool that provides each employee the opportunity to receive performance feedback from his or her supervisor or manager and four to eight peers, reporting staff members, co-workers, and customers. Most 360 degree feedback tools are also responded to by each individual in a self-assessment.

    Proper 360 degree feedback has a consistent format that involves pre-selected, carefully thought out questions that aim to allow everyone in the organization a chance to be heard and give proper feedback.

    What is the need for a 360 degree feedback tool?

    A 360 Degree Feedback Tool allows you to-

    1. Design a Feedback questionnaire customised to the respondent type – so a Junior can respond to a different set of questions as compared to a Senior for an employee. The most important aspect of the 360 Degree Feedback program planning phase is the design of the questionnaire to get feedback on.
    2. Set controls on what and how feedback can be given – even include a moderation layer to screen out explosive feedback that may do more harm than good.
    3. Generate automatic analysis based on the feedback parameters and provide detailed reports that can be handed over to employees.

     

    The question is not really about automation but how else can a tool enhance the 360 Degree Feedback process to make it more valuable for the organisation and the employee.

    That’s exactly what a 360 Degree software does for your organisation!

     

    The 360 Degree Feedback software provides a more effective evaluation method as it involves a range of raters and therefore presents a comprehensive report. The feedback survey is beneficial for the employee, team and the entire organisation. Moreover, the feedback is not just meant for the employees, but also for the management and leaders of the organisation.

    Most of the times, the employees are reluctant to review their managers directly. The 360 Degree Feedback tool guarantees to generate an honest and reliable assessment, by ensuring the anonymity of the raters. The feedback and the knowledge gathered through the review process is then used by the leaders to ascertain ‘what’s working’ and ‘ what isn’t working’ for the organisation.

    How effective is a 360 degree feedback appraisal review system?

    The 360-degree feedback process is among the most practical of solutions that can help you get the best from your team and help them grow. It allows in inputs and perspectives that manager appraisals alone may not be able to provide.

    The 360-degree feedback process is among the most practical of solutions that can help you get the best from your team and help them grow. It allows in inputs and perspectives that manager appraisals alone may not be able to provide.

    The 360-degree feedback process isn’t limited to any particular hierarchical level.

    From interns to employees, to upper-level executives—it can assess and collect multi source feedback on employees on every rung of the ladder for a variety of developmental reasons, all beneficial.

    When implemented with due thought and planning, it can prove to become a powerful tool for open, transparent, and anonymous developmental assessments across departments and corporate hierarchies.

    Its team-building aspects ensure that you collaborate with peers, reportees, and superiors to recognize and effectively eliminate issues related to workplace behavior, effectively leading to better company culture and retention rates.

    What are the pros and cons of setting up 360-degree Feedback?

    The 360 Degree Feedback process is obviously more accurate, reflective, and validating than a one-to-one supervisor assessment of employee traits and thus more likely to translate into specific developmental actions and better business results.

    Here’s a list of advantages of 360 Degree Feedback:

     

    • Provides a grounded and comprehensive look at their core competencies and weaknesses collected anonymously from different sources that offer varying perspectives:– This reduces discrimination because of race, age or gender.
      – The ‘horns and halo’ effect in which a supervisor-rated performance based on their most recent interactions with the employee—is minimized
    • Facilitates open communication about performance because it involves giving and receiving feedback from all directions in the organizational structure —upwards, sideways and downwards.
    • Strengthens and promotes accountability of employees both towards the organization and self-development: Feedback collected from a relatively larger sample space is found to yield higher quality feedback that is significantly more reliable and viable than those from a lesser number of sources.
    • Identifies areas with potential for development both in the personal or professional spheres to help one align better with their career goals and the collective vision of their organization, facilitating improved team dynamics.
    • Involving external stakeholders like customers in the process: – Empowers employees to be recognized for their strengths and the impact they have on the organization.
      – Provides managers with valuable insight into the improvement of services across departments and functions.
    • Enables organizations to gain resourceful insights into the profiles of differently graded performers thus enabling Human Resource:To properly allocate investments.
      – Implement plans for classes, cross-functional responsibilities, and cross-training.

     

    The opposite side to this equation shows how an incorrect or hasty implementation of the 360 Degree feedback can lead to its own share of (although avoidable) disadvantages.

    avoidable) disadvantages.

     

    • Feedback may be incorrectly provided for dishonest reasons or motivated by personal bias, ultimately resulting in the process becoming counterproductive.
    • The process of giving or receiving anonymous feedback might be:– Stressful and taken negatively without proper orientation andtraining on how to understand and receive it as constructive criticism.– Lose its efficacy, provided employees aren’t coached on how to give effective peer feedback to their co-workers and seniors, and vice versa.
    • An inadequate number of reviewers might lead to a skewed or biased review.
    • Raters chosen might not be based on their working relationship to the individual and how closely they know the person leading to a loss in insightful actionable feedback.
    • Feedback stands the risk of becoming a mere bureaucratic formality if not executed in an open and methodological fashion.
    • The creation, distribution, analysis, and management of assessments may:– Become time-consuming and lead to a loss in the effectiveness of the feedback.– Result in people holding back in giving or receiving feedback in a completely honest manner due to fears and a lack of communication.

     

    The 360-degree feedback process and its merits, impacts and potential pitfalls thus have to be substantially communicated to everyone involved.

    All of these can be easily dealt with by reducing anxiety among employees, along with using a neutral third party to administer your feedback program.

    The system stands a real risk of failing if it is a mere add-on rather than a supporter of an organization’s strategic aims, direction, and requirements.

    What is the biggest challenge in adopting a new mobile tool for 360 degree feedback reviews?

    The biggest challenge for new mobile 360-degree feedback reviews is the same as for a web-based 360 Degree Feedback tool.

    1. everyone that matters, both within and outside the company to give feedback,
    2. asking questions pertinent to the relationship between feedback giver and employee,
    3. feedback anonymity,
    4. detailed analysis by feedback giver type or assessment attributes

    If you want to discuss about your process or have any feedback to this, we can have a conversation at [email protected]

    Is 360 degree feedback for managers helpful or not helpful?

    360 Degree Feedback shoots for an organic and holistic focus on an individual employee’s behaviors and competencies—more than just job requirements, basic skills, and goal-oriented performance objectives.

    Here’s how 360 Degree Feedback is beneficial for managers and leaders:

     

    • Employees being empowered to provide honestly, upward feedback gives managers and executives, in turn, a fresh perspective on their leadership skills and behavior.
    • The anonymity ensures the feedback is candid and that raters have no fear of retribution.
    • Relatively low initial upward feedback getters usually tend to receive better ratings with time and effort.
    • 360 Degree feedback directed at leaders and managers reflects well on management as one that cares about the opinions and satisfaction of its employees.

     

    360 Degree Feedback fosters an open and trustworthy work environment for everyone working together, committed to complete honesty and helping each other gain a better understanding of their performance and actions.

    Performance Management

    Why does performance management matter?

    There is a lot of numbers which can back us on this idea and many of them to understand the criticality and importance of this process and its effect on organizational growth. Let’s have a look.

    A typical performance management process can improve performance by 5% only. But most of the corporate nowadays require at least 20% of improvement according to a survey. Among this, almost 58% of the organizations rate their performance management process ineffective.

    According to a 2013 survey on the outcome of performance management from Mercer involving 1,056 companies with employee strength ranging from 1000 employees to more than 10000 and across 53 countries, 43% of respondents felt Performance management helping in improving the employee performance, 21% said that it helps in providing performance feedback while 15% of them said that it helps in providing a focus towards the “right” things.

    The same survey brand in 2015 surveyed a cross-section of US employee workforce consisting of 3000 employees to find that 37% of employees who belonged to the “happy and satisfied” group planned to leave the organization. The millennial and younger workforce is always seeking out newer challenges and different environment every year. While the older generations tend to be more stable and focused on job satisfaction, the millennial employees tend to look out for diverse work and challenges every day. They are also the ones who work together as groups and tend to leave as a group. Management must evolve from the traditional retention approach to accommodate their needs and expectations.

    Performance management can thus not be seen as a potential threat to productive man-hours. It is a tool which helps in increasing productivity and employee retention. It helps in removing all the obstacles to development and performance.

     

    How can it be done better?

    Till some years back, Performance management and evaluation was not a serious affair and any time spent on that was considered a loss of productive

    hours. But with the surge in the population of the millennial workforce, it has become very important that the company strategies retain them. It involves a lot more than just rewards and punishment to improve their performance and to satisfy their ever-growing need to do better in the organization.

    It is imperative that along with evaluating and monitoring, training and mentoring in this workforce, the organization must come up with customized and elaborate retention strategies to keep the employees engaged and happy. Hence, the term Performance Management ceases to be employee oriented only. Employers are increasingly asking for suggestions and contributions from the employees to improve their process and make them an employee friendly organization.

    Retention is not only about cost-effectiveness. It speaks a lot about the company as a brand, employee job security and about employees having fun at work. Who wouldn’t want motivated and smiling employees who excel in performance, right?

    So, how you manage retention for your employee base? Sign-up for a 30-minute demo here to understand how GroSum can help you increase employee retention and engagement.

    Should performance review and compensation discussion be separated?

    Performance Review in most of the places is hated and termed as a soul-sucking process. Apart from being once a year, the primary reason for its hatred is the annual number directly related to the compensation hike. Performance Reviews which are tied with compensation, create a blame-oriented culture, which directly or indirectly causes these:

     

    • Stiffen hierarchy 
    • Weaken cooperative interaction between colleagues
    • Discourage straight talk
    • Politicised matters at the workplace

     

    The main objective of your performance review is to help your workforce improve, develop and take up new challenges to help them grow.

    When you have an annual meeting with an employee to discuss the past work done, there is already no concentration or urge to discuss performance reviews, development plans, as they were waiting to hear x percent increase of their present salary. I am not neglecting the fact that compensation discussion is important. I am simply stating that the workforce’s development is simply too important to ignore and to let compensation talks bury it. By taking away concerns about compensation, we have freed employees to relax and hear what their managers have to say and vice versa.

    If you tagging Salary increase and hikes directly to Performance Ratings, there is a 70 % chance of a drop in performance.

    When you tend to connect ‘rewards’ with performance, intrinsic motivation in employee decreases. Intrinsic motivation denotes in work denote to autonomy, belonging, learning, mastery, curiosity and taking up new challenges.

    Performance-based monetary reward indeed undermines intrinsic motivation and there is a neurological basis to support that idea. And trust me, it’s not about more money, for more you can see this video on What really motivates you, backed by a study from MIT.

    So, when you put in reward as performance pay basis, people initially seem to enjoy it, but over time they see that they try to seek the only reward and in a quest to that may leave your organisation. And if you give rewards like this:

    “I will reward you with the work you do for 50 % of the market salary and give an annual increment of 3 %”

    The employee will leave your organisation, say after 2 years to get a more successive hike to their base as compared to the 3 % you are giving. Their leaving is also justified as you have linked ratings to performance pay from day one, not planning their development, help them improve skills at any level or motivate to meet a new challenge. And if the employee leaves, the cost of getting a replacement may cost as high as 160 %, and leave alone the time and other factors.

    Hence, I believe Performance Review and Compensation discussions should be separated.

    What can be done?

    Apart from making reviews a continuous process, have separate discussions of Performance Review and compensation hikes. By taking away concerns about money and status, you free employees to relax and hear what their managers have to say. There is an increase in interaction between the managers (which can act as coaches) and employees and can help the high performers too.

    Make the review a quarterly process, to support the above notion. Have a discussion on employee work is done, the difficulties faced and the future objectives to be achieved. Instead of post-mortem analysis, employees skill development planning is a prime focus and how they can take up new challenges. The extrinsic behaviour of fear, failure, and money get reduced and the employees are engaged in a better manner and also performing exceedingly well, which rewards may not have been guaranteeing. This will see significant feedback everyone is giving each other. People will work hard with the joy of building something and enjoy the recognition for the good work. All this will give them a reason to stay at the company.

    Please drop the Annual Increment to the performance. Yes, you heard it correctly. And pay the salary as per the local markets.

    Why is performance measurement and management necessary?

    Performance Management does not simply imply a measure of an employee’s existing performance. It has a deeper and significant meaning.

    It is a tool to make employees more productive and motivated to improve their skills and competencies. It is an ongoing process that begins with the job in hand and ends only after the employee leaves the organization.

    If you are still figuring out the need for performance management in your organization, these pointers below outline the importance for the same.

    1.Reward and Recognition

    It is a proven fact that happy people tend to work better. Employees are more motivated to work when their talent is recognized, appreciated and even rewarded. A recent survey confirmed that 69% of employees work harder when they feel valued and reward.

    Reward and recognition should only be based on accurate and transparent performance feedback. This is where you need the assistance of a performance management system. It helps to identify and recognize the exceptional work of employees at all levels and implement an effective reward structure.

    1. Set Goals

    The foremost determinant of implementing an effective performance management system is goal setting. When you set goals and even associate awards with the same, employees are motivated to work towards them and perform well.

    1. Improves Employee Engagement and Productivity

    Employee engagement is important as it helps to boost productivity and encourages them to deliver at their highest potential. A performance management system is a vital tool to keep employees engaged. A company that shows genuine interest in their employees and builds an atmosphere of trust and support is more likely to meet their targets. Statistics have shown that boosting employee productivity has helped companies to witness a hike in their revenue every year.

    1. Fosters Transparency at Workplace

    It is an undeniable truth that even now 50% of employees are still not clear of their role and contribution to organizational success. This is one of the reasons why performance management is important as it encourages communication between employees and team leaders. It provides employees with a clear understanding of their job and the level of performance expected. Employee management system eliminates any confusion and ambiguity at all levels of the management hierarchy.

    1. Initiate Development Strategies

    A sound performance management system helps to proactively develop employee skills. It functions as a continuous process that recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of employees while offering full support and training in the areas of development. A performance management system helps to create an environment that propels employees to excel and move forward in a direction to realize a company’s goals and objectives.

    What are the key features in a performance management system?

    When you choose a Performance Management System, you look for benefits like time saving, easy decision making, and streamline workflow.

    The above benefits are possible when performance management systems contain functionality related to

    Functionalities supported by Automated Performance Management System:

    1. Conduct and capture performance inputs.

    A system capable to take inputs as per Performance Management needs. Ratings, subjective descriptions, record narratives.

    1. UI for displaying goals, performance standards, rating process

    User Interface which clearly shows performance objectives, parameters for measuring performance, rating scales. A system which supports multiple browsers and is mobile-screen compatible.

    1. Detailed Self-help and quick guide pages

    Every employee is a participant in Performance Review process. As users of performance management system, employees should be able to navigate without any guidance and get support when needed.

    1. Inputs from employees, reviewee, reviewer, moderator on accomplishments

    System allows compilation of data from different participants in the review process.

    1. Workflow management, sending documents across, access to forms as needed.

    Online documents are routed to different participants at different stages of the review cycle.

    1. Data security and access permission.

    Employee details, compensation data is secured from security hacks. Every user has specific access.

    1. Allows real time feedback and training

    Process which allows real time feedback. Automated systems allow easy feedback giving mechanism, converts on the floor feedback to real time feedback.

    1. Automated reports

    Automatic reports are created on Employee Performance, training and development. With every cycle of performance reviews, with hundreds of data record collected, automated reports are created.

    1. Providing managers with sample behavioural statements

    Providing reviewers with numerical/subjective rating scales, which helps to explain employee performance and behaviour more appropriately. Also allows comment areas which helps managers to customise comments about performance and behaviour.

    1. Providing automated development

    On analysis basis, weak spots and gaps are identified and training programs are recommended. Organisation wise weak points are evaluated. Employees can enter development details, evaluate progress of development plans.Automated training recommendations are generated based on lowest scores on competency across departments.

    1. Facilitating HR decision-making

    HR can make better decisions, based on detailed analysis and reports. Compensation modelling in automated systems helps to connect salary to performances of employees. Reduces time in decision making as budget setting, final increments are decided automatically.

    1. Help managers inflate rating

    Performance Management Systems help to remove manager rating biases. Some managers may be easy raters, some may be difficult ones. Normalisation helps to remove rating biases.

    Visit our blog- GroSum – Blog for more related content.

    What are some ways to improve performance management systems?

    The only way to improve the ways of the Performance management system is to make :

    1. Have an effective goal setting framework.
    2. The continuous performance management process.
    3. An automated Platform: – To keep the process going.

     

    No process is effective if the base is wrong. Performance Management as a management principle can hold true if there is a Top-Down approach to goal Setting and people understand how their contribution is helping the company to grow. This helps as there is a direct increase in the engagement of people with their companies. OKR is a framework works best for it.

     

    Souvik uses an analogy to help understand how you need to focus on your goals. The path to Mount Everest from your home has various checkpoints. You can plan activities to reach those checkpoints. But you need to regularly look back on how the checkpoints are helping you reach Mount Everest at a certain time period. And honestly, evaluate your activities. For an effective Performance Management system, weekly/fortnightly check-ins are required to contemplate and see the bigger picture.

    An Automated System: It’s great to have an automated system for OKR. Helps people to quickly see who is working on what objectives and their progress. Helps to maintain the data.

    Employees are crucial in achieving business success. Hence, performance management should be each organization’s priority. It helps everyone to achieve objectives and empowers employees to understand how their jobs and contributions fit in the bigger picture of your business goals.

     

    All the concept of improving Performance Management should come with the perspective, mentioned above. For everything else, there is GroSum were with Free consultation we help you get the best Continuous Performance Management Solution.

    If you want to discuss about your process or have any feedback to this, we can have a conversation at rajarshi [at] grosum [dot] com

    OKRs

    How to start of with OKRs?

    Hi, Congratulations on your discovery. This is only 1 % of the work done.

    Next 29 Percent is setting the OKRs for you and the rest 70 % is following it on a weekly basis.

    The CXO Performance Guidance Program – GroSum : You can look at this article to understand why CXO Performance Guidance should start from the top and how it becomes effective when done so.

    Follow 4 simple steps

    1.Set Objectives with measurable Key Results

    2.Weekly Self Reflect & plan ahead

    3.Feedback from colleagues

    4.Monthly Self Assessment & OKR Updation

    1. Setting OKRs

    Must be distinct & aligned to business goals

    Measured by quantifiable Key Results

    Not too many, nor too less – 10-12 OKR combos

    Traps to avoid :

    хAvoid Low value or unimportant Goals

    хList Activities or tasks as OKRs

    1. Weekly Check-In

    Weekly Contemplation on Key Results

    Identify what was achieved & done

    Reflect on challenges encountered

    Assess red flags & plan for better outcomes

    1. Feedback from team

    Seek Feedback from team-members, directly associated with Key Results

    Get opinions on achievements, setbacks and what can be done better

    Allow for anonymity by seeking feedback from multiple colleagues

    1. Monthly Self Evaluation Monthly self assessment with self scoring on Key Results.Scoring based on subjective assessment – scale 0.1 to 1 Overall score to provide a sense of progress made and scope for improvement Recalibrate OKRs, choose to continue or stop on Key Results. Tools Free Excel Template for Weekly Check-ins Weekly Performance Check-in Template – GroSum.xlsxMonthly Self Assessment Self Assesment Template – GroSum.xlsxAutomated Platform for OKR + Continuous Performance Management (Team Size > 10)If you want to discuss about your process or have any feedback to this, we can have a conversation at rajarshi [at] grosum [dot] comSet OKRs OKR Setting Tool – GroSum.xlsxSet OKRs OKR Setting Tool – GroSum.xlsx

     

     

    хAvoid Low value or unimportant Goals

    хList Activities or tasks as OKRs

    How should OKR be measured?

    The completion of Objectives in OKR is measured by completion of Key Results defined.

    Key Results are outcomes that define how we can reach an the bigger goal – the Objective

    Key Results are measurable in nature. For multiple KRs in an Objective, there needs to be weightage for each Key Results. This will help to decide the final percentage of objection completion.

    The following examples will help you understand how it’s done.

    Looking to have an OKR platform for your team which helps people to see their tangible contribution to the organisation goal, and increase engagement with it, feel free to write to me at rajarshi [at] GroSum [dot] com

    Is OKR used for employee evaluation?

    Yes, definitely. OKR is used for employee evaluation. They are used for light weight reviews at different milestones. How does it work :

    There are 1 to 1 regular conversation between manager and team member on a regular basis

    Weekly people contemplate back, discuss and record their challenges and achievements on Key Results for the last week.

    Crowd sourced feedback and recognition related to objectives that team members are working on.

    Evaluation : Easy light weight reviews, with all past conversation and feedback attached to objectives. Rating and comments to describe self reviews and showcase their reflection.

    How well do OKRs work in practice?

    A process is as good as the data you put into it and how disciplined are you following it.

    OKRs work very well in practice if :

    1. The Founder/CXO believes in the process.
    2. There is a culture of disciplined Goal Setting in the organisation.
    3. There is at least a weekly contemplation of looking back at work done.
    4. Having a check back on your Objectives, ideally every 3 months.In terms of practice, OKRs works very well, for companies who are looking to grow and get things done.For older companies, OKR works well, if they feel they are stagnated over a period of time and are also looking to retain more people.The best way is to help the Founder understand the process, get them into their DNA.The books mentioned in the other answers work great, but if you looking to get this implemented on the ground for yourself or scale up for your team, let’s connect?You can DM or connect at rajarshi [at] grosum [dot] com
    What is the difference between scrum and OKR?

    Scrum defines output and is a way to get activities/initiatives completed.

    OKRs are there to make people focus on the most important things to be done, what outcome will make them reach there, and build a team beyond the leadership team.

    Objectives defines the Why, which is connected to Mission/Values. KRs define what has to be achieved to achieve Objective completion.

    Under weekly contemplation of KRs, we can put in activities. These activities can be defined via Sprint/Scrum. Remember, OKRs always help to see the bigger picture.

    If you are looking to have an OKR platform for your team which helps people to see their tangible contribution to the organisation goal, and increase engagement with it, feel free to write to me at rajarshi [at] GroSum [dot] com

    Should (or can) OKR's be implemented alongside SCRUM?

    Scrum is useful when you are planning activities/initiatives.

    How to use when defining OKRs. OKRs are only effective, when people meet with their managers on a weekly basis and chalk out a plan on whats need to be done in the week, and the challenges faced in the last week. While planning these activities, they can be planned under the Scrum Framework.

    Important note: Do not fall in the trap of setting poor OKRs. Often due to lack of experience, Key Results set are activities to be done. This defeats the purpose of Key Results, as it doesn’t define the completion of tasks, rather it defines what needs to be achieved to complete an objective.

    For example :

    Objective: Improve Product Offerings

    If you are looking for a free consultation on how you can upgrade to OKRs, lets connect at [email protected]. We at GroSum(www.grosum.com) are making OKR an effective process, by combining it with Continuous Performance Management practices like Weekly Check-ins.

    Correct KR: Dashboard Release 100 Percent by July 2019

    Incorrect KR: Code the feature 3 of Product.

    Which one is better OKR or KPI to track goals in a corporation?

    The easier method, it works the best.

    You can look at OKR. It works best because it is a simple way to implement.

    Objective Setting

    • More strategic, less operational
    • Critical objectives in next 3-6 Months
    • Less is more : 3-5 Objectives at max
    • Key Results
      • 2-4 Key Results(KR) for every Objective
      • Measurable Key Results :

      – Map 0-100 % Progress

      – Change of X% to Y %

      • Key Results need to have coherence with Objectives of team members
      • Quality KR a check for quantitative KR
      • Some Example OKRs to get you thinking (CEO’s goal of supporting company hire)Objective : Building a world-class team – 40 %Timeline : Next 3 Quarters Key Results :
        • Recruit 10 Engineers – 30 %
        • Hire Commercial Sales Leader – 1 – 20 %
          • Reach out to new 500 new prospects (At least 1st round of Interview) – 50 %(Key Result 1 is qualitative balancer to Key Result 3)

          Linking of Objective with Key Results

          f you are looking to speak more on OKR, we can have a talk.

          DM or connect at rajarshi [at] grosum [dot] com

          But I can tell you an affordable one : GroSum

          GroSum is an OKR Platform, which helps CXO and their team members to :

          1. Define Objectives
          2. Put Key Results (Measurable)
          3. 1:1 Conversation every week
          4. Update on Key Results (real time)
          5. Cascade Key Results to Objectives.

          Some of the product screenshots are here :

          Whenever you are looking to select an OKR platform, make sure that :

          1. OKR has been adopted at the top level (CXO, Founders)
          2. There is a belief, in the philosophy of feedback and regular conversations on Key Results.

          Do not depend on anyone function recommendation- Just do not go for the solution because HR likes it. Gets key decision makers who will be using the platform in the evaluation. OKR is a strategic process which helps everyone. The solution will just help you automate the OKR framework.

          If you think we can chat on this, feel free to drop me an email at :

          rajarshi [at] grosum [dot] com

    What's a great way to break down OKRs into to-dos and track progress?

    Let’s take about tracking progress. It’s best that the Key Results are measurable. Remember, if it’s quantitative, it’s not good enough.

    You may ask about tech, how can be the same be used in Numbers? An example may be :

    KR 1 : Launch AI Feature

    KR 2: AI Feature has 99 % Run time.

    In the above, we are setting that the AI Feature has to be launched and a quality balance to the same is the run time feature.

    About To-dos : – The more we go down the hierarchy, Key Results become more operational in nature. There you can list To Dos.

    Always remember :

    What we choose to measure is a window into our values, and into what we value,” 

    “Because if you measure something, you’re telling people that it matters.

    How does the OKR of a business developer in a SaaS company look like?

    That is a good question. You can use the diagram here to understand:

    Objective : Sales Increase for North America Region

    Key Results : Sign 5 VIP Accounts

    Key Results : Make Lead to Deal Conversation ration to 20 Percentage

    Key Results: Achieve $ 50000 is USD Enterprise Key Accounts.

    These goals can cascade down for other people in the Team. For example, Connected to Key Result : Sign VIP Accounts :

    Objective : Sign 3 SaaS Accounts

    Key Results : One VIP Account from Manufacturing

    Key Results: One VIP Account from Internet

    Key Results: One VIP Account from Services

    Some other example of OKR for SaaS Business Development Guys

    Objective: Increase Sales

    Key Result : Create a pipeline of 200 Prospects

    Key Result: Pipeline with company size min 200 People

    Key Result: Research new Demo Script

    Key Result : Conversion of Demo to Trial is 20 Percent

     

    This will work out well for you on a spreadsheet. If you are looking to scale up the same, then get an OKR based Performance management platform.

    (The above images are from GroSum )

    How can you help write OKRs for individuals who work in, and are dependent on, other team members?

    There are some rules which need to be set before we go down to write OKRs.

    First Rule: OKRs work in a Top-Down approach.

    The CXO/Founders Objective are connected to the mission/values of the organisation.

    Further, as we go down the ranks, the Objectives of Team Members are related to the Key Results of their managers. This eliminates any OKR which are :

    1. Personal ( Not contributing to company goals)
    2. Less challenging (Goals who no one cares)heir Objective progress is dependent on the progress of the objective of their team members, esp if there is a manager – team member relation.

    Feedback

    How valuable is feedback in the workplace?

    The importance of feedback is supported by a recent study from Reflective which found that 75% of employees would be more proactive about raising issues with managers if they were receiving feedback on more frequently. Moreover, 86% of executives in that same study said their company could benefit from conducting feedback and reviews more regularly.

    It’s clear that employee feedback has its purpose, but why is it so important? Ultimately, employee feedback offers organisations and its workers a clear channel for delivering and receiving critical information that can directly improve the employee’s happiness and productivity.

    As you set out to prioritise employee feedback within your organisation, remember:

     

    • Valuable feedback can come from many different sources (customers, managers, peers, subordinates) — each offering their own vantage point of the employee.
    • There are several different types of feedback, and they each have a specific purpose.
    • Employees don’t just value feedback, they want it.
    • There are many tools and resources that can help organisations improve their employee feedback process.

     

    With this knowledge in hand, you are now more equipped to provide feedback and to start building a company culture that encourages and supports employee feedback.

    What is the best way to give feedback to your employees?

    Collecting employee feedback is a good way to get an inside look at how well your business is performing. You can inspire trust and respect in your employees and avoid losing money because of poor administration. Besides, when you gather employee feedback, you display your leadership skills and motivate your workers.

    But there are some things that you have to keep in mind when gathering employee feedback.

    Here are four effective methods to do this:

    #1 Team Meetings

    Team meetings are probably the most widespread way of collecting employee feedback. It is perfect to do these at least once a month, but they can be held as often as once per week or even daily (if you have a smaller team).

    Team meetings are great not only for collecting individual employee feedback but also brainstorming ideas on how these aspects can be improved. One head is great, but several are even better.

    #2 Performance Reviews

    While team meetings are a great way to brainstorm, you should not forget about collecting feedback through one-on-one employee performance reviews. These have their own advantages and disadvantages.

    For instance, if you speak with your workers individually, they might get nervous and try to find their way out of such a situation by making up things. This is why it is important to have an all-honest atmosphere.

    In addition to that, having performance reviews often can take too much time, while having the more rarely and further apart may lead to your employees feeling like their opinion doesn’t matter.

    To avoid such things from happening, you can ask your workers to write down their thoughts when on such one-on-one sessions. After that, you can have the content rewritten in a more professional manner by an online service such as Trust My Paper. You can then keep these documents stored and available at any time.

    #3 Employee Surveys

    As opposed to the nervous feeling your employees might experience during one-on-one sessions, anonymous employee surveys are a great way to encourage your workers to be bolder and more honest with you when providing feedback.

    In order to make your survey perfect, try to include questions that are not too broad, because this may result in your workers simply answering in general terms or saying what they think you want to hear. Don’t put words in their mouths either. If you phrase your questions in a way suggestive of a certain answer, you will get that exact reply.

    #4 Suggestion Box

    Now, suggestion boxes may seem like an ineffective way of collecting employee feedback, but they can actually be quite helpful if they are set up the right way.

    If you already have a physical suggestion box, try to find a place for it where everyone will see it. This will constantly remind your employees to leave their suggestions there. You don’t have to constantly tell them to do it, but if it’s sitting in a good place, it will be used more often than not.

    Alternatively, if you don’t have a physical suggestion box, you can try the virtual option. Virtual suggestion boxes are easier in the sense that you can get notified when someone leaves a message in them and they don’t take any space. You can easily set up a free suggestion box online and tell your workers about it.

    All in all, these are some of the four most effective ways to collect employee feedback. They are proven to bring only real, unbiased opinions from your workers instead of making them opt for faking their thoughts. Follow these tips and you should be able to get all the data you need

    What is the best way to receive feedback?

    Collecting feedback from your team members is a good way to get an inside look at how well your business is performing. You can inspire trust and respect in your workplace.

    Here are four effective methods to do this:

    #1 Team Meetings

    Team meetings are probably the most widespread way of collecting feedback. It is perfect to do these at least once a month, but they can be held as often as once per week or even daily (if you have a smaller team).

    Team meetings are great not only for collecting individual employee feedback but also brainstorming ideas on how these aspects can be improved. One head is great, but several are even better.

    #2 360 Degree Feedback

    Simply, 360 Degree Feedback is a review process where employees anonymously receive feedback from those who work with them.

    In a nutshell, the feedback gains them valuable insights into how they are professionally perceived by their co-workers and associates. This then becomes an opportunity for them to develop skills and adjust workplace behaviour to excel accordingly.

    For more details on 360 Degree Feedback, follow this comprehensive guide[1]

    #3 Suggestion Box

    Now, suggestion boxes may seem like an ineffective way of collecting feedback, but they can actually be quite helpful if they are set up the right way.

    If you already have a physical suggestion box, try to find a place for it where everyone will see it. This will constantly remind your team members to leave their suggestions there. You don’t have to constantly tell them to do it, but if it’s sitting in a good place, it will be used more often than not.

    Alternatively, if you don’t have a physical suggestion box, you can try the virtual option. Virtual suggestion boxes are easier in the sense that you can get notified when someone leaves a message in them and they don’t take any space. You can easily set up a free suggestion box online and tell your colleagues about it.

    #4 Employee Surveys

    As opposed to the nervous feeling your employees might experience during one-on-one sessions, anonymous employee surveys are a great way to encourage your workers to be bolder and more honest with you when providing feedback.

    In order to make your survey perfect, try to include questions that are not too broad, because this may result in your workers simply answering in general terms or saying what they think you want to hear. Don’t put words in their mouths either. If you phrase your questions in a way suggestive of a certain answer, you will get that exact reply.

    Try to target certain topics by including more detailed and precise questions. If you want opinions on a certain issue, ask about it instead of wondering about.

    Lastly, don’t make these surveys too often so that they don’t turn into a chore. Similarly, don’t make them too far apart, because this may lead to them being perceived as something unimportant. Make them an appropriate length instead of only a few questions or a hundred pages long. Find that golden middle.

    P.S: If you are looking to implement a feedback system in your organisation to boost engagement and reduce attrition, let’s speak soon.

    How you will take feedback from your manager?

    That is a very good question.

    Not a lot of people are ready to take feedback from their manager/supervisors. But take feedback as coaching, where it helps you to develop, learn new skills and do better at a work.

    Your feedback should be based on a skill/goal which you have to accomplish.

    You can ask feedback with a simple questions or provide a list of questions. For every feedback keep at max 3 questions, with a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions.

    You can ask for feedback on the same goal after sometime, to check your progress, course correction and more engaging work place.

    Generally, people conduct feedback with the help of Email, where they communicate, but people are moving towards specialised solution, like GroSum (www.grosum.com)

    GroSum helps team members and managers to give/get feedback on the go, related to their Performance objectives, skills. These feedback help people to work better.

    Any more questions?