The OKR Institute partnered with Henkel, a global leader in consumer goods and industrial technologies, to train their leadership team in drafting objectives and key results (OKRs) at the middle management level for various European entities. This initiative aimed to enhance strategic alignment, improve execution efficiency, and ensure that team efforts aligned with Henkel’s overarching company strategy.

Henkel faced several key challenges:

• Strategic Alignment Across Entities: Ensuring that OKRs drafted by Middle Management across different European entities were aligned with Henkel’s global strategy was a significant challenge.
• Knowledge and Skill Gaps: There was a notable lack of familiarity and expertise in drafting and implementing OKRs among Middle Managers.
• Engagement and Adoption: Achieving widespread engagement and adoption of the OKR framework at the middle management level, ensuring it translated into actionable goals for their teams, requires a tailored approach.

To address these challenges, the OKR Institute offered a comprehensive strategy:

• Customized Training Programs: Conducted targeted training sessions for Middle Managers across Henkel’s European entities, focusing on the fundamentals of OKRs, strategic alignment, and practical application.
• Alignment Workshops: Facilitated workshops aimed at aligning Middle Managers’ OKRs with Henkel’s global strategic objectives, ensuring cohesion and clarity across all levels of the organization.
• Continuous Support and Resources: Provided ongoing support, resources, and tools to Middle Managers for drafting, implementing, and tracking OKRs, along with strategies for enhancing team engagement and adoption.

The initiative led to several positive developments for Henkel:

• Improved Strategic Cohesion: The training and alignment workshops significantly improved strategic alignment across Henkel’s European entities, with Middle Management OKRs closely reflecting the company’s global strategic goals.
• Enhanced OKR Expertise and Execution: Middle Managers developed a robust understanding of OKRs, leading to more effective execution and management of team-level goals that were directly aligned with corporate strategy.
• Increased Engagement and Cultural Adoption: The initiative fostered greater engagement among Middle Managers and their teams regarding the OKR process, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and strategic focus.