The OKR Institute undertook a comprehensive initiative with Maybank, one of the leading banking groups in Southeast Asia, to train their management board, middle management, and broader teams on OKRs and to align these with the company’s strategic goals. This ambitious project aimed to integrate OKRs within Maybank’s operations as part of a 2-5 year strategic roll-out plan, addressing the challenges of scale and integration across the organization.

The primary challenge was educating over 40,000 employees on the OKR system, which required meticulous planning and execution to ensure alignment with Maybank’s strategic goals and operational methodologies.

To meet this challenge, the OKR Institute developed and executed a multi-tiered training program:

• OKR Practitioner, Leadership, and Professional Courses: These courses were designed to provide a deep dive into OKR principles, tailored to different levels within the organization, from board members to front-line employees.
• Strategic Roll-out and Implementation Planning: Careful planning ensured that the roll-out of OKR training and implementation was staged, manageable, and aligned with the overarching strategic objectives of Maybank.

The comprehensive training program led to significant learning outcomes across the organization:

• Drafting and Aligning OKRs: Employees at all levels, including board members, C-level executives, agile coaches, and other employees, gained the ability to effectively draft and align OKRs within their teams and with the company’s strategic direction.
• Integration with Agile Methodologies: The training facilitated the alignment of OKRs with agile methodologies like Scrum, enhancing Maybank’s agility and responsiveness to market changes.
• Horizontal and Vertical Alignment: There was a clear achievement in aligning OKRs both horizontally (across different departments and teams) and vertically (from top management to individual contributors), ensuring a cohesive approach to strategic objectives.
• Incentive Program Launch: An incentive program linked to OKR achievement was launched, driving motivation and aligning employee efforts with Maybank’s strategic goals.
• Selection of Pilot Groups: The initiative identified and chose the right OKR pilot groups, allowing for targeted implementation, feedback, and adjustment before a broader roll-out.