The Board's Guide to OKRs: Creating a Line of Sight from Vision to Action
A board approves a brilliant strategic plan, full of ambitious goals for growth and member service. A year later, progress has stalled, and no one can clearly articulate how the team's daily activities are connected to that high-level vision. This is the "execution gap," and it's one of the most common points of failure for any strategy.
The solution is a framework that forges an unbreakable link between the boardroom's vision and the front line's daily work. That framework is Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).
What Are OKRs? A Simple Definition
OKRs are a goal-setting methodology that separates what you want to achieve from how you'll measure it. The structure is simple:
Objective (O): This is the ambitious, qualitative, and inspirational goal. It answers the question, "Where do we want to go?" An Objective should be memorable and motivating.
Key Results (KRs): These are the quantitative, measurable outcomes that prove you've achieved your Objective. They answer the question, "How do we know we're getting there?" Each Objective typically has 2-4 Key Results.
Unlike traditional KPIs that track business-as-usual, OKRs are focused on driving change and executing strategy.
Why OKRs are a Superior Framework for Governance
For a credit union board, adopting an OKR framework transforms the nature of strategic oversight.
It Creates Unbreakable Alignment
OKRs are designed to cascade throughout the organization. The board and CEO set the high-level corporate OKRs. Departments then create their own OKRs that directly contribute to the corporate ones. This creates a clear "line of sight," where every employee can see exactly how their work connects to the credit union's most important goals.
It Fosters True Accountability
Because Key Results are measurable numbers—not vague tasks—there is no ambiguity about success. Progress is transparent and data-driven. This shifts conversations from being about what people are doing to what they are achieving.
It Elevates Board-Level Conversations
When management reports on progress against a handful of clear Key Results, board meetings become more strategic. The discussion moves away from operational minutiae and focuses on outcomes. The board can quickly assess if the strategy is on track and engage in high-level discussions about overcoming obstacles or capitalizing on successes.
A Simple Credit Union Example
Objective: Dramatically Improve Our Member Digital Experience.
Key Result 1: Increase mobile banking app rating from 3.5 to 4.5 stars by year-end.
Key Result 2: Reduce average digital loan application time from 10 minutes to 3 minutes by Q3.
Key Result 3: Achieve a 90% member satisfaction score (CSAT) for all digital support tickets.
OKRs are more than a goal-setting tool; they are a communication framework that ensures your strategy is understood, measured, and acted upon at every level of the organization.
If you're ready to bridge the execution gap at your credit union, schedule a private consultation to discuss how we facilitate the OKR implementation process.
