Why Handing Teams OKRs Kills Motivation (And What to Do Instead) Artwork

Good intentions, bad outcomes

A podcast about challenges and practices you might encounter in the workplace... things that were intended well, but have outcomes that aren't so great. In most cases, the organizations aren't even aware of how bad the outcomes are.

Every episode we discuss a situation that has something wrong with it: the what, the why and what can be done to address it.

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Good intentions, bad outcomes

Why Handing Teams OKRs Kills Motivation (And What to Do Instead)

August 27, 2025 • Xodiac • Season 1 • Episode 14

Ever wondered why your team isn't hitting those carefully crafted OKRs? You might be making the same mistake most leaders make - turning a powerful alignment tool into a top-down directive.

In this episode of Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes, Gino and Wayne break down why handing pre-made objectives to teams backfires, even when your intentions are good. They compare it to giving someone else's estimate and expecting accountability - spoiler alert: it doesn't work.
What You'll Learn:

Why teams lose ownership when goals are handed to them
The difference between goal-setting and alignment tools
How to turn OKRs into powerful negotiations instead of mandates
Why the person setting the goal matters more than the goal itself

Key Takeaway: OKRs work best when teams help create them, not when they're told to follow them. It's the difference between "your goal" and "my goal that you need to hit."

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
0:38 - The Problem: Handing Teams Pre-Made OKRs
2:00 - Why This Approach Fails
4:32 - How OKRs Should Actually Work
5:37 - OKRs as Alignment Tools, Not Just Goal Setting
7:16 - The Power of Negotiation in Goal Setting
8:28 - Ownership vs. Accountability
9:33 - Real-World Example: Sports Team Management
10:15 - Wrap-up

Got a workplace situation where good intentions led to bad outcomes? We'd love to hear about it for a future episode!

About Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes:
A podcast exploring workplace challenges where well-meaning practices create unintended consequences. Hosted by Gino Marckx and Wayne Hetherington.

#OKRs #Leadership #TeamManagement #GoalSetting #WorkplaceCulture #Management #BusinessStrategy

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