{"id":45643,"date":"2026-01-19T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/strtgy.design\/articles\/you-asked-for-a-hand-and-they-brought-you-an-arm\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T13:00:21","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T12:00:21","slug":"you-asked-for-a-hand-and-they-brought-you-an-arm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strtgy.design\/en\/strtgy-notes-en\/you-asked-for-a-hand-and-they-brought-you-an-arm\/","title":{"rendered":"You asked for a hand and they brought you an arm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u201cCompanies don\u2019t fail because they do the wrong things, but because they keep doing what used to be right.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator’s Dilemma<\/a><\/p>\n\n

\u2014<\/p>\n\n

In traditional companies, managers have \u201cdirect reports.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

It\u2019s a phrase people use without thinking. But it says everything about how the system works: people are there to give you a hand<\/em>. You tell them what to do, and they deliver the results.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The problem is that this mechanism is probably the most effective way to fail at executing any strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Why? Because it turns OKRs into lists of things to deliver to the boss, rather than opportunities to evolve the company.<\/p>\n\n

The 10 OKR anti-patterns no one tells you about<\/h2>\n\n

1. Objectives for the boss<\/h3>\n\n

OKRs are set with an eye on how they\u2019ll look in the document, rather than on the real changes they should bring about.<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> the objectives look perfect on paper, but don\u2019t influence any change in behavior.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

2. Activities disguised as Key Results<\/h3>\n\n

Many teams write lists of tasks as KRs instead of measurable metrics for the effects<\/em> of those activities (outcomes). \u201cImplement feature X\u201d isn\u2019t a result. It\u2019s an activity.<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> if your KR starts with an action verb (implement, organize, launch), it\u2019s probably a task, not an outcome.<\/p>\n\n

3. Strategic objectives with tactical KRs<\/h3>\n\n

The objective is about transformation. The Key Results are about tasks. If your objective is \u201cBecome the market leader\u201d and your KR is \u201cRelease version 2.3 of product X,\u201d are you really sure that will win you market share?<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> you think you\u2019re working on strategy when you\u2019re really just checking off tasks.<\/p>\n\n

4. Key Results that don\u2019t change any decisions<\/h3>\n\n

Numbers that exist to be filled in, but no one uses to make decisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> if a KR doesn\u2019t force you to choose differently between option A and option B, it\u2019s not a good KR.<\/p>\n\n

5. Vanity metrics as Key Results<\/h3>\n\n

\u201c+100 new users\u201d when you don\u2019t know whether they\u2019re still active after 7 days. \u201c+500 followers\u201d when you don\u2019t know whether they convert into paying customers.<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> the number goes up, resources are used up, but the results you need never arrive.<\/p>\n\n

6. OKRs without accountability<\/h3>\n\n

It\u2019s unclear whether the OKR belongs to a team, department, or the company. Responsibilities are muddled, and no one is driving the result.<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> you ask yourself, \u201cWho\u2019s responsible for this KR?\u201d and it takes more than 3 seconds to get an answer.<\/p>\n\n

7. Too many metrics, no priorities<\/h3>\n\n

7\u20138 KRs per objective means the result will be watered down like Grandpa\u2019s wine.<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> if you have more than 5 KRs per objective, you\u2019re measuring everything and focusing on nothing.<\/p>\n\n

8. Only lag indicators, no lead indicators<\/h3>\n\n

KR: \u201c+20% ARR by the end of the quarter.\u201d When do you measure it? At the end of the quarter. When can you intervene? Never.<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> if you don\u2019t have weekly metrics telling you whether you\u2019re on the right track, you\u2019re hoping the result will come, but you\u2019re doing nothing to make it happen.<\/p>\n\n

9. OKRs as a control tool<\/h3>\n\n

Management uses OKRs to punish or reward instead of to align. The team hides real problems or manipulates numbers.<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> people optimize their activities to avoid trouble in check-ins instead of trying to \u201cbe effective.\u201d You can tell by how they explain what they\u2019ve done\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

10. OKRs disconnected from real processes<\/h3>\n\n

OKRs stay in a document, disconnected from budgets, hiring, roadmaps, and performance reviews. They belong to a company living in a parallel universe.<\/p>\n\n

How to spot it:<\/em> when you have to make an important decision, do you look at the OKRs? If the answer is no, perhaps we should talk.<\/p>\n\n

From direct reports to supporters<\/h2>\n\n

In MAKE PROGRESS, the term \u201cdirect reports\u201d disappears and is replaced by \u201csupporters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

People aren\u2019t there to report to you. They\u2019re there to support the strategy with their best work. And you\u2019re there to support them by removing obstacles.<\/p>\n\n

This shift changes three things:<\/p>\n\n