Aaron McKenna, CEO of McKenna Consultants, works across a diverse portfolio of organizations – from tech companies and financial institutions to charities, startups, and scale-ups. His firm specializes in helping organizations transform their strategy execution, but it was an unexpected client request that opened the door to what would become a game-changing practice area.
Getting Started with OKRs
Aaron’s entry into OKRs happened organically through client demand. One of his clients had read about OKRs and simply assumed that because he worked with Agile methodologies, he would also know about OKRs. Rather than deflect the opportunity, Aaron embraced it and began learning how to help clients embed OKRs alongside their agile transformations. “I started learning more about how to help clients embed OKRs with their Agile transformation. From there, it really just took off,” he recalls.
This unexpected opportunity revealed something important about market timing and client needs, but also highlighted the need for deeper expertise to serve clients effectively.
Why OKRs Matter More Than Ever
The current business environment has made OKRs increasingly relevant for McKenna Consultants’ clients. Aaron observes that markets are evolving rapidly due to AI, remote work challenges, and economic constraints. “Companies are trying to do more with less,” he explains.
OKRs address this challenge by providing organizations with laser focus and helping them prioritize the right work. “OKRs force organizations to focus on the right work and push the business forward,” Aaron explains. The methodology serves as more than just a goal-setting framework – it’s become a tool for maximizing existing resources and maintaining focus during uncertain times.
The Partnership with OKR Mentors
Aaron’s partnership with OKR Mentors provided the foundation and expertise needed to scale his OKR practice effectively. Through certification by OKR Mentors, he gained access to proven methodologies and best practices that transformed how he approaches client work. This formal training equipped him with the systematic approach needed to help organizations embed OKRs successfully.
The partnership delivered immediate value through the community aspect. “The biggest thing that stands out is that community. It’s a group of smart, supportive, experienced coaches and consultants who are always there when you need them,” Aaron notes. This network became invaluable for collaboration, idea sharing, and ongoing learning.
Best Practices for Embedding OKRs
Through his certification by OKR Mentors, Aaron developed a systematic approach to embedding OKRs that focuses on cultural integration rather than just process implementation. “When it comes to embedding OKRs effectively, they’ve got to make it part of their habits, part of their culture,” Aaron emphasizes. His methodology, grounded in proven best practices learned through OKR Mentors training, centers on several key principles:
- Building Shared Understanding: The approach begins with comprehensive training to ensure all leaders align on what OKRs mean and how they’ll be used. This foundation proves critical for sustainable implementation across the organization.
- Leadership Commitment: Aaron stresses the importance of leadership participation in training and rollout. “If leaders think we don’t need the training, we can just read the book, and we can send all of our people on the training, that really doesn’t show that you’re invested,” he observes. He’s seen how this approach signals to the rest of the organization that leaders don’t truly value the transformation.
- Consistent Focus: Maintaining focus requires making OKRs central to every organizational gathering. Whether it’s town halls or company-wide meetings, starting with OKRs reinforces their priority throughout the organization.
- Internal OKR Champions: A crucial element involves developing internal champions who maintain momentum after consultants leave. “OKR champions are a real game changer and important in the organization because they’re the people who are going to keep the wheels turning,” Aaron explains. These champions serve multiple critical functions: maintaining momentum when change becomes challenging, fostering continuous improvement mindsets, and preventing organizations from becoming echo chambers by offering different perspectives.
Business Impact and Growth
The partnership with OKR Mentors delivered substantial business results for McKenna Consultants. “Since working with OKR Mentors, it’s really elevated parts of our business. One year ago to today, we’ve increased the number of OKR clients three times that we have, solely through working with this community,” Aaron shares.
Growth Through Multiple Channels
This growth came through multiple channels including direct referrals from within the community, increased exposure through active participation, and enhanced credibility in the strategy execution space. Aaron credits active community participation – contributing to white papers and webinars – with building visibility and credibility for McKenna Consultants. “That increased visibility has really started to build more credibility for McKenna Consultants within the strategy execution space.”
Ongoing Value and Recommendations
The ongoing support and collaboration opportunities within the OKR Mentors community continue to provide value beyond the initial certification. The community serves as a continuous learning platform where members can bounce ideas off peers and collaborate on challenging client situations. For other consultancies considering joining OKR Mentors, Aaron’s recommendation is direct: “If another consultancy was considering joining OKR mentors, I’d say just do it. OKR Mentors is the number one in the industry. It provides the tools, the content, and the main thing – the community that you need to really be a thought leader and be successful in your OKR practice.”
McKenna Consultants’ experience demonstrates how strategic community partnership can transform an emerging practice area into a significant business differentiator, delivering both immediate growth and long-term sustainability through ongoing learning and collaboration.
Learn more about Aaron McKenna’s work at: https://www.mckennaconsultants.com/ and https://www.mckennaagileconsultants.com/