LEVEL 5 MODULE
ALIGNMENT
What it is
Level 5 Alignment is the OKR Cascade — and working with the whole organization to take that Cascade as close to the work-face as possible, ideally so everyone has Personal or Professional KPIs they Own that are ALIGNED to the OKR. The OKR Cascade is this module's mechanism.
Sponsors set the OKR. The cascade carries it down and out — each team commits to its Output KPIs, each person owns their Input KPIs, all of it aligned to the one Objective.
The Car
We're all in the same Car
If that car is stolen, crashes, runs out of gas, goes the wrong way, gets a ticket, or hits traffic, we all do - no matter who was driving at the time.
The Objective is the destination and The Key Results are measurable: getting there safe, on time, at cost, enjoying the journey as much as possible.
The Objective + The Key Results = The OKR - our GPS that updates and alerts us.
Everyone in the Car is part of at least one Team and Owns their KPIs - they have both hands on their wheel and look, with their team, out the Front window and celebrate avoiding issues.
Whoever has their hands on their wheel is the OWNER and everyone else in the car needs to make them their customer.
Its parts
- Importance. The cascade starts from what matters — the Objective is set from the goals the owners already have, stated plainly enough that every person in the business can carry it.
- Cascade. Objective → Results → KPI (Out/Lag) → KPI (In/Lead), carried as close to the work-face as possible — every team, every person.
- Mentor vs Monitor. A leader leads as a coach, mentor, operator — the one who has done it before. Leaders Mentor their teams on the OKR; they don't just Monitor numbers.
The cascade, live
The OKR Set-Up tool drafts your cascade from the goals you already have — Objective → Results → KPI (Out/Lag) → KPI (In/Lead).
How it interacts
ALIGNMENT sets the direction every other module works from. It hands PLANNING the direction to turn into orders, and METRICS the KPIs to make visible. TRAINING hands back trained Owners, who take the cascade closer to the work-face — and the loop turns again.
See it & hear it
THE OKR CASCADE graphic is this module's published piece — it is behind the info icon on this page, and featured on Watch & Listen. DROPDOC — THE OKR CASCADE, the module's animated video, is in production; the ALIGNMENT podcast is in production.
Training
The module's training works from the OKR Set-Up tool and the cascade itself: build your cascade from your own goals, then work it with your team — carrying it seat by seat toward the work-face until every person holds KPIs they Own.
Test / Audit
Knowledge in this module is confirmed by test and audit inside the training — the standard is demonstrated competency, not attendance.
Certification
The path is the same in every module: Learn — the module's documents, podcast and video. Test / Audit — the knowledge is confirmed. Real-world homework — applied on your own floor, the evidence brought back. Certified in the module.
Certification itself is earned inside a Coach Cams KPIs training engagement — that is what makes it worth having.
Real-world homework
Build your team's cascade. Take your OKR and carry it to one team: the team's Output KPIs, and each person's Input KPIs. Bring back the cascade document.