We're sure you've heard the acronym: OKRs - Objectives and Key Results. But somewhere along the way, the simplicity got lost in translation.

In this episode, we ask: What if we stopped calling them OKRs altogether?

Roger Longden, TBG Founder and Marc Applebaum PM2 OKR Consultant at PM2 discuss how goal-setting became over engineered, why rhythms matter more than rituals, and the power of intention over jargon.

If you’re over hearing acronym over acronym but love what OKRs are all about, or if you've ever wondered why your team’s goals feel disconnected—this one’s for you.

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In this insightful episode of Giant Talk, Roger sits down with Sonia, an experienced HR professional and coach, to explore the critical challenge of organisational alignment. They dive deep into why strategic goals often get lost or diluted as they cascade through different levels of an organisation.

Drawing from decades of experience at the board level, Sonia shares sharp insights into the disconnect between strategic goals and frontline execution. From her own journey leading blue-collar teams through transformation, to her mission to democratise coaching in business, this conversation uncovers the human side of alignment—trust, communication, confidence, and the critical role of first-line managers.

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In this episode, we sit down with our long-time friend Henrik-Jan Van Der Pol, Founder of Perdoo, to dig into the evolving world of OKRs. As the market shifts, with consultancies and software providers consolidating or shutting down, what’s really going on?

Henrik-Jan shares his insights on these changes, the lessons learned over the past 4–5 years, and what Microsoft’s decision to retire Viva Goals means for the future of OKRs.

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Sten, founder of Tability, an OKR platform designed to make accountability seamless and help teams achieve their goals faster.

We chat about how accountability fits into the OKR framework and why this is so crucial. Sten explains that while teams often excel at setting goals during workshops, they frequently “drop the ball” when it comes to staying on track.

Tability bridges this gap by making goals part of your weekly routine instead of something that gets revisited only at the end of the quarter.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our conversation:

• Why spreadsheets fail for OKRs: Goals on spreadsheets can easily lead to drift. Without regular check-ins, teams lose momentum.
• Building habits for weekly accountability: Sten emphasises the importance of reviewing progress to ensure you're moving in the right direction
• Speeding up execution: Delayed feedback can waste time and resources. By integrating OKRs into a team's rhythm, Tability empowers faster decision-making and execution.
• Enabling self-management: The ultimate goal of OKRs is to help teams self-manage effectively. This approach contrasts with traditional command-and-control models and unlocks bottom-up energy.
• Adapting to leadership changes: Sten shares how Tability often supports teams undergoing leadership shifts by providing clarity and empowering individuals
• The importance of setting clear expectations: Goals aren’t a silver bullet—they require clarity, alignment, and regular follow-up to be effective.

If your team has ever struggled to stay accountable to your goals or wants to achieve faster execution with fewer bottlenecks, this episode is sure to arm you with lots of insights.

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Welcome back to another episode of Giant Talk.

In this episode, we sit down with Jonathan Elliot, a seasoned CEO with a career spanning commercial sales & marketing, strategy consulting, and leadership. Jonathan shares his expertise on implementing Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in large, complex organisations and the unique challenges that come with it.

We discuss:

• The role of OKRs: How OKRs help organisations scale, transform, and navigate crises
• Building alignment: Creating a vision, clarifying roles, and ensuring teams stay aligned without disruption.
• Future-focused thinking: Why OKRs should be tied to forward-looking metrics, not past performance.
• Strategic Execution: Why success isn’t just about hitting “green” metrics but executing the strategy effectively.

Jonathan also highlights the universal value of OKRs for organisations of all sizes and the top benefits of implementing this framework effectively.

If you're ready to align your teams and drive meaningful outcomes, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, we explore the power of communication with James Milsom, Head of Marketing at Hunter.AI. With extensive experience across tech start-ups and large SMBs, James shares his perspective on why communication serves as the bedrock of both success and failure within organisations.

From enhancing collaboration to avoiding costly missteps, James highlights actionable strategies for leaders and teams to drive meaningful change.

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In this podcast episode we sit down with James Church, COO and Co-Founder of investment readiness agency Robot Mascot.

We dive into (from a founders perspective) the good, the bad and the ugly of becoming investable.

What are the top 3 things that make a Founder (and their business) investable? How important is it to investors to be confident that Founders are evolving their approach to defining and delivering results, as their business grows in size and scale?

Listen to this exciting episode to find out more.

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Connect with James on LinkedIn

Find out more about Robot Mascot

In this episode Roger sits down with a Chief Elephant Spotter (curious, listen to find out what this entails). James Pels is founder of Proven EA, a consultancy specialising in providing business transformation, agile coaching and digital transformation services to a wide range of industries in the public and private sectors.

Roger and James dive into how to not waste time on things that you shouldn't be doing and discuss some common issues faced in workplaces that are a result of this.

No matter how well teams are working, if they're not working on the right things then time is wasted...

Enjoy the episode!

Connect with James on LinkedIn

Find out more about Proven EA

Proven EA Toolkit Toolkit

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