Strategy is our background.

The OKR Group was born out of boutique management consulting firm, Step Advisory. We support executive teams in crafting growth strategies to create long-term sustainable value. And that’s what we’re about – driving long-term sustainable value creation.

Strategy without execution remains a dream.

Our background as strategy advisors provides a unique lens to help implement strategic initiatives. Strategies are usually crafted at a high level, and they need to be high level: thematic and directional. But themes and directions aren’t enough.

Teams need to understand short-term expectations.

Teams need to understand their role in the execution journey – how do my daily actions help get us to our destination? A goal management framework like Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) is crucial in breaking the long-term directional strategy into shorter-term specific goals.

Teams have to be empowered and enabled to execute.

To execute successfully, teams need to operate as a single unit working towards a common goal. This happens when teams are managed by outcomes, not tasks. We help teams articulate outcomes; if done well, it will provide a springboard for autonomy and innovation.

We aim to move mindsets, not just teach a toolset.

Any team can set goals, but to truly see change, a mindset shift is required. This only happens over time and with discipline. We walk a road with teams to move mindsets, and once a mindset has moved, the tool they use matters less – almost any tool would work.

A note from our founder

I started my career in the depths of technical actuarial field. But I quickly realised it’s not for me. Over the next few years, I slowly emerged from it, first into product development and eventually into strategy consulting.

As strategy consultants, we craft business cases regularly, but seldom see them being implemented successfully. Then one of our clients asked for help.

They wanted to launch a new business. We developed the business case, and over the next two years, we launched the business with them—from training call centres to renovating offices and developing digital capabilities.

And then we did it again—on a smaller scale this time.

We helped another client launch a product that they had been struggling to get off the ground for more than 18 months.

We then went to work distilling the reasons why these two projects struggled to get off the ground, and why many others have similar struggles. After a few months of research and analysis, the 10 Principles of Strategy Execution emerged.

Since then, the 10 Principles has been the foundation of all our work with teams. We layer methodologies like OKRs or Agile on top of the 10 Principles. But when teams catch onto the principles, they start operating on a different level which translates into value for the business as the organisation gains focus, initiatives take shape and projects get launched.

Clients we’ve worked with

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“The team – with the processes, clarity of thinking, capacity and energy they brought – enabled us to do things that would have been unimaginable on our own.”

Rudi BothaBetterLife Group

“You’ve helped us consider our portfolio of international businesses and distill it into a set of priorities, with clear accountability, setting us up to the deal of a lifetime.”

Junior John NgulubeSanlam Pan Africa

“The team assisted in getting us to a much better place, much faster – in the process, we've crystalised our thoughts and got them into an actionable plan for implementation.”

David SmollanSmollan Group

“Through following this process and the elements introduced through OKRs, we were able to find a rhythm where our meetings became cleaner, responsibilities became clearer and it's become easier to manage the priorities in the business.”

Will ThorpStandard Bank ICS

“The team gets down to the essence of strategy, and provides an immense amount of clarity on our focus areas. This leads to alignment in our team, helping us to look left and right without taking our eye off the ball.”

Mark HassenkampThe LiveKindly Company

“The team showed great insight into our business. The approach and tools utilised were very good and kept the team involved and responsive. Sessions were handled professionally and ultimately allowed for a clear, precise and executable strategy that keeps the executive team accountable for delivery”

Carl De VilliersTransaction Capital

“OKRs should bring about a change in mindset, not simply implement a tool. It’s a mindset of continuous progress and a focus on the most important strategic elements in the business. Don’t rush it – it’s a 5-day game, have patience and enjoy the journey.”

Steve MallabyInnervation

“Our OKRs helped to create the right focus, enabling effective trade-off discussions and providing the team with a clear north-star to anchor us to our most important goals and ambitions.”

ITO Team MemberAbsa

“We knew we needed to buckle down and focus, but we did not have the framework and communication methods to agree and align on the most important opportunities. The OKR process facilitated by Step provided the clarity, direction, and accountability that was required.”

Chris BallFinch Technologies

“Successful business have a disproportionate focus on the elements that will move the dial. Having an OKR practitioner on board provides an unemotional lens to create this focus, to bring clarity, and to enhance the narrative, the “why” behind the decisions that are being made.”

Stanton PillayIT Master