‘High Output Management’ by Andy Grove is one of the management classics.
Though the first edition was written back in 1983 but key management concepts are still fully applicable.
One of the key idea for me in the book is about ‘Objectives and Key Results’.
Applying Management by Objectives also called OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) can be explained with the analogy of
- Where do I want to go? (Objectives)
- How will I pace myself to get there? (Key Results)
Important thing here is not to hung up on key results in absolute terms rather validate them with Objectives.
This is beautifully summed up in the story
During the 1491 war Spain’s Queen Isabella wanted money to increase her nation’s wealth by dramatically improving the foreign trade. She then asked her subordinate Christopher Columbus to meet her objective by finding a new trade route to Orient(China etc.), But Columbus discovered new world (America) which was a source of incalculable wealth for Spain.
If we measure Columbus’ key results in absolute terms i.e. to find a new trade route to China; he failed to meet them, but if we measure them by his supervisor’s objectives i.e. increasing Spain’s wealth, he certainly exceeded them.
So apply judgement and common sense while evaluating the key results.
Thinking Space 
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