Sandbagging is the practice of deliberately underestimating one's abilities or performance to exceed expectations later. In a business context, it involves setting lower targets or goals to ensure they are easily met or surpassed. This strategy can be used to manage expectations, create a sense of overachievement, and sometimes to gain strategic advantages. In general, sandbagging is bad for an organization's health and performance and OKRs can help prevent it.
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‍Addressing Sandbagging with OKRs:

• Ambitious Goals: OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) encourage setting ambitious and challenging objectives, reducing the tendency to sandbag.
• Regular Check-ins: Frequent check-ins and reviews ensure transparency and hold individuals accountable for their progress.
• Alignment: OKRs align individual goals with the organization’s broader objectives, making it harder to set unambitious targets.
• Clear Metrics: Defining clear and measurable key results helps prevent the manipulation of targets and expectations.
• Focus on Growth: OKRs emphasize continuous improvement and growth, discouraging the practice of setting easily achievable goals.

By using OKRs to set ambitious and aligned goals, organizations can minimize the practice of sandbagging. This approach fosters a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring that goals are both challenging and achievable.