Challenge
From Unstructured Goals to Strategic Alignment
Native, a Public Benefit Corporation focused on climate action, had been using OKRs for some time—but without the structure or engagement needed to drive real progress. The challenges were clear:
- Individual OKRs weren’t effective
- Priorities lacked visibility
- Communication was unstructured
With teams distributed across the U.S. and Kenya, and many moving parts in their global environmental work, Native needed an OKR reset that would truly work for their organization — not just theory.
“We did a survey after Team Week, and one of the sentiments coming out of that was an overall positive feeling toward the forward momentum of the organization.” — Emily Gaynor, Director of People & Culture at Native
The Solution: A Hybrid, Hands-On Reset
From Onsite Energy to Remote Results Rituals
Wave Nine designed a custom OKR process tailored to Native’s unique needs—including a longer OKR cadence due to the complexity of third-party climate project validation.
The rollout began virtually with executive alignment and coach training, then culminated in an onsite kickoff in Vermont. During Native’s biannual “Team Week,” Wave Nine facilitated organization-wide OKR training and team-based workshops to ensure buy-in at every level.
Following the event, the focus shifted to sustaining engagement remotely. Wave Nine introduced Native to a suite of Results Rituals—like monthly business reviews and “Calibrate & Celebrate” sessions—to keep OKRs present in daily operations.
Results after the first OKR cycle
- Improved tracking of progress
- More focused and aligned teams
- Regular OKR conversations
- Transparent communication
- Work directly tied to strategy
