Athletic Club, a renowned Spanish professional football club, boasts a rich history and a steadfast commitment to developing homegrown talent. While competing in one of the world’s most demanding football leagues, the club faces unique challenges. These include regular changes in leadership and a limited talent pool, stemming from their strict policy of only signing players born or raised in the Basque Country. Despite these hurdles, Athletic Club is thriving, and its dedication to excellence is a testament to the power of strategic planning and effective execution.
From Ambition to Action: Implementing OKRs
Fueled by a desire to stay competitive with Europe’s elite clubs, Athletic Club devised an ambitious strategic plan for the years 2023-2026. The club poured countless hours into outlining its aspirations, strategic goals, and action plans. However, these grand plans often fell short of reality, as the everyday demands of running a football club swallowed up resources and focus. The club recognized the need for a more effective approach to translating its strategic ambitions into tangible results.
The club’s leadership discovered a solution in the form of Objective Key Results (OKRs). They realized their existing action plan already contained the core elements of OKRs—clear objectives with quantifiable metrics, specific goals for each period, and supporting tasks. This revelation marked a turning point for Athletic Club, leading them to seek a software solution to implement OKRs across the organization.
Finding the Right Tool: Mooncamp
In their search for the ideal software, Athletic Club adopted a rigorous process. They began by scrutinizing software comparison websites, identifying top contenders that aligned with their requirements and received high user reviews. Key criteria included the vendor’s reputation for support and management expertise, as well as ease of use. After completing a thorough internal assessment, the club selected Mooncamp as the best option. Mooncamp stood out for its user-friendly interface, excellent customer support, and overall quality.
Transforming the Club: The Impact of OKRs and Mooncamp
The introduction of Mooncamp at Athletic Club was a seamless transition. The club’s existing action plan easily adapted to Mooncamp’s structure, allowing them to seamlessly integrate goals and cycles. The club configured its strategic actions, outlining specific objectives and key results. A dedicated team of 40 executives received training on using Mooncamp to monitor progress and identify potential risks. This marked the first milestone in the club’s journey toward effective OKR implementation.
The impact of OKRs and Mooncamp has been transformative for Athletic Club. The club has experienced significant improvements in coherence, transparency, commitment, and communication.
Coherence now reigns supreme throughout the organization, as every employee operates within the same framework of objectives and key results. This shared language fosters alignment and ensures everyone is working towards the same goals. Transparency has become a cornerstone of Athletic Club’s culture, with every employee having access to all goals and progress updates. This eliminates any ambiguity and promotes accountability. Commitment has surged as employees feel a sense of responsibility and shared purpose, knowing their efforts are visible to their colleagues. Lastly, communication has become more efficient and effective, with a single source of truth for all information and progress reports.
A Shared Success Story
The implementation of OKRs and Mooncamp has not only boosted Athletic Club’s performance but has also fostered a more collaborative and agile management model. The club has achieved remarkable results, including a 36% increase in revenue from the previous year.
This remarkable journey has inspired Athletic Club to establish AC Football Advisory, a business unit dedicated to helping other clubs embrace the power of OKRs and strategic planning. Athletic Club’s success story is a testament to the effectiveness of OKRs in driving results, fostering transparency, and creating a shared vision of success. The club stands as a shining example of how strategic planning and effective execution can overcome even the most daunting challenges, leading to sustained growth and a bright future.
