ShiftFocus vs Betterworks
Execution Intelligence vs Performance + Goal Tracking
See the differences that matter when you're accountable for outcomes—not dashboards, check-ins, or HR workflows.
Schedule Executive Walkthrough
Run the 90-day Parallel Pilot
Parallel-first • Evidence-based • No rip-and-replace
Important context for evaluators
Betterworks is fundamentally a performance management platform that also includes OKRs—bringing together 1:1s, feedback, calibration, and OKR tracking in one system.
If your core problem is: performance conversations + HR operating rhythm → Betterworks fits.
If your core problem is: execution drift (late escalations, dependency chaos, "green until red") → you need an execution control system.
1-Minute Verdict
Where Betterworks is strong
Solid OKR foundation: set objectives & key results, align, track, update
Strong performance workflows: check-ins, coaching, feedback, calibration
Practical workplace integrations (Slack/Teams/Jira supported)
Where it breaks for outcome owners
It still optimizes for tracking + conversations, not trajectory + control
Leaders still do interpretation work: "what's actually going to miss, why, and what move changes it?"
Where ShiftFocus wins
Trajectory, not status: probability of landing + drift detection
Intervention system: risk → root cause → actions → impact
Enforcement layer: cadence becomes enforceable, not optional
Executive simulation: test tradeoffs before they become regrets
Performance management tracks conversations.
Execution intelligence prevents failures.
Betterworks optimizes: 1:1s, feedback, goal alignment, and performance reviews
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ShiftFocus prevents: late escalations, dependency chaos, and "green until red" surprises
The Core Difference
ShiftFocus is built around a control loop that prevents execution drift—not just reports on it.
Prediction
Detect trajectory decay early. Know what will slip before it's too late to recover.
Intervention
Identify root cause (capacity, dependencies, blockers) + get recommended actions instantly.
Control
Simulation + scenario decisions before you reshuffle the org. Test tradeoffs, not guesses.
Betterworks manages performance conversations.
ShiftFocus controls execution outcomes.
The Brutal Comparison
An honest, feature-by-feature breakdown. No marketing spin.
CATEGORY SHIFT
BETTERWORKS
Execution Intelligence (predict→intervene→enforce)
Control loop (signals→actions→impact)
Trajectory view (where execution is heading)
Boardroom narrative automation
SHIFTFOCUS
Execution Intelligence (predict→intervene→enforce)
Control loop (signals→actions→impact)
Trajectory view (where execution is heading)
Boardroom narrative automation
WHY IT MATTERS
Different category than OKR tracking
Turns goals into an operating system
Prevents "green until red" dashboards
Execs stop building QBR story by hand
OKR FOUNDATION
BETTERWORKS
Company OKRs
Team OKRs
Individual OKRs
Objective/KR creation
OKR alignment across departments
Progress tracking & updates
​Goal rollups
Goal dashboards/visibility
Goal templates
KPI linkage to goals
SHIFTFOCUS
Company OKRs
Team OKRs
Individual OKRs
Objective/KR creation
OKR alignment across departments
Progress tracking & updates
Goal rollups
Goal dashboards/visibility
Goal templates
KPI linkage to goals
WHY IT MATTERS
Baseline parity
Baseline parity
Baseline parity
Baseline parity
Baseline parity
Baseline parity
Baseline parity
Useful but not differentiator
Common in enterprise goal stacks
Baseline parity
PERFORMANCE LAYER
BETTERWORKS
1:1s built-in
Continuous feedback
Calibration support
Manager coaching workflows
Recognition / engagement elements
SHIFTFOCUS
1:1s built-in
Continuous feedback
Calibration support
Manager coaching workflows
Recognition / engagement elements
WHY IT MATTERS
Betterworks strength; ShiftFocus supports operating cadence
Performance workflows are Betterworks core
Betterworks explicitly positions this
Betterworks positions this as core
Often bought by HR owners
EXECUTIVE VISIBILITY
BETTERWORKS
Executive dashboard
Weekly exec brief (auto narrative)
What changed since last week (delta view)
Decision-ready tradeoff summary
Intervention log (action→impact)
QBR narrative pack generation
Exec view by priority/theme
Exec view by owner/accountability
SHIFTFOCUS
Executive dashboard
Weekly exec brief (auto narrative)
What changed since last week (delta view)
Decision-ready tradeoff summary
Intervention log (action→impact)
QBR narrative pack generation
Exec view by priority/theme
Exec view by owner/accountability
WHY IT MATTERS
Both provide visibility
Replaces manual summary building
Execs scan vs investigate
Moves from reporting to control
Cuts prep time radically
Baseline enterprise need
Baseline enterprise need
Proof and learning system
TRAJECTORY & PREDICTION
BETTERWORKS
Status tracking (R/Y/G)
Probability-of-success per objective
KR failure prediction (weeks early)
Timeline slippage prediction
Velocity/momentum decay detection
Silent drift detection (green trap)
Risk root-cause classification
Recommended recovery actions
Risk trendline (improving/worsening)
Forecast reliability score
SHIFTFOCUS
Status tracking (R/Y/G)
Probability-of-success per objective
KR failure prediction (weeks early)
Timeline slippage prediction
Velocity/momentum decay detection
Silent drift detection (green trap)
Risk root-cause classification
Recommended recovery actions
Risk trendline (improving/worsening)
Forecast reliability score
WHY IT MATTERS
Status is not trajectory
Execs manage odds not vibes
Creates a decision window
Prevents quiet schedule drift
Key wedge vs tracking tools
Saves hours of manual diagnosis
Turns risk into a plan
Shows if interventions work
Measures execution trustworthiness
Catches slow failures early
INTERVENTION SYSTEM
BETTERWORKS
Risk Center (ranked risks)
Owner+deadline for recovery actions
Root-cause drilldown (why slipping)
Weekly "what changed" briefing
Impact measurement of interventions
Decision log for leadership
SHIFTFOCUS
Risk Center (ranked risks)
Owner+deadline for recovery actions
Root-cause drilldown (why slipping)
Weekly "what changed" briefing
Impact measurement of interventions
Decision log for leadership
WHY IT MATTERS
Exec focus on what matters
Accountability becomes operational
Stops guessing/blame
Replaces long meetings
Prevents repeating mistakes
Makes leadership actions provable
ENFORCEMENT ENGINE
BETTERWORKS
Check-in enforcement (missed updates trigger action)
Escalation routing rules
KR slippage workflow automation
Rule engine by org/team
Ritual automation (Mon/Wed/Fri cadence)
Weekly Commitment Engine
Commitment scoring
Behavioral nudges engine
Accountability map (who blocks whom)
Blocker enforcement loop
SHIFTFOCUS
Check-in enforcement (missed updates trigger action)
Escalation routing rules
KR slippage workflow automation
Rule engine by org/team
Ritual automation (Mon/Wed/Fri cadence)
Weekly Commitment Engine
Commitment scoring
Behavioral nudges engine
Accountability map (who blocks whom)
Blocker enforcement loop
WHY IT MATTERS
Cadence survives busy weeks
Stops late surprises
Consistency beats heroics
Enterprise control without micromanagement
Turns intent into commitments
Separates real from vague
Betterworks may include nudges; ShiftFocus uses for enforcement
Cross-team clarity
Blockers stop being "FYI"
Operating rhythm at scale
DEPENDENCIES & CAPACITY
BETTERWORKS
Dependency mapping across initiatives
Blocked-by / blocking graph
Capacity vs commitments signal
Congestion detection (too many priorities)
Bottleneck detection (systemic)
Dependency risk propagation
Workload distribution tied to risk
SHIFTFOCUS
Dependency mapping across initiatives
Blocked-by / blocking graph
Capacity vs commitments signal
Congestion detection (too many priorities)
Bottleneck detection (systemic)
Dependency risk propagation
Workload distribution tied to risk
WHY IT MATTERS
Execution physics decides the quarter
Shows real bottlenecks instantly
Stops overcommitment early
Enables early scope cuts
Stops cascading failure
Prevents hidden delivery risk
Prevents one team stalling all
INTEGRATIONS & DATA SYNC
BETTERWORKS
Integration ecosystem
Slack integration
Microsoft Teams integration
Jira integration (milestone progress sync)
Data sync between apps
API/Webhooks
SHIFTFOCUS
Integration ecosystem
Slack integration
Microsoft Teams integration
Jira integration (milestone progress sync)
Data sync between apps
API/Webhooks
WHY IT MATTERS
Enterprise expectation
Work where teams live
Work where teams live
Connect delivery reality to goals
Extensibility
Connect delivery reality to goals
GOVERNANCE & ADMIN
BETTERWORKS
SSO (SAML 2.0)
OAuth SSO (Google)
SCIM provisioning
JIT provisioning
Admin console configuration
Audit logs
SHIFTFOCUS
SSO (SAML 2.0)
OAuth SSO (Google)
SCIM provisioning
JIT provisioning
Admin console configuration
Audit logs
WHY IT MATTERS
Enterprise requirement
Enterprise requirement
Betterworks SSO docs note no SCIM
Betterworks SSO docs note no JIT
Governance + accountability
Baseline governance
IMPLEMENTATION MODEL
BETTERWORKS
Parallel pilot (no rip-and-replace)
Pilot scorecard w/ weekly metrics
Week-by-week rollout plan
Evidence pack for go/no-go
Time-to-visible-signal (30 days)
Rollout reversible by design
SHIFTFOCUS
Parallel pilot (no rip-and-replace)
Pilot scorecard w/ weekly metrics
Week-by-week rollout plan
Evidence pack for go/no-go
Time-to-visible-signal (30 days)
Rollout reversible by design
WHY IT MATTERS
Low-risk replacement path
Decision becomes evidence-based
Both can provide rollout plans
Exec decision artifact
Procurement-safe
Fast proof or walk away
VENDOR RISK/CONTINUITY
BETTERWORKS
Independent roadmap continuity
Low vendor lock-in path (pilot-first)
SHIFTFOCUS
Independent roadmap continuity
Low vendor lock-in path (pilot-first)
WHY IT MATTERS
No forced migration context
ShiftFocus designed to be reversible
Who should choose which?
Choose Betterworks if
You want an HR-adjacent platform that unifies performance conversations (1:1s, feedback, calibration) and OKR tracking
Your execution model already works—you mainly need visibility and performance workflows
Your HR team owns the buying process and values integrated performance + goals
Best for: organizations where performance management + goal tracking solve the core problem.
Choose ShiftFocus if
You're drowning in late escalations and executive reviews that feel like archaeology
Your dashboards look green, but outcomes still slip—and you find out too late
Dependencies and capacity constraints kill more goals than poor OKRs do
You want to prevent misses, not just explain them in retrospectives
Best for: outcome-accountable leaders who need predictive control, not performance tracking.
Schedule Executive Walkthrough
Run the 90-day Parallel Pilot
No rip-and-replace. No politics. One quarter of proof.
What changes / what doesn't
What stays the same
Your strategic framework and goal structure
Your existing governance and approval processes
Your leadership review rhythm and cadence
Your organizational accountability model
What changes
Risk surfaces 2–3 weeks earlier, giving you decision time
Operating cadence runs without leadership chasing
Your interventions get smaller, earlier, and more effective
QBR prep time drops 80%—narrative auto-generates
Quarterly outcomes become predictable, not surprising
ShiftFocus doesn't ask teams to "try harder." It changes the system they execute inside.
Proof you can verify in 30 days
No case studies. No hype. Just measurable outcomes.
Risks surfaced before deadlines (tracked)
Fewer late escalations (tracked)
Shorter exec reviews (tracked)
Less manual QBR prep (tracked)
Clear interventions + outcome impact (tracked)
Pilot Scorecard Preview
Week-by-week metrics you'll track during the 90-day parallel run:
Week 1–2 — Setup + baseline capture
• Baseline execution health
• Cadence adoption rate
• Initial risk signal map
Week 3–6 — Early signal validation
• First drift signals detected
• Time-to-surface risk vs current process
• Blocker visibility + resolution cadence
Week 7–10 — Pattern detection
• Repeat failure modes identified
• Intervention actions taken
• Impact trends (confidence, velocity, congestion)
Week 11–12 — Go / no-go decision
• Evidence summary: expand, hold, or walk away
• Exec narrative pack for QBR/board
• Rollout plan if you proceed
If ShiftFocus can't create visible leverage inside a quarter, you shouldn't roll it out.
If we can't show signal inside 30 days, you shouldn't expand.
Run both in parallel for one quarter.
Decide with proof.
A controlled evaluation built for executive teams: measurable, reversible, and designed to respect your time.
Schedule Executive Walkthrough
Run the 90-day Parallel Pilot
See what you'll see in the first 14 days before you commit to anything.