Implementing the OK System and OKR for High‑Growth Teams: Ctrip Train Ticket SBU Case Study

The article introduces Yang Chunqin, a senior project manager at Ctrip, who shares the experience of the Train Ticket SBU’s rapid growth over four years and the management challenges that arise as the organization expands.

1. Innovative Organizational Structure – OK System – To avoid the typical “big‑company disease” (rigid hierarchy, low communication efficiency, and resource waste), Ctrip created the OK system. An OK group consists of three roles: O (product manager, acting as a small CEO), K (development manager, acting as a small CTO), and a cross‑functional delivery team. The group is self‑organized, with minimal middle management, and decisions are made jointly by O and K. The OK group is financially accountable, aligning incentives and fostering collaboration.

Visual diagrams illustrate how OK groups are formed, split, and evolve with product lifecycle stages (startup, construction, operation, and closure), keeping team size comparable to Scrum teams (typically under a dozen members).

2. Efficient Operations Management – OKR – OKR, derived from Drucker’s Management by Objectives and popularized by Intel and Google, is presented as a modern goal‑setting and communication tool. The article contrasts common problems of traditional KPI systems (lack of clear goals, misaligned incentives, and counter‑productive competition) with the benefits of OKR: focused, measurable, challenging objectives; autonomy in scoring; and alignment with a Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP). Best‑practice principles for individuals and organizations are listed, emphasizing limited objectives, measurable key results, and transparent sharing.

Illustrations show the OKR‑centric operating cycle, including MTP iteration, annual strategy meetings, product meetings (every 1–2 months), and bi‑weekly OKR review sessions.

3. Entrepreneurial Incentive Mechanism – “投名状” – The “投名状” scheme requires OK group members to invest a personal amount (M) against a baseline performance target (N). If the group exceeds the baseline, members receive proportional returns; if not, they lose the investment. This high‑risk, high‑reward model motivates teams to treat projects like startups, but it is applied only to high‑potential initiatives with clear business logic.

Rules are added to prevent excessive disparity, such as caps on investment and returns, and separating “投名状” teams from traditional performance bonuses.

4. Talent Development – Huangpu Training Camp – To replicate the OK system and OKR practices across a growing workforce, Ctrip launched the Huangpu training camp targeting product and development managers (O and K). The curriculum covers OKR training, entrepreneurship, MTP, and the OK system, using a blended “multi‑stage” approach (online videos, PPTs, assessments, offline simulations, and real‑project graduation). Graduates receive a certificate signed by senior executives, which also serves as a qualification for leadership roles and salary advancement.

5. Culture Shaping and Management Philosophy Innovation – The article stresses that cultural transformation is the hardest part of agile adoption. Ctrip’s ground‑transport business group cultivates values of innovation, efficiency, self‑drive, and trust, providing fertile soil for the OK system and OKR. Leadership must act as coaches rather than controllers, empower front‑line decision‑making, and sustain long‑term talent pipelines.

Overall, the combination of the OK organizational model, OKR goal‑setting, the “投名状” incentive, and the Huangpu training camp enables Ctrip’s Train Ticket SBU to maintain agility, accelerate growth, and embed an entrepreneurial mindset throughout the organization.