OKR
Objectives and Key Results

A Comprehensive Guide

What is OKR? Why are they important frameworks for organizations? How do leaders implement them in their organization? This guide will help you as a business leader understand everything about OKR and how it can be adopted so that it transforms your organization in multiple ways simultaneously.

This information is based on years of real-life practical experience implementing OKR and coaching organizations in successfully adopting and automating the OKR program. As OKR programs scale and permeate exceedingly well when accompanied by a software, we developed Stragiliti OKR. Much of the expertise divulged in this guide was gained during this process of automating and maturing the OKR program within organizations that adopted Stragiliti OKR.

1. Introducing OKR

2. Adopting OKR in your organization

3. Automating your OKR program

4. OKR
Maturity

1. Introducing OKR

OKR Basics

Objectives

Key Results

OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results. It is a simple collaborative goal-setting framework that helps teams and organizations set clear, measurable goals. An Objective defines what you want to achieve, while the Key Results measure progress toward that objective.

Define what you want to achieve

Measure progress towards that objective

Here’s an example. A marketing team that needs their brand to be better known might set this objective:

"Increase brand awareness.”

Their progress could be measured by the following Key Results.

"Grow social media followers by 25%"

"Earn 10 media mentions."

This clear and measurable setting of goals and results helps the team focus better and aligns them on the same path. It makes the attainment process more engaging.

OKR's popularity

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) became popular thanks to their origins at Intel in the 1970s, where Andy Grove developed the method to drive clarity and accountability across the company. But it was John Doerr, an Intel alumnus turned venture capitalist, who brought OKRs into the spotlight by introducing them to Google in 1999. Google’s successful adoption of OKRs from its earliest days gave the framework credibility as a tool for high-growth companies to align teams, set clear goals, and maintain focus amidst rapid scaling. As other tech leaders like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Spotify adopted OKRs, the framework became widely associated with Silicon Valley’s operational discipline.

The popularity of OKRs accelerated with the publication of Doerr’s book “Measure What Matters” in 2017, which included stories from Google, the Gates Foundation, and Bono’s ONE campaign. The framework also benefited from the rise of OKR software tools and the shift toward remote and agile work environments, where visibility, alignment, and outcome-driven planning became essential. As a result, OKRs are now used across industries and company sizes, valued for their simplicity, transparency, and ability to link day-to-day execution with big-picture strategy.

This article explores why OKR is gaining usage traction in more detail.

10 reasons why OKR is gaining traction as the preferred goal execution framework

OKRs are different from KPIs

There are important distinctions between OKRs and KPIs. While both are popular frameworks for performance management, they have different uses and purposes.

KPIs or Key Performance Indicators are metrics that are used to monitor the ongoing performance of a process or function. OKRs, on the other hand, are goal-setting tools that define where you want to go and what results will demonstrate success. While KPIs are often static, OKRs are dynamic, outcome oriented and most importantly timebound.

For instance, a KPI may be "Monthly website traffic" while an OKR could be "Increase website traffic by 20% in Q3."

The KPI indicator helps track the ongoing project or activity, which is the website.

An OKR instead focuses on setting the goal, in this case increasing website traffic, and specifying measurable results in a timebound manner.

This link details out the importance of linking OKRs to the right KPI metric.

The power of linking OKRs to proven KPI metrics

Key Results may sometimes be measured using KPIs. In mature OKR implementations, KPIs that are measured may be linked to a metric aggregation software like Stragiliti Smart Metrics

Good and bad examples of OKRs

Good OKRs are specific, ambitious, and measurable. For example:

Objective: Launch a successful new product line.

Key Results:

Achieve 95% on-time delivery from suppliers.
Reach $500K in revenue from the new line within 3 months.
Receive a customer satisfaction score of 4.5/5 or higher.

This OKR combines qualitative ambition (launch success) with quantitative evidence (KR1–3). The goal is simple and specific while also aiming high. The results are easy to track and measure.

A common example of a poor OKR is:

Objective: Increase customer satisfaction

Key Results:

Respond to more customer tickets
Improve the help centre
Talk to more customers

This OKR is ineffective because the objective is vague and lacks a clear definition of success. The key results focus on activities rather than outcomes, making it difficult to assess whether customer satisfaction has truly improved. Since they measure effort instead of impact, there's no guarantee that executing these tasks will move the needle on customer sentiment. To make this OKR meaningful, the key results should be measurable outcomes. For instance, improving the Net Promoter Score or reducing response times, so that the objective can be objectively evaluated.

Another bad example is:

Objective: Be the best team in the company

Key Results:

Everyone feels motivated
Win “Team of the Month” award
Hold a weekly team meeting

This OKR suffers from excessive subjectivity and lack of focus. The objective is ambiguous and difficult to align on, while the key results are either unmeasurable, externally dependent, or unrelated to performance. There’s no concrete link to business value or team effectiveness. To fix this, the objective could be rephrased as building a high-performing, collaborative team, supported by measurable results like completing sprint goals consistently, achieving strong team satisfaction scores, or ensuring active participation in retrospectives.

Here's more about writing better OKRs

How OKRs help with strategy execution

OKRs translate strategic priorities into actionable, measurable goals. They break down abstract company strategies into practical objectives at every level - executive, team, and individual. This enables distributed execution where every employee understands how their work ties to strategic outcomes. For example, if the corporate strategy is "Expand in Southeast Asia," sales, marketing, HR, and operations teams can align their OKRs toward that initiative.

The objectives are set as ‘Objective trees’ and then assigned to people. Objective trees graphically display the relation of child goals to achieve parent goals. Key results are set for each Objectives. Depending on responsibilities they are assigned to people. The responsibilities are assigned or taken up by people, and the teams assigned usually set the likely achievement figures.

The ideal number of Objectives and Key Results to be set

The ideal number as prescribed by experienced OKR leaders and coaches are 3–5 Objectives per cycle, each with 3–5 Key Results. Fewer is often better to maintain focus. The OKR motto of ‘Measure what matters’ applies here.

It’s often hard to remove items from the list but this becomes easier when you focus on outcomes that matter for your customers. Once that clarity is agreed on shortlisting, the OKRs are a lot easier to set.

Driving Focus, Alignment and Clarity via OKR

Companies that implement OKR are often surprised at how the company objectives become watered down as they flow to various teams prior to the program.

Here's how organizations lose a lot of productivity without good goal setting mechanisms.

How professional systems lose 20% productivity without good goal-setting mechanisms.

Scoring or Grading OKRs

Objectives and Key Results are commonly on a 0–1 scale, and often also expressed in percentage terms. Colour coding is established to indicate progress. Typical ranges are: Good progress (70 to 100% - Green), Medium (40 to 70% - Yellow) and Poor progress (<40% - Red). The range may vary in companies. Colour coding is also established to provide easy visualization.

Good software like Stragiliti OKR provide visual colour coding of the latest check-in values of all OKR’s.

OKRs are different from traditional goal setting

OKRs are transparent, measurable, time-bound, and ambitious, whereas traditional goals are often vague or hidden. Because OKRs are backed by multiple key results each with exact measurements and time periods there is clarity on what is to be achieved. Goals unless accompanied by an associated framework are not sharply defined.

This is the reason for the popularity of OKR as a goal setting and alignment mechanism.

OKRs for traditional and non-technical industries

OKRs are widely used in healthcare, education, nonprofits, manufacturing, and even non-profits. There is a misconception that they are used only in technology industries because they originated in companies like Intel and Google and were adopted widely by Silicon Valley companies. The list of companies using OKR in other industries are impressive. Examples like the Gates Foundation (Non-Profit), Target (Retail), Dun & Bradstreet (Finance), The Guardian (Media & Publishing), BMW (Automobiles) indicate their popularity across vertical industries. OKRs can be set for virtually any type of organization, small, medium, and large.

2. Adopting OKR in your organization

Adopting OKR for the first time

If you’re adopting an OKR program for the first time, don’t worry. Many growing organizations are in the same boat. The key is to treat it less like a tech project and more like a business transformation. Start simple and focus on the processes that matter most and get those working well before expanding. Choose a system that matches your size and way of working, not just the biggest name in the market. Make sure your team is involved early because their buy-in is what drives real results. And remember, it’s not about doing everything at once, it’s about building a solid foundation that can grow with you.

A good way to get started is to run a pilot with your leadership or management team for the first quarter. This allows you to model how the system will actually be used, iron out early issues, and align the setup with how your business really works. It also helps build internal confidence. Once the basics are working well at the top, you can expand in both directions - down to operational teams and outward to additional modules. This phased approach keeps risk low, gives you quick wins, and helps the whole organization move forward with clarity.

Writing effective, inspiring, and sharp OKRs

A good Objective is clear, meaningful, and inspiring. It should describe a direction you want to move in, not just a task to check off. Think of it as a rallying call that connects to the bigger picture. Avoid vague words like “improve” or “enhance” unless you can explain exactly what that means. A strong Objective might be something like “Deliver a great onboarding experience for new clients” or “Establish ourselves as a thought leader in our space.” It’s not about the metric yet, but about what success looks like in plain language.

Key Results are where you make success measurable. Each Objective should have 2–4 Key Results that answer the question: how will we know if we’re getting there? A good Key Result is specific, outcome-focused, and ideally time-bound.

For example, for the onboarding Objective above, a good Key Result could be “Achieve a customer satisfaction score of 9 or above for onboarding by end of Q2.” Another could be “Reduce average onboarding time from 10 days to 5 days.” You want numbers that reflect progress, not just effort. When they are written well, Key Results become your scoreboard and show whether your actions are having the right impact.

You can accelerate the setting up of OKRs by referring to domain specific templates.

Accelerate your OKR Program with domain specific templates

OKR Frequency and Check-in Cadence

OKRs require consistent reviews and a well-set cadence for operational success. The recommended cycle for OKRs is quarterly. This gives teams enough time to make meaningful progress while still allowing room to adapt every few months. But setting the OKRs is only half the job. Regular check-ins are what keep them alive and useful. These check-ins help spot issues early, celebrate quick wins, and keep everyone aligned.

Common mistakes when implementing OKRs

Sometimes OKRs are not implemented well, and we’ve observed these common mistakes among many when setting OKRs.

Typical pitfalls that we have observed include setting too many OKRs, focusing on tasks instead of outcomes, failing to align across teams, and using OKRs as performance evaluations. For instance, an ineffective OKR might be "Complete 10 sales calls a week". This is a task rather than an outcome. Instead, a better KR would be "Convert 15% of new leads into qualified opportunities."

Setting OKRs can be powerful but only if done right. Many teams fall into common traps that reduce their impact or create confusion. OKRs are meant to create focus, alignment, and accountability, but when misused, they can turn into checklists or vague aspirations.

Here’s an article from Stragiliti’s blog that expands on this topic well.

12 Critical Mistakes to Avoid for a Successful OKR Program

Leveraging committed and aspirational OKRs for growth

Committed OKRs:

Expected to be fully achieved (near 100%)

Aspirational OKRs:

Stretch goals designed to push the limits (often achieved at ~70%).

Cascading OKRs across teams

Cascading OKRs effectively starts with clarity at the top. Company-level OKRs should set the overall direction, highlighting what truly matters for the business this quarter. Once these are defined, teams can create their own OKRs by asking, “What can we do that meaningfully contributes to these goals?” This approach ensures alignment without dictating every step.

Reviewing progress through the quarter

The best way to review OKRs in a quarter is to make it a lightweight but regular habit. Start by doing short check-ins weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on the pace and importance of the OKR. In each check-in, focus on progress toward Key Results, any blockers, and what’s needed to move forward.

Tools to be used with OKR

You can manage OKRs using spreadsheets. However, when the number of users grow beyond 10 and OKRs are used over a few quarters, the need for a system arises. It’s usually best to start directly with a software.

OKR programs scale and permeate well within organizations when accompanied by such a software. This is why we built Stragiliti OKR software (www.Stragiliti.net/okr) and a good part of the expertise shared here were obtained during this process of automating and maturing the OKR program within organizations that adopted Stragiliti OKR.

Other tools that help are industry-specific templates. This article points to some OKRs that are relevant for the Professional services space.

Leveraging OKRs to supercharge Technology and Professional Services Organizations

Maturing organization culture using OKR

Maturing the OKR culture within an organization starts with consistency and evolves through trust, learning, and leadership example. In the early stages, focus on making OKRs a regular part of how teams plan and reflect. This is not a one-time event or compliance activity. Encourage teams to write clear, meaningful OKRs and review them regularly, even if they're not perfect at first. Celebrate early wins where OKRs drove clarity or impact, and treat misses as learning moments, not failures.

This webinar from Stragiliti focuses on leveraging OKRs to get your organization into high performance mode.

Leverage OKR to transform your organization into high performance mode

Making OKRs public to everyone in the organization

OKRs should be transparent across the organization. When everyone can see what others are working toward, it builds trust, improves alignment, and encourages collaboration. Transparency helps teams understand how their goals connect to the company’s priorities and to each other’s efforts. It also reduces duplication and siloed thinking, which are common in growing organizations. While some sensitive metrics may require discretion, the vast majority of OKRs benefit from being open because clarity fuels ownership, and shared visibility drives a sense of purpose across teams.

How a typical OKR program is run

A typical OKR program unfolds in phases, often over 3–4 quarters, with each stage building on the last, and ideally supported by a dedicated coach or experienced internal champion. The type of program depends a lot on the type of organization and the situation, but broadly OKR programs have the following structure.

Additional methods to drive adoption

Once the OKR program is up and running, there are several practical ways to deepen its value and enhance adoption across the organization. Here are some effective methods:

Instead of treating OKRs as a separate exercise, weave them into regular team rituals, like weekly standups, monthly reviews, and planning meetings. This keeps them front and centre without adding extra burden.

OKR Coaching and its value

OKR coaching is often needed, especially in the early stages of adoption or when an organization wants to elevate the quality and impact of its OKRs. OKRs aren’t just about writing good goals; they involve a mindset shift toward clarity, focus, alignment, and outcomes. A coach plays a crucial role in guiding this shift and helping teams avoid common pitfalls. A good coach meets the following criteria:

The ideal coach understands business priorities and how to translate them into meaningful Objectives and measurable Key Results.

OKRs can surface friction, ambiguity, or misalignment. A strong coach navigates this with empathy and diplomacy.

You need someone who’s helped teams implement OKRs in the real world, who can work at the pace of a growing business and isn’t tied to textbook purity.

A coach must support senior leaders in shaping vision-driven OKRs while also helping frontline teams write, align, and track their own goals.

How the OKR coach should be utilized

Initially, the coach leads workshops to introduce the OKR framework, debunks myths, and helps leadership define the first set of company-level OKRs. During this phase, the coach works closely with leadership to refine OKRs, structure check-ins, and model the behaviours needed for success.

3. Automating your OKR Program

OKR software: essential as you scale the program

OKR software platforms are designed to help organizations plan, track, align, and review their Objectives and Key Results. These tools provide a centralized dashboard where users can define objectives, update progress on key results, schedule check-ins, and analyse performance across teams.

As organizations grow, managing OKRs across multiple teams, departments, and cycles becomes increasingly complex. While spreadsheets and slides might work in the beginning, they quickly break down at scale. This makes it hard to track progress, maintain alignment, or ensure regular check-ins. That’s where dedicated OKR software becomes essential. This article explores why those using spreadsheets for their OKR programs need to upgrade to an OKR software.

Using OKR with spreadsheets? 10 reasons why you need to upgrade to an OKR software

OKR software provides a centralized, transparent, and structured way to set, track, and review OKRs. It helps teams link their goals to company priorities, view cross-team dependencies, and monitor progress in real time. Built-in reminders and workflows keep check-ins on schedule, while dashboards and visualizations help leadership stay informed without chasing updates. More importantly, good OKR software reinforces the right habits like clarity, accountability, and focus while reducing the admin overhead. For organizations serious about scaling OKRs as a core part of how they operate, software is not just a convenience but a foundation for consistency and long-term success.

OKR Software is a lot different from Project Management tools

Project management tools (like Asana or Trello) track tasks, deadlines, and project execution. OKR software focuses on outcomes rather than activities. For instance, while a project board might track milestones for launching a product, OKR software would measure impact, such as "Achieve 20,000 active users in 6 weeks." The two can complement each other but serve different purposes.

While project management tools like Asana, Jira, or Trello are built to track the day-to-day execution, who is doing what, by when, OKR software is designed to answer a higher-level question: are we achieving the results that matter most?

OKR tools help teams define what success looks like through measurable Key Results and align those goals across the organization. They support regular check-ins, progress scoring, alignment mapping, and retrospective learning, all focused on driving strategic priorities. Project tools, on the other hand, are excellent for managing execution details, dependencies, and workflows, but they don’t naturally surface whether the work is actually moving the business forward.

Standalone OKR Systems vs added-along-with-the-HR system

OKR software works best as a standalone system that integrates with HR tools, rather than being buried inside an HR suite. Here's why: OKRs are fundamentally about driving strategy, focus, and execution across the entire organization, not just tracking individual performance or HR metrics. When OKR tools are tucked inside an HR system, they often get perceived as part of performance management or admin overhead, which can limit adoption and reduce their effectiveness. Teams start to associate OKRs with annual reviews instead of strategic progress, which undermines the culture of stretch, alignment, and learning.

That said, integration with the HR system is valuable. It helps pull in organizational structure, roles, and user access, and can provide context during performance reviews or leadership planning. But the day-to-day use of OKRs, setting goals, tracking outcomes, running check-ins, and aligning across teams requires a lightweight, flexible, and collaborative experience.

Integrating OKR with other tools

Most OKR platforms offer integrations with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and more. This allows automated updates to Key Results based on real-time data or system events. For example, a sales key result can be updated automatically from your CRM when revenue numbers change.

How does OKR software promote team alignment? OKR tools make it easy to cascade objectives, link related goals, and visualize dependencies. For example, a product team’s OKR to "Improve user onboarding" might align with a customer support team’s OKR to "Reduce first-week support tickets by 25%." The software helps teams see how their work supports shared goals, preventing siloed efforts.

What to look for in a good OKR software

Key features to consider in a good OKR software include goal alignment visualizations, flexible goal cycles (quarterly, annual), integration with key business systems, real-time dashboards, permission controls, reporting/analytics, and ease of use. Some tools also offer coaching modules or AI-based suggestions for writing better OKRs.

Some good OKR software products and key capabilities.

Popular tools include Workboard, Week done, Gtmhub, Stragiliti and Microsoft Viva Goals. (Note: Microsoft Viva Goals is being retired in December 2025). Insert link to viva goals ad? The primary capabilities expected are:

Microsoft Viva Goals customers – Quick Migration Plan

Learn More

Determining the ROI of implementing OKR

Organizations report benefits such as faster alignment, increased transparency, improved accountability, and more effective strategy execution. The benefits can be made tangible by measuring areas like wasted effort reduction, improvement in process metrics of excellence, quality, speed and effectiveness, improvement employee engagement metrics and finally the results in the financial topline and bottom line.

4. OKR Maturity

Linking OKRs to Performance Appraisals – a Big No

It’s generally not recommended to link OKRs to individual performance appraisals, especially if you want OKRs to drive ambition, learning, and honest reflection. When people know their compensation or rating is tied to hitting 100% of their OKRs, they tend to play it safe. They may sandbag goals, avoid stretch targets, or underreport challenges, thereby defeating the purpose of the OKR system.

Diagnosing OKR failure

When OKRs fail, the goal is not to assign blame, but to learn why they didn’t deliver the intended impact and to use that insight to improve. A structured diagnosis helps separate surface issues from deeper causes. Here is a checklist of diagnostics and the reasons behind failures: