OKRs
Objectives & Key Results goal-setting
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal-setting framework that separates ambitious direction (Objectives) from measurable outcomes (Key Results). Objectives are qualitative and inspiring; Key Results are quantitative and time-bound. OKRs cascade through organisations — company → team → individual — aligning everyone around the same priorities.
Invented by Andy Grove at Intel in the 1970s. Popularised at Google by John Doerr, and documented in his book 'Measure What Matters' (2018).
Use OKRs when
- ✓The organisation needs better alignment between strategy and execution
- ✓Teams operate in silos and need shared visibility into each other's priorities
- ✓Leadership wants to shift from output-based to outcome-based reporting
- ✓You're scaling past ~50 people and informal alignment starts breaking down
Avoid it when
- ✗The business direction changes weekly — OKRs need at least a quarterly horizon
- ✗Teams are in firefighting mode with no capacity for goal-setting overhead
- ✗OKRs get confused with performance reviews — this poisons the framework
Key Concepts
A qualitative, inspiring goal that describes where you want to go. Should be bold enough to require focus.
A quantitative metric that measures progress toward the Objective. Typically 2–5 per Objective.
An OKR expected to be fully achieved (100%). Used for operational targets.
A "moonshot" OKR where 70% achievement is a success. Used for stretch goals.
Conversations, Feedback, Recognition — the ongoing management practices that make OKRs work in practice.
Scoring Key Results at the end of a cycle. Google uses 0.0–1.0; many companies use 0–100%.
How it works
Company sets OKRs first. Teams draft their own OKRs aligned to company priorities. 1–2 weeks of back-and-forth to align and finalise.
Teams report confidence levels. Red/yellow/green status. Surface blockers early. Adjust if circumstances have changed significantly.
Score each Key Result. Retrospect on why targets were or weren't hit. Feed learnings into next quarter's OKR setting.
Tools that support OKRs
Exceptionally intuitive and visually clean interface — one of the lowest onboarding friction tools for non-technical teams
Highly visual and intuitive interface with color-coded boards — one of the easiest PM tools for non-technical teams to adopt
All-in-one platform replacing multiple tools — docs, whiteboards, goals, time tracking, chat, and project management in a single workspace
Unmatched flexibility as an all-in-one workspace — combines docs, wikis, databases, and project management in a single tool
Best-in-class behavioral analytics with powerful event segmentation, funnel analysis, and retention charts that go far deeper than Google Analytics
Best-in-class event-based analytics with intuitive funnel, retention, and flow reports that surface actionable insights quickly
Retroactive analytics — captures all user interaction data from install without requiring pre-defined event tagging, so PMs can answer questions about past behavior immediately
Single platform covering the entire DevSecOps lifecycle — source code, CI/CD, security scanning, monitoring, and project management in one tool, eliminating toolchain complexity
Frequently Asked Questions
3 Objectives with 3 Key Results each is a common ceiling. More than that and nothing is actually a priority. Many experienced OKR practitioners argue for 1–2 Objectives per team per quarter.
Most OKR practitioners say no. When OKRs affect compensation, people set sandbagging targets they're certain to hit. Keep OKRs as a learning and alignment tool, separate from performance management.
KPIs are ongoing health metrics you always track (churn, revenue, NPS). OKRs are time-bound goals for a specific period. KPIs tell you the business is healthy; OKRs tell you where you're pushing to improve.