OKRs

OKRs stands for Objects and Key Results. The objective is qualitative, and the key results are qualitative. OKRs are used to align people around a bold goal over a set period of time (usually 3 months). You know whether you’ve achieved your objective based on your key results during the set timeframe.

OKRs are stretch goals—not business as usual. The right level of stretch is often a 50/50 chance of making it. If confidence is really high of achieving the goal, it probably isn’t lofty enough for an OKR. If it’s too low, and the org looks at failure as punishable, then people will not shoot for lofty goals.

Not everything you do needs an OKR—save them for mission-critical strategic efforts.

An objective is a single sentence or statement that is qualitative, inspiring, time-bound, and actionable. A good objective gets people excited, and is achievable in the near-term (1–3 months, for example). It’s like a short-term mission statement.

Examples of good objectives (borrowed from Christina Wodtke):

Examples of poor objectives (which are really KRs):

So, how do we know if we’ve met our objective? That’s where key results come in.

Key results are measurable outcomes: they quantify what achieving the objective looks like. They can be based on anything you can measure, like growth, engagement, revenue, performance, and quality.

Good example KRs:

Bad example KRs:

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