OKRs, or Objectives and Key Results, is a goal-setting method for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes. Its fundamental role is to link organizational, team, and personal objectives to quantifiable outcomes while ensuring that all employees and managers cooperate to move in the same direction.
OKRs are vital because they:
An OKR consists of an Objective, which defines what we want to achieve, and Key Results, which are specific measures used to track the achievement of that objective.
| Component | Description |
| Objective | This is a clear, concise statement of what we want to achieve. Objectives should be ambitious, inspiring, and engaging. |
| Key Results | These are measurable, time-bound actions that advance the objective. Key results typically include hard numbers. |
Writing good OKRs is essential at work; making OKRs effective ensures that the work gets done correctly and on time. This is why we share some tips when setting good objectives and key results that we recommend every professional to follow:
You also might enjoy the 3 rules for setting OKRs:
OKRs, or Objectives and Key Results, are a goal-setting framework many organizations use to define and track objectives and their outcomes. Here are several examples of professional OKRs that you can use as inspiration:
Objective: Increase our market share in the mid-tier segment.
Key result 1: Increase sales in the mid-tier segment by 25%.
Key result 2: Launch two new products targeted at the mid-tier segment.
Objective 1: Improve brand recognition.
Key result 1: Increase website traffic by 30%.
Key result 2: Increase social media engagement by 50%.
Objective 2: Strengthen brand presence.
Key Result 1: Increase social media followers by 30% by the end of the year.
Key Result 2: Achieve a 20% increase in brand mentions in industry publications.
Key Result 3: Launch a new corporate social responsibility initiative with 1000+ participants.
Objective: Improve employee satisfaction.
Key result 1: Decrease employee turnover rate by 10%.
Key result 2: Increase employee satisfaction scores by 20%.
Objective 2: Enhance employee engagement.
Key Result 1: Reduce employee turnover rate by 20% by year-end.
Key Result 2: Implement a new employee training program with a 90% participation rate.
If you need you look for additional ideas when setting HR OKRs, you might look for our HR SMART goals examples.
Objective: Improve user experience.
Key result 1: Decrease app loading time by 15%.
Key result 2: Increase user retention by 20%.
Objective: Improve code quality.
Key result 1: Reduce code bugs by 20%.
Key result 2: Increase code review coverage by 30%.
Objective: Increase sales volume.
Key result 1: Increase the number of sales calls by 20%.
Key result 2: Increase the average deal size by 10%.
Objective: Increase revenue growth.
Key Result: Increase quarterly revenue by 15% compared to the previous year.
Key Result: Launch 2 new products with a combined revenue target of $1M by Q2.
Key Result: Increase annual subscription renewals by 20%.
Objective: Improve customer satisfaction.
Key Result: Achieve a net promoter score (NPS) of 8.5 out of 10 by Q4.
Key Result: Reduce customer complaint rate by 25% by year-end.
Key Result: Increase customer retention rate by 10% in 12 months.
Objective: Improve system reliability.
Key result 1: Decrease system downtime by 10%.
Key result 2: Increase system load capacity by 20%.
Objective: Improve customer satisfaction.
Key result 1: Decrease customer support response time by 15%.
Key result 2: Increase customer satisfaction score by 10%.
Objective: Improve operational efficiency.
Key Result: Reduce operating costs by 10% by the end of the year.
Key Result: Implement automation in 3 key operational processes by Q3.
Key Result: Decrease average product delivery time by 15%.
Non-profits OKRs
Objective: Increase community impact.
Key result 1: Increase the number of people served by 20%.
Key result 2: Increase volunteer hours by 15%.
While OKRs and KPIs are both used to measure performance, they serve different purposes.
OKRs' ability to create alignment and engagement around measurable goals makes them unique. They enable teams to focus on big bets and achieve more than they thought possible. They also foster transparency within organizations.
There are not many mistakes you can make when writing OKRs. Probably the most common is not to set up any of them, however, here are 3 additional ones that we would like to highlight:
The topic that we're expanding on is one that large dynamic organizations like Google, Intel, and LinkedIn have implemented successfully. Andy Grove populated the framework and then championed it by Google. If you want to know more specific cases and practical implementation steps, we do recommend the following books that will help you to understand the framework better:
Takeaways
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