OKRs: Objectives & Key Results Explained
OKRs — Objectives and Key Results — are a goal-setting framework that pairs an ambitious, qualitative objective ("what we want to achieve") with a small set of measurable key results ("how we'll know we got there").
They keep a whole organisation focused on a few outcomes that genuinely matter.
The framework was developed at Intel by Andy Grove and made famous at Google by John Doerr. The idea is deceptively simple: set an inspiring goal, then define the handful of measurable results that prove you've reached it.
But there's a catch that trips up most teams: a Key Result is an outcome, not a task.
The moment your OKRs become a to-do list — or worse, a target tied to your bonus — they stop driving ambition and start driving safe, gamed, meaningless numbers.
This guide explains how OKRs work, how to write good ones, and the traps to avoid.
What they are
A goal-setting framework: one ambitious objective, plus a few measurable key results that show whether you've achieved it.
Why they matter
They create focus, alignment and transparency — getting a whole team pointed at the same few outcomes instead of a hundred competing priorities.
What this guide covers
The definition, objectives vs key results, a worked example, OKRs vs KPIs, how to write good ones, the pitfalls, and FAQs.
What are OKRs?
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a framework for setting and tracking goals. An Objective is a clear, qualitative, motivating statement of what you want to achieve.
Each objective is supported by two to five Key Results — specific, measurable outcomes that tell you, objectively, whether you achieved it.
OKRs are usually set on a quarterly cycle and cascade through an organisation: company-level OKRs inform team OKRs, which inform individual focus.
The aim isn't to track everything — it's to pick the few things that matter most this quarter and rally around them.
In plain English
The Objective is the destination ("where do we want to get to?"). The Key Results are the markers that prove you arrived ("how will we know we're there?").
If your Key Results are a list of tasks rather than measurable outcomes, you've written a to-do list, not an OKR.
✓ OKRs ARE
- An ambitious objective plus measurable key results
- Focused on outcomes, not tasks or activity
- A tool for focus, alignment and transparency
- Usually set quarterly, with regular check-ins
✗ OKRs are NOT
- A to-do list dressed up as goals
- The same as your KPIs (those track ongoing health)
- A performance-review or bonus mechanism
- A way to track every metric you have
Objectives vs Key Results
The two halves of an OKR do very different jobs. Getting the distinction right is most of the battle.
The Objective
Qualitative, ambitious and inspiring — the what and the why.
A good objective is memorable enough to motivate and clear enough that everyone understands the direction. It usually has no number in it.
Example: "Make getting help effortless for our customers."
The Key Results
Quantitative and measurable — the evidence that you achieved the objective.
Each is an outcome you can score, not an activity you can tick off. Two to five per objective is the sweet spot.
Example: "Lift first contact resolution from 72% to 80%."
The outcome test
Ask of every Key Result: is this something we achieve, or something we do? "Launch a new chatbot" is a task.
"Resolve 30% of contacts through self-service" is an outcome. Tasks belong on a project plan; only measurable outcomes belong in a Key Result.
A Worked OKR Example
Here's a complete OKR a CX or contact centre team might set for a quarter. Notice that every Key Result is a customer outcome, not an internal task.
Objective: Make getting help effortless for our customers
- KR1: Improve Customer Effort Score from 5.8 to 6.5
- KR2: Lift first contact resolution from 72% to 80%
- KR3: Reduce repeat contacts on billing queries by 25%
Why this one works
The objective is inspiring and number-free. Each Key Result is measurable, and — crucially — each is an outcome the customer would feel, not a project the team would file.
You could hit all three through better knowledge, smarter routing or self-service; the OKR sets the destination and leaves the team free to find the best route.
OKRs vs KPIs (and Your North Star)
OKRs are often confused with KPIs and with a North Star Metric. They're related, but they do different jobs — and a good measurement system uses all three together.
KPIs track health
Key performance indicators monitor business-as-usual — service level, CSAT, occupancy. You watch them continuously to know whether things are running well, not to drive a specific change.
OKRs drive change
OKRs are about improvement over a period — moving something from where it is to where you want it. A KPI becomes a Key Result when you set an ambitious target to shift it this quarter.
Your North Star sits above
Your North Star Metric is the single overarching measure of value. OKRs are the quarterly plans for moving it — the bridge between long-term direction and this quarter's work.
How they fit together
Think of it as a hierarchy: the North Star sets the destination, OKRs are the quarterly route, and KPIs are the dashboard you watch along the way.
Use them together and they reinforce each other — rely on any one alone and you'll either drift, stall, or optimise the wrong thing.
How to Write Good OKRs
Writing OKRs is easy; writing good ones is a discipline. This sequence keeps them ambitious, outcome-focused and useful.
Start from your strategy and North Star
OKRs should serve a bigger goal. Begin with the value you're trying to create — your North Star Metric and strategy — so every objective ladders up to something that matters.
Write objectives as outcomes, not activity
Make the objective inspiring and direction-setting, and keep numbers out of it. If it reads like a task, reframe it around the change you want to see in the world.
Make Key Results measurable outcomes
Each KR should be a number you can score, describing a result you achieve — not a project you complete. Two to five per objective; if you can't measure it, it isn't a Key Result.
Keep it to a few
Focus is the whole point. A team with three objectives and a dozen Key Results has no focus at all.
Fewer, sharper OKRs beat a sprawling wishlist every time.
Set a stretch — and don't tie it to pay
Good OKRs are ambitious enough that hitting 100% every time means you aimed too low; around 70% is often a strong result.
That only works if OKRs aren't linked to bonuses — the moment they are, people sandbag, and the ambition disappears.
Check in, score, and learn
Review progress regularly — weekly or fortnightly — and score Key Results at the end of the cycle. The score isn't a verdict on people; it's a prompt to learn and reset for next quarter.
The Benefits of OKRs
When they're used well, OKRs change how an organisation focuses and aligns. Here's what a good OKR practice delivers.
Focus
They force you to choose the few things that matter most — and, just as importantly, to say no to everything else.
Alignment
When team OKRs ladder up to company OKRs, everyone can see how their work connects to the bigger picture.
Transparency
OKRs are usually shared openly, so priorities and progress are visible across teams rather than hidden in silos.
Ambition
Stretch goals push teams beyond business-as-usual — aiming for meaningful improvement, not just safe maintenance.
Measurement
Because Key Results are measurable outcomes, there's no arguing about whether you succeeded — the numbers say so.
Agility
The quarterly cycle builds in regular re-prioritisation, so goals stay relevant as the business and customers change.
Common OKR Mistakes
OKRs are simple to describe and surprisingly easy to ruin. These are the mistakes that turn them from a focus tool into bureaucratic theatre.
❌ Writing a to-do list
The most common error: Key Results that are tasks ("build X", "run Y") instead of outcomes. A to-do list measures activity, not achievement — and activity is easy to be busy at and still go nowhere.
❌ Too many OKRs
Twelve objectives and forty Key Results isn't focus — it's a wishlist.
If everything is a priority, nothing is. Pick the few that matter and let the rest wait.
❌ Tying OKRs to pay
The single most destructive mistake. Link OKRs to bonuses and people set targets they're certain to hit — killing the ambition that makes OKRs valuable.
Keep them separate from compensation.
❌ Sandbagging
Setting deliberately easy Key Results to guarantee a perfect score. If your team hits 100% every quarter, the OKRs aren't stretching anyone — and the framework is being gamed.
❌ Set it and forget it
OKRs written at the start of the quarter and never looked at again are just a document. Without regular check-ins they don't change behaviour — they just gather dust.
❌ Confusing KRs with KPIs
Listing your standing KPIs as Key Results misses the point. KPIs track ongoing health; Key Results drive a specific change this quarter.
A KPI only becomes a KR when you attach an ambitious target to move it.
The one that matters most: the fastest way to kill OKRs is to bolt them onto performance pay.
The instant a Key Result decides someone's bonus, they'll set a target they know they can hit — and you'll have swapped genuine ambition for safe, gamed numbers. Keep OKRs about learning and focus, and assess pay separately.
Frequently Asked Questions About OKRs
What are OKRs?
OKRs — Objectives and Key Results — are a goal-setting framework.
An objective is an ambitious, qualitative statement of what you want to achieve; key results are the two to five measurable outcomes that show whether you achieved it.
They're usually set quarterly to keep a team focused on a few things that matter most.
What's the difference between an Objective and a Key Result?
The objective is the qualitative goal — the inspiring "what" and "why", usually with no number in it.
The key results are the quantitative evidence — the measurable outcomes that prove you reached the objective. One sets the direction; the others prove you got there.
What's the difference between OKRs and KPIs?
KPIs (key performance indicators) track the ongoing health of business-as-usual — you monitor them continuously. OKRs are about driving a specific improvement over a set period.
A KPI can become a Key Result when you set an ambitious target to move it this quarter, but on their own KPIs measure health while OKRs measure change.
How do OKRs relate to a North Star Metric?
Your North Star Metric is the single overarching measure of the value you deliver.
OKRs are the quarterly plans for moving it — the bridge between long-term direction and this quarter's work. The North Star sets the destination; OKRs set the route.
How many OKRs should you have?
Few. A common guideline is a handful of objectives at most per team, with two to five key results each.
The entire value of OKRs is focus, so if you find yourself with a dozen objectives you've defeated the purpose. Pick the few that matter most this cycle.
How are OKRs scored?
Key results are typically scored on a scale from 0 to 1.0.
Because OKRs are meant to be ambitious stretch goals, consistently scoring around 0.7 is often considered a strong result — and hitting 1.0 every time usually means you aimed too low.
The score is a learning tool, not a pass/fail grade on people.
Should OKRs be tied to pay or performance reviews?
No — and this is widely regarded as one of the golden rules. When OKRs determine bonuses, people set safe, easily-achievable targets to protect their pay, which destroys the ambition the framework relies on.
Keep OKRs separate from compensation: use them to focus and stretch the team, and assess performance and pay through a different process.
What's an example of a good OKR?
For a CX team: Objective — "Make getting help effortless for our customers."
Key Results — improve Customer Effort Score from 5.8 to 6.5; lift first contact resolution from 72% to 80%; reduce repeat contacts on billing queries by 25%.
The objective is inspiring and number-free, and every key result is a measurable customer outcome rather than an internal task.
Where to Next
Summary: OKRs
OKRs — Objectives and Key Results — are a goal-setting framework that pairs an ambitious, qualitative objective with a few measurable key results that prove you achieved it.
Developed at Intel and made famous at Google, they create focus, alignment and transparency by getting a whole team pointed at the few outcomes that matter most this quarter.
The discipline is in the detail. Key Results must be outcomes you achieve, not tasks you complete; you should have few, not many; and they should stretch the team rather than guarantee a perfect score.
Above all, keep them well away from compensation — the moment OKRs decide someone's bonus, ambition gives way to safe, gamed targets.
Used well, OKRs sit neatly inside a wider system: your North Star Metric sets the destination, your OKRs set the quarterly route, and your KPIs are the dashboard you watch along the way.
For CX and contact centre teams, the best OKRs measure customer outcomes — effort, resolution, retention — so that when the numbers move, the customer genuinely feels it.
