Setting OKRs: Step-by-step guide, examples & tracking

Setting goals is crucial for any organization, but figuring out how to begin can be tricky. OKRs, or objectives and key results, offer a clear and consistent way for teams to decide what matters most and track their progress. Whether you’re new to OKRs or looking to improve your current process, this guide will help you through every step from writing your first objective to reviewing your results at the end of a cycle.

When we see successful businesses, it’s tempting to think their main idea is what made them great. Intel created the microchip, Netflix brought us on-demand streaming, and Google built today’s search engine. But having a good idea is just the start. What really turns a small startup into a leader is how well they follow through.

Take Google, for example. It’s the top name in search, but not because Larry Page and Sergey Brin had a completely new or brilliant idea. In fact, they were the 18th search engine to launch in the early days of the internet. What set Google apart was how Page and Brin turned their vision into reality with strong focus and clear direction.

Looking back on Google’s growth, Page pointed to Andy Grove’s OKR (objectives and key results) method as a major reason for the company’s success.

"OKRs have helped lead us to 10x growth, many times over," Page wrote in John Doerr's 2018 book Measure What Matters. "They've helped make our crazily bold mission of'organizing the world's information'perhaps even achievable."

Is it really worth setting these goals? The answer is yes. Organizations that use this goal-setting method see better follow-through on their projects and initiatives. Clear goals help you turn great ideas into stronger businesses. With consistency, dedication, and planning, you can make goal-setting a lasting part of how you manage your team.

What are OKRs?

OKRs (objectives and key results) are a goal-setting methodology that helps teams define ambitious goals and track measurable outcomes. Each OKR pairs one clear objective, what you want to achieve, with two to five key results that measure your progress toward it.

• The methodology was pioneered by Andy Grove at Intel in the 1970s and later popularized by venture capitalist John Doerr, who introduced OKRs to Google in 1999.

• Think of it this way: the objective is what you want to achieve, and the key results show how you’ll know you’ve reached it. You can sum up any OKR in one sentence: I will [objective] as measured by [key result].

OKRs work because they create alignment. When evOKRs are effective, they help everyone align their work with the company’s bigger goals. When teams and individuals see how their efforts fit into the larger picture, it’s easier to set priorities and work together. Unlike traditional goals, which are often forgotten, OKRs are meant to be reviewed, measured, and updated regularly.KPIs), you might wonder how OKRs differ from KPIs. Here's a quick comparison:

Many organizations use both: KPIs to monitor health and OKRs to push growth.

Step 1: Set rules for your business

The OKR formula is designed to be flexible enough to fit most purposes. Yet many organizations treat it as a rigid system and refuse to deviate from a prescriptive methodology. This is a recipe for disaster. Before you implement this goal-setting methodology, we recommend setting basic rules for how OKRs will function at your company. These rules define how goals work in your teams and your organization. Specifically, there are three elements to consider: cadence, check-in process, and creation.

• Cadence: This is simply how often you set goals. In our experience, setting objectives annually delivers the best reward as they become the pillars of your strategy. However, if your organization moves rapidly, you have the option to set goals more frequently, whether half-yearly, quarterly, or even monthly.

• Check-in process: The schedule you set to update and review your progress. Again, your optimal schedule is unique to your organization. If your goals are grand and slow-moving, a bi-weekly or monthly check-in may suffice. However, if your goals are smaller and progress rapidly, you ought to check in more regularly.

• Creation: There are three basic models: top-down (leaders set both objectives and key results), bottom-up (individuals set both objectives and key results), and hybrid (leaders set objectives and individuals set key results). Deciding what model works best for you depends on your company's size and structure.

Step 2: Collaborate on company-wide objectives

Once you’ve set the basic rules for your program, you can start using them throughout your organization. Start by collaborating on your organization's top-level objectives. These are the pillars of your strategy for the next year. They're the important, substantial activities that drive your mission's success.

Gather ideas from people throughout your organization and have your leadership team review and refine them. Be careful not to end up with too many objectives. As more people join the discussion, the list can grow quickly.

Some examples of great company-wide objectives are:

• Create the lowest carbon footprint in your specific industry

• Extend your reach to new customers

• Increase qualified leads

Whenever you can, make your objectives clear and easy to measure. By the end of your goal cycle, you should be able to say for sure whether you met each objective.

Step 3: Create company-wide key results

After you’ve chosen your company-wide objectives, you need to decide how you’ll track progress toward them. This is where key results come in.

To write great key results, try using the SMART methodology.

SMART is an acronym that stands for:

• Specific: What, exactly, are you working towards?

• Measurable: How will you evaluate whether or not you hit your key results?

• Achievable: Is this key result something you could reasonably achieve? Keep in mind, even stretch goals should be achievable.

• Realistic: With the resources and time you have available, is hitting this key result realistic?

• Time-bound: Does your key result have a clear timeline and end date?

Your key results should be challenging. If you’re sure you’ll achieve them all, you may not be aiming high enough. Many companies, following John Doerr’s advice, aim to reach about 70% of their key results each period. For each key result, align on the success metrics for achieving, partially achieving, or missing the KR. Having a clear sense of what success means can help your team refine and adjust its goal-setting process over time.

Step 4: Set key results for teams and individuals

To get the most out of this goal-setting method, make sure your company's objectives guide the work of smaller teams and individuals throughout your organization. Too often, companies set goals and fail to revisit them until the quarter or year is up. When your goals are disconnected from daily work, it's easy for teams to lose alignment and motivation. Conversely, research shows that employees who understand how their work contributes to company goals are 2X as motivated.

To set great key results at your company, focus on connecting day-to-day work with company-wide objectives:

• Use a hybrid approach: Executive teams set company objectives, while smaller teams define the key results that support them.

• Give teams autonomy: When teams set their own KRs, they develop a deeper understanding of where to invest their resources and efforts.

• Link tasks to goals: Make sure every project and task ties back to a broader project objective, so progress is always visible.

Types of OKRs: committed vs. aspirational

Not all OKRs have the same purpose. Knowing the different types helps you set clear expectations for your teams and avoid frustration during reviews.

There are three common types of OKRs:

• Committed OKRs: These are goals your organization has agreed to achieve within a set time period. They represent clear priorities, and teams are expected to hit them at or near 100%. Think of these as your non-negotiables, like launching a product feature by a specific date or hitting a revenue target.

• Aspirational OKRs: Also known as stretch goals or "moonshots," these are intentionally ambitious. You might only achieve 60–70% of an aspirational OKR, and that's OK. Google famously uses aspirational OKRs to drive innovation.

• Learning OKRs: These focus on discovery rather than delivery. A learning OKR might involve researching a new market, running an experiment, or gathering customer insights. The key result isn't a performance metric, but rather the knowledge or clarity gained.

Most organizations do best with a mix of all three types. As a rule of thumb, make most of your OKRs committed, and set aside a few for aspirational or learning goals.

OKR examples by level

Looking at real OKR examples can make it easier to write your own. Here are some examples at the company, team, and individual levels to help you begin.

Company-level OKR examples:

• Objective: Become the top-rated product in our category.

• Key result 1: Achieve a Net Promoter Score of 70 or higher.

• Key result 2: Reduce average customer support response time to under two hours.

• Key result 3: Increase customer retention rate to 95%.

• Objective: Expand into two new international markets.

• Key result 1: Hire regional leads for both markets by the end of Q2.

• Key result 2: Generate 500 qualified leads from new markets by the end of Q4.

• Key result 3: Achieve $200K in revenue from new markets within the first year.

Team-level OKR examples:

• Objective: Improve the onboarding experience for new customers.

• Key result 1: Reduce time-to-first-value from 14 days to seven days.

• Key result 2: Increase onboarding completion rate from 65% to 85%.

• Key result 3: Achieve a satisfaction score of 4.5 out of 5 on the onboarding survey.

• Objective: Strengthen the content marketing pipeline.

• Key result 1: Publish 20 new blog posts this quarter.

• Key result 2: Increase organic traffic by 30%.

• Key result 3: Generate 1,000 email subscribers from content.

Individual-level OKR examples:

• Objective: Become a more effective project manager.

• Key result 1: Complete a project management certification by the end of Q3.

• Key result 2: Deliver three projects on time and within budget.

• Key result 3: Achieve a team satisfaction rating of 4 out of 5 in quarterly feedback.

• Objective: Improve personal sales performance.

• Key result 1: Close 15 new deals this quarter.

• Key result 2: Increase average deal size by 20%.

• Key result 3: Maintain a pipeline-to-close ratio of 3:1.

Notice how each key result is specific, measurable, and time-bound. The objectives describe the desired outcome, while the key results provide the evidence that you've achieved it.

Step 5: Track your goals as you go

Once you have defined your organization's objectives and key results, it's time to identify the programs and projects your team will work on to achieve those goals.

Tracking goals consistently throughout the cycle delivers clear benefits:

• Stronger prioritization: Connecting goals to active work makes it easier to focus on what matters and address blockers early.

• Better reporting: When work is tied to objectives, you can report on progress toward goals without manual effort.

• Higher engagement: People want to know that what they do matters. When employees see how their day-to-day tasks fit into the bigger picture, they feel empowered to do their best work.

Make sure to check in on your progress regularly. Instead of setting your goals in a slide deck or spreadsheet, invest in a goal-setting platform that makes it easy to connect company objectives to key results. That way, every team has visibility into how their work is advancing company objectives.

Step 6: Improve your processes

Once your planning cycle is completed, your work still isn't finished. Instead of immediately moving on to the next cycle, take time to review and learn from the results.

Here's how to run an effective OKR review:

1. Grade your key results: Ask each individual to score the key results they own and write a short explanation of their grading.

2. Roll up to objectives: Managers collect key result scores and use them to grade the broader objectives. Share results across the organization for full transparency.

3. Reflect on what worked: Identify what went well and what didn't. For any missed objectives or key results, host working sessions with your teams to learn from the experience.

It's OK if you don't hit all of your KRs. Teams that consistently hit 100% may not be setting ambitious enough goals. At Asana, we aim to hit about 70% of our KRs.

Put your goals into action

Setting OKRs isn't just about checking boxes at the end of a cycle. It's about building a consistent way to connect your team's work with company objectives and sharpen your focus over time. The most effective organizations treat OKRs as an ongoing practice. Each cycle gives you a chance to learn what's working, adjust your approach, and turn strategy into meaningful progress.

Ready to connect your team's goals to the work that drives them forward? Get started with Asana and bring your objectives and key results to life in one place.

Frequently asked questions about setting OKRs