KRs Are Only as Good as Their Execution—Here’s How to Do It Right
The real power of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) isn’t just in creating them; it’s in tracking them consistently and using them to drive meaningful action. While templates for OKRs abound online, we’ve crafted one with some additional fields to make OKRs more practical and impactful for your team.
Here’s what makes this template stand out:
1. Key Result Status
A traffic light system provides easy, visual updates on progress:
This system keeps everyone aligned at a glance, ensuring clarity in every discussion.
- On track
- Off track
- At risk
- Completed
- Not started
This system keeps everyone aligned at a glance, ensuring clarity in every discussion.
2. Priority
Rank your KRs using a prioritisation system (e.g., P0–P4). Not every task is equally important—it’s about focusing on what truly drives value. This step helps your team avoid spreading itself too thin.
3. KR Type
While outcome-based OKRs are widely regarded as the gold standard, tracking key outputs can also be valuable in complex environments. A balanced approach is most effective—prioritizing outcomes while recognizing outputs as important indicators of progress.
4. Start - Target - Current Value
To understand progress, it’s essential to measure where you started, where you aim to go, and where you currently stand:
These fields ensure transparency and allow for clear progress tracking.
- Start Value: Baseline metric before deployment.
- Target Value: The desired goal.
- Current Value: Progress measured at each check-in.
These fields ensure transparency and allow for clear progress tracking.
5. Where to Track
One of the most overlooked yet critical elements is specifying where and how each KR is tracked. Whether it’s a dashboard, document link, or tool, make it easy for anyone to follow along seamlessly.
6. OKR Context or Comments
This section provides clarity on the “why” behind each KR. Define key terms, metrics, and KPIs so everyone understands the objectives. The more context you provide, the better the alignment across the team.
7. Pre-read Comments
Encourage your team to prepare before every OKR review by filling out pre-read comments. This step ensures discussions are more focused, with time spent addressing challenges rather than providing updates.
8. Review Results
Never skip this crucial step. After every review, clarify next steps to keep momentum high. Tracking is only meaningful when it leads to actionable outcomes.
OKRs are more than just a tool for tracking goals; they’re a framework for driving clarity, focus, and alignment within your team. By adding practical elements like prioritisation, tracking locations, and context, this template ensures your OKRs aren’t just aspirational—they’re actionable.Start using this template today and transform how your team approaches its objectives. Remember, the success of OKRs lies in their execution, so ensure your team is equipped to track, review, and adapt effectively.
Why This Template Works
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