How to Write OKRs: Everything You Should Know

OKRs, an abbreviation for “objectives and key results,” represent a goal-setting and management framework to define goals and track progress. For every objective, there is at least one measurable key result. Teams use OKRs to prioritize tasks and assess how they move toward the goal.

Discover how to write OKRs step-by-step and we’ll show you some examples of what good OKRs look like.

The Formula for How to Write OKRs

Follow one basic formula when discovering how to write OKRs for your team:

“We will [objective] as measured by [Key Results].”

Fill this out to its completion based on what you want to achieve:

“We will double company revenue as measured by introducing four new products, landing 10 new customers with recurring orders of $5,000 a month, and streamlining operations through technological innovation.”

Of course, the key results in these objectives can also be objectives with their own sets of key results. But be careful about doing that because you don’t want to overwhelm your teams.

Four Steps on How to Write OKRs

Step 1: Identify Priorities

Your team should identify some top priorities for OKRs. Assess what you want to achieve in, say, the next quarter. Ask some questions:

• What are the most important things we need to accomplish in the next 90 days?

• Would we be better off if we achieved one of these goals?

• What do we need to change from today to make this happen?

The aim of this exercise is to prioritize what’s most important. Try to narrow your focus to three or fewer priorities.

Step 2: Write the Objective

Convert your priorities into objectives. Much like a SMART goal, your objectives must be:

• Significant

• Concrete

• Action-oriented

• Inspirational

• Timely

• Accomplishable

For instance, you prioritize signing five new clients with an MRR of $10,000 each over the next 90 days. It’s a worthy accomplishment and easy to understand. The key results will tell you how to achieve that objective.

Step 3: Compose the Key Results

Key results do not reflect everything that needs to happen to achieve the objective. Think of the smallest number of meaningful outcomes that lead to your goal.

• Key Result 1: Generate 10 prospect demos per week.

• Key Result 2: Increase monthly form-fills on the website from 10 to 50.

• Key Result 3: Receive seven messages on LinkedIn network per week.

You will need to outline how to get these key results. To get 10 prospect demos, you’ll need relevant conversion points. Increase form fills on the site through CRO work or paid advertisements on various channels. You must reach out to your LinkedIn network or post your thoughts to capture people’s attention.

Don’t forget to monitor progress along the way. You can alter the objectives based on how soon you accomplish the key results.

Step 4: Develop Stretch Goals

Did you accomplish your objectives early? Are things not progressing as planned? You can recalibrate as needed. Perhaps you can turn a key result into an objective, and your original objective into a stretch goal.

Understand the Benefits of Your OKRs

Once you draft your OKRs, look at them more closely to see if they are achievable:

1. Alignment. Are your teams on board with the objectives? Will everyone be held accountable for their roles?

2. Focus. Did you limit the key results to no more than five? That will help your teams focus on the most important goals.

3. Transparency. Do all team members know the OKRs? Who holds each person accountable?

4. Adaptability. Can you change plans if you see data that supports a different objective? What changes do you need to make so that things don’t go off the rails?

5. Growth. Are the OKRs ambitious? Will your team grow because of them?

Common Pitfalls to Avoid With OKRs

When learning how to write OKRs, avoid these common mistakes:

1. Having too many priorities that lead to a lack of focus

2. Writing tasks instead of outcomes

3. Setting unrealistic or trivial goals

4. Using vague language when describing OKRs

5. Not adjusting when things change

6. Creating OKRs without team input

7. Confusing key results with KPIs

8. Turning company-level key results into objectives of a team within the company

What Objectives and Key Results Mean Separately

An objective describes what will be accomplished. It defines what success looks like. For example, “We will double company revenue in two years.”

Key results show how someone achieves an objective. Ideally, try to stick with three to five key results. For instance, “We will increase from two to eight product lines over six months” is one key result that can lead to the objective of doubling revenue in two years.

Three Types of OKRs

Before you find out how to write OKRs, you must also know the three main types.

1. Learning OKRs are experimental goals that give you new insights, like testing a new product or service while expanding your market reach.

2. Committed OKRs are non-negotiable goals that must be achieved no matter what, such as moving into a new building because the current building is too cramped or too old.

3. Aspirational OKRs are ambitious stretch goals beyond the main key results, like increasing profits by 33% because your company doubled its revenue.

Keep these three types of OKRs in mind as you write them because they will inform you how much capital, time, and effort you should invest. OKRs should be aligned with your strategy and emotionally motivating rather than draining.

Request a Demo to Track OKRs More Easily

Ready to see what your team can do with AI OKR software? Request a demo or start a free trial with Brev. Our software connects with existing workplace tools and meetings to automatically capture decisions, update goals, track commitments, and surface risks across all teams. Brev acts as a persistent “company brain” to give leadership a real-time view of progress across the organization without requiring teams to prepare status reports or adopt another system.

Let Brev operate as your company brain while keeping OKRs top of mind. Request a free demo  or start your free trial with Brev today.