Introduction

This OKR Starter Kit is designed to help your organization turn strategy into measurable outcomes. Whether you're starting from scratch or refining your goal-setting process, this guide and templates will give you everything you need to implement OKRs successfully.

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Part 1: Understanding OKRs in 10 Minutes

What Are OKRs?

OKRs stand for Objectives and Key Results. They are a goal-setting framework used by leading companies like Google, Intel, and Amazon to align teams, increase focus, and drive results.

The OKR Formula

I will [OBJECTIVE] as measured by [KEY RESULT 1], [KEY RESULT 2], and [KEY RESULT 3]

OKRs vs. Goals vs. Tasks

Element	Description	Example
Objective	The big-picture outcome you want	"Become the market leader in customer experience"
Key Result	How you measure success (2-4 per objective)	"Improve NPS from 45 to 70"
Initiative/Task	The actual work to achieve KRs	"Implement 24/7 customer support"

Why OKRs Work

• Focus: 3-5 objectives keep the team laser-focused (vs. 50 random projects)
• Alignment: All teams work toward same company-level outcomes
• Ambition: Encourages 70% goals (achievable but stretch)
• Transparency: Everyone knows what matters and why
• Agility: Quarterly cycles allow rapid pivots based on learning

Part 2: The OKR Cycle (Quarterly Process)

Timeline Overview

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Part 3: How to Write Great OKRs

Golden Rules

4-Step OKR Writing Process

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Part 4: OKR Templates & Examples

Template 1: Company-Level OKR Template

COMPANY OKRs - Q [X] [YEAR]

OBJECTIVE 1: [Main goal for the company]

  Key Result 1: [Measurable outcome #1]
  Key Result 2: [Measurable outcome #2]
  Key Result 3: [Measurable outcome #3]

OBJECTIVE 2: [Main goal for the company]

  Key Result 1: [Measurable outcome #1]
  Key Result 2: [Measurable outcome #2]

OBJECTIVE 3: [Main goal for the company]

  Key Result 1: [Measurable outcome #1]
  Key Result 2: [Measurable outcome #2]

Template 2: Team-Level OKR Template

TEAM: [Team Name] | QUARTER: Q [X] [YEAR]
Aligned to Company OKR: [Which company objective(s)]

OBJECTIVE 1: [Team goal]
  Owner: [Name]

  Key Result 1: [Measurable outcome] (Current: X | Target: Y)
  Key Result 2: [Measurable outcome] (Current: X | Target: Y)

OBJECTIVE 2: [Team goal]
  Owner: [Name]

  Key Result 1: [Measurable outcome] (Current: X | Target: Y)

INITIATIVES to achieve KRs:
  - [Action 1] - Owner: [Name] - Deadline: [Date]
  - [Action 2] - Owner: [Name] - Deadline: [Date]
  - [Action 3] - Owner: [Name] - Deadline: [Date]

CONFIDENCE LEVEL: [70%/80%/90%] — why we believe we can achieve this

Template 3: OKR Check-in Template (Weekly/Monthly)

TEAM: [Name] | WEEK: [Date] | Progress Snapshot

OBJECTIVE 1: [Goal]
  KR 1: [Status: On Track / At Risk / Off Track]
          Baseline: X | Current: Y | Target: Z | Confidence: [%]
          Update: [What's happening, blockers, next steps]

  KR 2: [Status]
          Baseline: X | Current: Y | Target: Z | Confidence: [%]
          Update: [What's happening, blockers, next steps]

QUICK WINS THIS WEEK:
  - [Achievement 1]
  - [Achievement 2]

BLOCKERS:
  - [Issue 1 - Resolution by Date]
  - [Issue 2 - Resolution by Date]

CONFIDENCE LEVEL: [%] (Why we will/won't hit OKRs)

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Part 5: Real-World OKR Examples

Example 1: B2B SaaS Company (Q1)

Example 2: Marketing Team (Q2)

Aligned to Company OKR: "Accelerate enterprise adoption"

Example 3: Product Team (Q3)

Aligned to Company OKR: "Build a world-class product"

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Part 6: OKR Scoring & Evaluation

Scoring Scale (0.0 to 1.0)

After the quarter, score each Key Result:

• 1.0 = Achieved 100% of the target (or exceeded by 20%+)
• 0.7 = Achieved 70% of the target (sweet spot!)
• 0.5 = Achieved 50% of the target (mid-range)
• 0.3 = Achieved 30% of the target (underperformed)
• 0.0 = Achieved 0% of the target (missed completely)

Scoring Example

KR: "Increase MRR from $500K to $750K"
  Achieved: $700K
  Percentage: ($700K - $500K) / ($750K - $500K) = 80%
  Score: 0.8

Healthy Score Targets

• Team Average: 0.6 to 0.7 (shows ambition)
• Company Average: 0.65 to 0.75
• Trend: Each quarter should improve as processes get tighter

Part 7: Common OKR Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Impact	Fix
Too many OKRs (10+)	Lack of focus; dilutes effort	Limit to 3-5 per entity
OKRs tied to tasks (outputs)	Measures busy-ness, not impact	Focus on outcomes (KRs) not activities
Vague Key Results ("improve X")	Can't measure; hard to align	Make measurable: % gain, $ amount, time reduction
Top-down only	Low buy-in from teams	50/50 top-down + bottom-up input
No weekly check-ins	Problems hide until end of quarter	Weekly 15-min standup per team
Zero fails	OKRs are too safe	Aim for 0.6-0.7 avg; if 100%, reset higher
Too ambitious without support	Team burnout; demoralization	Include needed resources/time in planning
Ignoring mid-quarter pivots	Can't adapt to market changes	Built in flexibility; adjust if conditions change

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Part 8: Your 30-60-90 Day Implementation Plan

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Part 9: Measuring Success

Leading Indicators That OKRs Are Working

• ✅ Team engagement: Teams can articulate OKRs without prompting
• ✅ Alignment: 80%+ of team OKRs clearly support company OKRs
• ✅ Focus: 70%+ of week's work is on OKR initiatives (vs. random requests)
• ✅ Predictability: Quarterly score improves (e.g., 0.5 → 0.65 → 0.75)
• ✅ Speed: Decision-making accelerates ("Does this ladder to our OKRs?")
• ✅ Retention: Turnover decreases; engagement scores improve

Key Metrics to Track Over Time

Metric	Baseline	Target (by Q4)
Avg OKR Score	-	0.65-0.75
% OKRs on track mid-quarter	-	70%+
% Team engagement with OKRs	-	85%+
Decision speed (ideas to launch)	-	Reduce by 30%
Voluntary turnover	-	Reduce by 20%

Part 10: Quick Reference Checklists

Pre-Quarter Planning Checklist

• Review last quarter's results (wins & misses)
• Conduct customer/stakeholder interviews
• Analyze competitive landscape
• Identify top 3-5 company priorities
• Draft company OKRs (3-5 objectives, 2-4 KRs each)
• Socialize with leadership; gather feedback
• Finalize company OKRs
• Brief all teams on company OKRs
• Teams draft their OKRs (bottom-up)
• Conduct alignment 1-1s
• Finalize all OKRs

Weekly Check-In Checklist

• KR Status: On track / At risk / Off track
• Current progress vs. target
• Blockers & resolutions (owner + date)
• Quick wins from the week
• Confidence level (will we hit KRs?)
• Any mid-quarter adjustments needed?

End-of-Quarter Review Checklist

• Score all OKRs (0.0-1.0)
• Document root causes (hits & misses)
• Conduct team retrospectives
• Identify top 3 learnings for next quarter
• Share results in all-hands
• Celebrate wins (team morale)
• Conduct 1-1 feedback with leads
• Archive OKRs for future reference

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Part 11: Tools & Resources

Part 12: Next Steps: Getting Coaching Support

When to Bring in OKR Consulting

You might benefit from expert guidance if:

• ✅ First time implementing OKRs in your organization
• ✅ Previous OKR efforts failed; trying again
• ✅ Scaling from 10 to 50+ employees (alignment gets complex)
• ✅ Teams are misaligned on what matters most
• ✅ Leadership team doesn't have a unified vision

What an OKR Coach Can Help With

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Ready to Get Started?

You now have everything you need to implement OKRs:

• ✅ Understanding: What OKRs are and why they work
• ✅ Process: How to run a quarterly OKR cycle
• ✅ Templates: Ready-to-use OKR formats
• ✅ Examples: Real examples from different industries
• ✅ Plan: A 30-60-90 day rollout roadmap
• ✅ Checklist: Step-by-step execution checklists