What Are OKRs? Objectives & Key Results Explained (With Examples)

OKR – The Goal Management Framework Used by Google, Spotify & Co.

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal management framework used by companies like Google, LinkedIn, and Spotify. It helps teams focus on what matters most and achieve measurable results.

In 2026, the framework remains highly relevant – especially in combination with agile methods and AI-powered progress tracking.

How Do OKRs Work?

• Objective: The qualitative goal – WHAT do you want to achieve? (inspiring, ambitious)
• Key Results: The measurable outcomes – HOW do you know you've succeeded? (2–5 per Objective)

Practical Example

Objective: Noticeably improve our customer satisfaction

Key Result	Target	Current
Increase NPS	30 → 50	35
Reduce support response time	24h → 4h	12h
Positive onboarding ratings	95%	78%

Important: 70% goal achievement is considered a success with OKRs. If you hit 100% on everything, your goals weren't ambitious enough.

OKRs vs. KPIs – What's the Difference?

	OKRs	KPIs
Focus	Change & growth	Ongoing performance
Timeframe	Quarterly	Continuous
Ambition	Stretch goals (70% = good)	100% = target
Direction	Bottom-up + top-down	Top-down

In short: KPIs measure the status quo, OKRs drive change.

Common OKR Mistakes

1. Too many Objectives – Max. 3–5 per quarter, otherwise you lose focus
2. Confusing Key Results with activities – "Write 10 blog posts" is not a Key Result; "Increase organic traffic by 30%" is
3. Using OKRs as a performance tool – OKRs are a learning framework, not an evaluation tool
4. No regular check-ins – Without weekly reviews, OKRs become a dead document

Implementing OKRs with monday.com

monday.com is an excellent OKR tool:

• OKR Board – Objectives as groups, Key Results as items with a progress column
• Progress Tracking – Automatic calculation of overall progress
• Dashboard – Overview of all team OKRs at a glance
• Automations – Weekly check-in reminders for all owners
• AI Summaries – Automatic status updates and trend detection

5 Best Practices for Successful OKRs

1. Less is more – Max. 3–5 Objectives per quarter
2. Bottom-up + top-down – Teams define their own OKRs, aligned with company goals
3. Transparency – All OKRs are visible to everyone in the organization
4. Regular check-ins – Discuss progress weekly or bi-weekly
5. Learnings > evaluation – OKRs aren't a performance tool, they're a learning framework

Conclusion

OKRs are a powerful tool to bring focus, alignment, and transparency to your organization. Start with one team, iterate, then scale.

→ Book an OKR workshop