Writing Goals
OKR writing tips
Here are some tips for better OKRs (Objectives and Key Results):
- Link Objectives (Os) to overall strategy: Ensure your objectives align with your organisation's overall strategy and goals.
- Involve relevant stakeholders: Get input and buy-in from relevant stakeholders, including team members.
- Once the Objective themes are clear ( but not yet formulated like Objectives), start to define your Key Results first before you are trying to formulate a final version of your Os
- Set challenging but achievable Key Results (KRs) : KRs should be quantifiable with a metric and challenging, but also achievable. Avoid making all KRs very challenging - it's about the mix.
- If you can't find a metric for your Key Result, you are probably trying to define a Milestone of a project. If so, define the milestone as concrete as possible. Leave no room for different interpretations.
- If you can't find a metric for your KR because you have never measured the metric, assume a number which would mean success for you and the team. Then, try to get as close as possible.
- When your KRs feel right, formulate the final version of your Objectives. Imagine they should also work as catchy headlines for an internal press release.
- Define an owner for every KR to manage the KR during the OKR cycle. The owner should set and update his/her confidence level to make it happen and the real progress throughout the OKR cycle.
- Make sure your OKRs can be translated into concrete actions and tasks for your team.
- Communicate OKRs effectively: Ensure that your OKRs are effectively communicated to everyone who needs to know, including team members and stakeholders. Tell the story, the focus and the purpose behind.
OKR metric database
Use this as a list for inspiration to write better OKRs by focussing on some metrics driving change. Even if you don't measure these metrics up to now, they can be still used in your Key Results - just make an assumption what number would mean success for you and see where you land. Keep in mind that some metrics might be more longterm related, so they could be used for annual OKRs or as KPIs you want to keep an eye on.
OKR metrics for Digital Marketing Teams
Website traffic: the number of visitors to a website, often measured using tools like Google Analytics.
Conversion rate: the percentage of website visitors who take a specific desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
Bounce rate: the percentage of website visitors who leave a website after only visiting one page.
Average session duration: the average amount of time a user spends on a website during a single session.
Cost per click (CPC): the cost of an advertisement for each click it receives.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): the return on investment for a specific advertising campaign, calculated as revenue divided by ad spend.
Lead generation: the number of leads generated from a specific campaign or tactic, such as a landing page or form.
Social media engagement: the number of likes, comments, shares, and other interactions on social media platforms.
Email open and click-through rates: the percentage of emails that are opened and the percentage of emails that result in a click.
Customer lifetime value (CLV): the estimated total value a customer will bring to a business over their lifetime.
OKR metrics for Communication Teams
Reach: the number of people who were exposed to a message or campaign.
Impressions: the number of times a message or ad was displayed.
Engagement: the level of interaction with a message or campaign, such as likes, comments, shares, or clicks.
Conversion rate: the percentage of people who took a desired action, such as visiting a website or making a purchase, after being exposed to a message or campaign.
Awareness: the percentage of people who are aware of a brand, product, or issue.
Sentiment: the general tone or feeling expressed in response to a message or campaign, measured using tools like sentiment analysis.
Media coverage: the number and type of media outlets that covered a story or event.
Share of voice: the percentage of media coverage compared to competitors.
Message recall: the percentage of people who can recall a message or campaign after being exposed to it.
Return on investment (ROI): the return generated from a communication investment, calculated as the benefit minus the cost.
OKR metrics for Product Engineering Teams
User adoption: the number of users who have adopted a product and are actively using it.
Active user rate: the percentage of users who are actively using a product on a regular basis.
Retention rate: the percentage of users who continue to use a product over time.
Engagement rate: the level of interaction and involvement users have with a product, such as the number of sessions or time spent using it.
Error rate: the number of errors or bugs that occur within a product, often measured as the number of reported incidents per unit of usage.
Performance metrics: measurements of how well a product performs, such as load time, response time, and resource usage.
User satisfaction: the level of satisfaction users have with a product, often measured through surveys or feedback mechanisms.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): a measure of customer loyalty and the likelihood of a user to recommend a product to others.
Feature usage: the number of users who use a specific feature or set of features within a product.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): the estimated total value a customer will bring to a business over their lifetime through use of a product.
OKR metrics for Product Development Teams
Time-to-market: the amount of time it takes to bring a product to market from the initial ideation phase.
Development velocity: the rate at which a development team can produce working software.
Code quality: the level of maintainability, readability, and reliability of the code produced during development.
Defect density: the number of defects or bugs per unit of code.
User stories completed: the number of user stories or requirements that have been completed during development.
Sprint velocity: the amount of work completed during a specific sprint or iteration of development.
Cost per feature: the cost of developing a specific feature or set of features within a product.
Return on investment (ROI): the return generated from a product development investment, calculated as the benefit minus the cost.
Market share: the percentage of the market that a product has captured.
Customer satisfaction: the level of satisfaction users have with a product, often measured through surveys or feedback mechanisms.
OKR metrics for Customer Success Teams
Customer retention rate: the percentage of customers who remain customers over time.
Customer lifetime value (CLV): the estimated total value a customer will bring to a business over their lifetime.
Customer satisfaction: the level of satisfaction customers have with a product or service, often measured through surveys or feedback mechanisms.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): a measure of customer loyalty and the likelihood of a customer to recommend a product or service to others.
Renewal rate: the percentage of customers who renew a contract or subscription.
Upsell rate: the percentage of customers who purchase additional products or services.
Churn rate: the rate at which customers cancel or stop using a product or service.
Adoption rate: the number of customers who have adopted and are actively using a product or service.
Health score: a numerical representation of a customer's overall health, based on a combination of metrics such as usage, satisfaction, and churn risk.
Case resolution rate: the percentage of customer support cases that are resolved within a specific time period.
OKR metrics for Customer Support Teams
Response time: the amount of time it takes to respond to a customer inquiry.
Resolution time: the amount of time it takes to resolve a customer issue.
First contact resolution rate: the percentage of customer issues that are resolved during the first interaction with support.
Customer satisfaction: the level of satisfaction customers have with the support they receive, often measured through surveys or feedback mechanisms.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): a measure of customer loyalty and the likelihood of a customer to recommend a product or service to others.
Case volume: the number of support cases received over a specific time period.
Average handle time: the average amount of time it takes to handle a support case from start to finish.
Escalation rate: the percentage of support cases that are escalated to higher levels of support.
Self-service usage rate: the percentage of customers who use self-service resources, such as knowledge bases or forums, to resolve issues.
Repeat contacts: the number of customers who contact support multiple times for the same issue.
OKR metrics for Operations or Logistics Teams
Inventory turnover rate: the number of times inventory is sold and replaced in a given time period.
Fill rate: the percentage of customer orders that are fulfilled on time and in full.
Order processing time: the amount of time it takes to process an order from receipt to shipment.
Lead time: the amount of time it takes for a product to be delivered from the time an order is placed.
Transportation cost per unit: the cost of transporting a unit of product, often calculated as the total transportation cost divided by the number of units shipped.
Warehouse utilization rate: the percentage of available warehouse space that is being used.
Labor efficiency: the amount of time it takes for a worker to complete a task, often measured in units of production per hour.
Equipment utilization: the amount of time equipment is in use compared to the total available time.
On-time delivery rate: the percentage of deliveries that are made on time.
Damage rate: the percentage of products that are damaged during transportation or handling.
OKR metrics for Design or Corporate Identity Teams
Time-to-market: the amount of time it takes to bring a design from ideation to implementation.
Design velocity: the rate at which a design team can produce new designs.
Design quality: the level of user-centeredness, aesthetic appeal, and technical feasibility of designs produced.
Feedback cycle time: the amount of time it takes for a design team to receive feedback on a design and make necessary revisions.
Conversion rate: the percentage of visitors to a website or product who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
User engagement: the level of interaction and involvement users have with a design, often measured through metrics such as time on site, pages per session, and click-through rate.
A/B testing success rate: the percentage of A/B tests that result in statistically significant improvements in key metrics such as conversion rate or user engagement.
Design rework rate: the percentage of designs that require revisions due to issues with functionality or usability.
Design collaboration efficiency: the efficiency with which design team members work together and share information.
Design standard compliance rate: the percentage of designs that comply with established design standards and guidelines.
OKR metrics for Sales or BizDev Teams
Revenue: the total amount of money generated from sales.
Average deal size: the average value of deals closed.
Win rate: the percentage of deals won compared to the total number of deals pursued.
Sales cycle time: the amount of time it takes to close a deal, from initial engagement to final sale.
Lead conversion rate: the percentage of leads that are converted into paying customers.
Lead response time: the amount of time it takes for a sales team to respond to a lead.
Customer acquisition cost (CAC): the cost of acquiring a new customer, often calculated as the total sales and marketing costs divided by the number of new customers acquired.
Lifetime value of a customer (LTV): the estimated revenue a customer will generate over the course of their relationship with a company.
Sales pipeline velocity: the rate at which leads are moving through the sales pipeline and becoming opportunities.
Sales team productivity: the amount of sales generated per unit of time by individual sales representatives or the sales team as a whole.
OKR metrics for Teams handling Sales Funnels
Traffic: the number of visitors to a website or landing page.
Conversion rate: the percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as filling out a form or making a purchase.
Lead-to-customer rate: the percentage of leads that become customers.
Average deal size: the average amount of a sale.
Close rate: the percentage of sales that are successfully closed.
Time to close: the amount of time it takes to close a sale.
Customer lifetime value (LTV): the estimated revenue that a customer will generate over their lifetime.
Sales cycle length: the amount of time it takes to complete a sales cycle.
Lead response time: the amount of time it takes to respond to a lead.
Win-loss ratio: the ratio of won to lost sales opportunities.
Funnel drop-off rate: the percentage of prospects who drop out of the sales funnel at each stage.
Funnel conversion rate by stage: the conversion rate for each stage of the sales funnel.
Cost per lead: the cost of acquiring a lead through marketing efforts.
Cost per sale: the cost of acquiring a customer through marketing and sales efforts.
OKR metrics for Warehouse Teams
Inventory turnover rate: the number of times inventory is sold and replaced over a given period.
Order picking accuracy: the accuracy of orders picked by warehouse workers.
Order cycle time: the amount of time it takes to receive an order, pick and pack the items, and ship the order to the customer.
Labor utilization rate: the percentage of time that warehouse workers are actively engaged in work tasks.
Shipping accuracy: the accuracy of orders shipped to customers.
Storage utilization rate: the percentage of warehouse storage space that is being used effectively.
Order processing time: the amount of time it takes to process an order from receipt to shipping.
Space utilization: the ratio of used space to available space in a warehouse.
Stock accuracy: the accuracy of inventory records, including the number of items on hand and their location.
Stock obsolescence rate: the percentage of inventory that is no longer useful or sellable.
Returns processing time: the amount of time it takes to process a returned item and make it available for sale again.
Equipment utilization: the percentage of time that equipment, such as forklifts and pallet jacks, are in use.
OKR metrics for Restaurant Teams
Sales revenue: the total amount of money generated from food and beverage sales.
Guest count: the number of customers served in a given period.
Average check size: the average amount spent per customer.
Food cost percentage: the cost of food and beverage items as a percentage of sales.
Labor cost percentage: the cost of labor as a percentage of sales.
Sales mix: the proportion of different menu items sold.
Speed of service: the time it takes to serve customers from the time they place their order to the time they receive their food.
Guest satisfaction: the satisfaction of customers with their dining experience, often measured through customer surveys or reviews.
Food waste: the amount of food that is not sold and must be discarded.
Employee turnover rate: the rate at which employees leave the restaurant and are replaced by new hires.
Gross profit margin: the profit generated from sales after deducting the cost of food and beverage items.
Net profit margin: the profit generated from sales after deducting all operating expenses, including labor and overhead costs.
OKR metrics for HR or People Teams
Time-to-hire: the amount of time it takes to fill a vacant position.
Employee turnover rate: the percentage of employees who leave a company in a given time period.
Employee satisfaction: the level of satisfaction employees have with their jobs and work environment, often measured through surveys or pulse polls.
Retention rate: the percentage of employees who remain with a company over a given period of time.
Diversity and inclusion: the extent to which a company’s workforce represents a range of backgrounds and perspectives, often measured through metrics such as gender, ethnicity, and skill diversity.
Performance evaluation completion rate: the percentage of employees who have completed their performance evaluations on time.
Learning and development participation rate: the percentage of employees who participate in learning and development programs.
Employee engagement: the level of commitment and involvement employees have with their jobs and their employer, often measured through metrics such as absenteeism, turnover, and productivity.
Recruitment cost per hire: the cost of recruiting a new employee, often calculated as the total recruitment cost divided by the number of new hires.
Employee referral rate: the percentage of new hires that are sourced through employee referrals.
OKR metrics for Finance or Accounting Teams
Gross profit margin: the percentage of revenue that is left after subtracting the cost of goods sold.
Net profit margin: the percentage of revenue that is left after subtracting all expenses, including operating expenses and taxes.
Return on investment (ROI): the amount of return on an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment's cost.
Debt-to-equity ratio: the ratio of a company's debt to its equity, which measures its financial leverage.
Cash flow: the amount of cash a company generates from its operations.
Accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) turnover: the rate at which a company pays its bills and collects payment from its customers.
Capital expenditures: the amount of money a company invests in long-term assets, such as property, plant, and equipment.
Operating expenses: the day-to-day costs of running a business, including salaries, utilities, and marketing expenses.
Days Sales Outstanding (DSO): This measures the average number of days it takes a company to collect payment after making a sale. A low DSO indicates that a company is collecting payments quickly, while a high DSO suggests slow payment collection and potential cash flow problems.
Days Payables Outstanding (DPO): This measures the average number of days it takes a company to pay its bills after receiving goods or services.
Payment Cycle: This measures the total time it takes a company to complete a full cycle of paying its bills and collecting payment from its customers.
Accounts Receivable Turnover: This measures the number of times a company's accounts receivable balance is collected during a specified period.
Accounts Payable Turnover: This measures the number of times a company's accounts payable balance is paid during a specified period.
OKR metrics for Legal Teams
Contract review cycle time: the amount of time it takes for a legal team to review and approve a contract.
Legal spend: the amount of money spent on legal services.
Litigation rate: the rate at which a company is involved in lawsuits.
Contract compliance rate: the percentage of contracts that are in compliance with laws and regulations.
Intellectual property (IP) portfolio size: the number of patents, trademarks, and other forms of IP that a company holds.
IP infringement rate: the rate at which a company's IP is being infringed upon.
Regulatory compliance rate: the percentage of a company's operations that are in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
Data privacy and security: the measures a company takes to protect the privacy and security of its customers' personal and financial data.
Contract negotiation success rate: the percentage of contract negotiations that result in favorable outcomes for a company.
Legal team productivity: the amount of legal work performed by a legal team in a given period of time.
About the author
Hannes Albrecht
A true pioneer in OKRs. Keynote speaker for OKRs, goals and result-based leadership. Specialised in enabling C-Levels and Management Teams to use OKRs successfully in order to
execute strategy with radical focus. Experienced Manager with international background in various industries. Based near munich, Germany.
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