Making a great start with OKRs

‍Roger Longden is an experienced OKR coach and consultant, having supported over 20 companies in implementing OKRs — including Catena Media, Bede Gaming, and business accelerators like Techstars in Berlin.

Roger’s journey with OKRs began when he met Brett Knowles, one of the world’s foremost experts in strategy execution and measurement.

We asked Roger how companies can get a great start with OKRs.
‍

Getting started with OKRs: Roger Longden’s advice

‍
What should companies focus on when introducing OKRs?

To begin, the leadership team should define the core business priorities for the next twelve months. Ideally, this is drawn from a three-year business plan, narrowing down to the top three or four annual priorities, which become the company’s “strategic” OKRs. Typically, these might include objectives around revenue, product, and people/organization.

From here, break down the annual company OKRs into actionable 90-day goals — or “tactical” OKRs — for each quarter. While some companies may use biannual or tertiary cycles, quarterly OKRs are the most common. Each objective should be ambitious yet attainable, supported by clear, measurable key results. Aim for no more than three key results per objective, each owned by a senior team member.

Setting effective OKRs takes practice. The challenge is to make them ambitious without being overwhelming. The key is to start and refine them over time as the company gains experience.

‍

Aligning OKRs across teams

Once the company’s quarterly OKRs are defined, each team should outline how they can contribute to these goals. Teams typically set one to three team OKRs per quarter, aligned with company OKRs. This process involves both top-down direction and bottom-up input, fostering discussion between teams and leadership on achieving these objectives.

Allowing room for these discussions is valuable as it often surfaces important insights. However, it’s also essential to avoid getting bogged down in perfectionism. OKRs improve with practice, and a learning curve is expected.

‍

Setting individual OKRs

Individual OKRs are similarly defined through top-down and bottom-up collaboration, aligning each person’s OKRs with team goals. Individual OKRs help employees prioritize and focus their efforts effectively.

Clear ownership is crucial. Each company or team OKR should have a designated owner, even if multiple people contribute. For example:

Making OKRs a regular focus

For OKRs to drive meaningful results, they need regular attention. Establish OKR check-ins and routines early on. Tools can reinforce these habits, making your OKR system more successful. Sprint methodologies are particularly effective, with biweekly meetings to set short-term priorities and review recent progress. Additionally, monthly senior leadership meetings can help align OKR progress and maintain company-wide confidence.

Tracking OKR progress and confidence is useful — for example, using a simple flag system (on track, needs attention, off track) or a traffic light (green, orange, red) to monitor each objective’s status. This focus helps prioritize discussions and actions, ensuring everyone is aligned.

‍

Conducting OKR reviews and retrospectives

At the end of each OKR period, a full review should be conducted by the leadership team, covering all team and company OKRs. This includes not only assessing OKR achievements but also reflecting on the OKR process itself.

Reviews and retrospectives, ideally held in the third monthly meeting of each OKR period, help fine-tune the process and set more effective OKRs for the upcoming period. New OKRs should always be finalized by the start of the new period, ensuring a fresh start with clear goals.


‍

🎯 Ready to take your OKR process to the next level?

Discover how Leapsome can help you streamline goal-setting, track progress, and empower every team member to make an impact.

👉 Explore our goals and OKRs tool