Good and Bad OKRs

Well-written example of OKRs

Well-written OKRs are specific, measurable, and time-bound.

In the example above, the objective is clear and specific, and the key results provide specific, measurable targets for the team to work towards.

Badly written examples of OKRs

On the other hand, lack specificity and clarity. For example:

In this example, the objective is vague and not specific, and the key results lack measurable targets. This makes it difficult for the team to understand what they are working towards and how to track their progress.

Let’s look at a few more examples

✅ Well-Written OKRs	⛔️ Poor-Written OKRs
Objective: Transform our company into a leading provider of sustainable products	Objective: Be a good company
Key Result: Increase the percentage of sustainable products in our product line by 50%	Key Result: Make sustainable products
Key Result: Reduce our carbon footprint by 30%	Key Result: Be more environmentally friendly
Key Result: Achieve a customer satisfaction score of 9 or higher for our sustainable products	Key Result: Make customers happy with our sustainable products

✅ Well-Written OKRs	⛔️ Poor-Written OKRs
Objective: Transform our company into a leading provider of sustainable products	Objective: Be a good company
Why it’s important: This objective is important because it aligns with our values and purpose as a company, and it allows us to meet the growing demand for sustainable products in the market.	Why it’s important: N/A
Key Result: Increase the percentage of sustainable products in our product line by 50%	Key Result: Make sustainable products
Key Result: Reduce our carbon footprint by 30%	Key Result: Be more environmentally friendly
Key Result: Achieve a customer satisfaction score of 9 or higher for our sustainable products	Key Result: Make customers happy with our sustainable products

✅ Well-Written OKRs	⛔️ Poor-Written OKRs
Objective: Launch a new product to complete our product portfolio inline with our mission	Objective: Launch a new product
Key Result: Complete all product development tasks within four months	Key Result: Finish product development
Key Result: Achieve a profit margin of 25% within the first year	Key Result: Make money from the new product
Key Result: Achieve a customer acquisition rate of 10% within the first month	Key Result: Get customers for the new product
Key Result: Achieve a customer retention rate of 95% within the first year	Key Result: Keep customers for the new product

✅ Well-Written OKRs	⛔️ Poor-Written OKRs
Objective: Increase website traffic by 50%	Objective: Get more traffic to the website
Key Result: Increase the number of unique visitors by 50%	Key Result: Get more people to visit the website
Key Result: Increase the average time on site by 30%	Key Result: Keep people on the website longer
Key Result: Increase the number of page views by 40%	Key Result: Get people to look at more pages on the website
Key Result: Increase the conversion rate by 20%	Key Result: Get more people to take action on the website

✅ Well-Written OKRs	⛔️ Poor-Written OKRs
Objective: Reduce employee turnover by 20%	Objective: Improve employee retention
Key Result: Increase employee engagement scores by 15%	Key Result: Make employees happy
Key Result: Implement a new onboarding process that results in a 90% retention rate for new hires	Key Result: Retain new hires
Key Result: Increase the number of employees participating in professional development opportunities by 25%	Key Result: Help employees grow
Key Result: Reduce the number of voluntary departures by 25%	Key Result: Keep employees from leaving

✅ Well-Written OKRs	⛔️ Poor-Written OKRs
Objective: Increase customer satisfaction by 10%	Objective: Improve customer satisfaction
Key Result: Increase Net Promoter Score from 8 to 9	Key Result: Make customers happy
Key Result: Reduce customer complaint resolution time by 50%	Key Result: Resolve customer complaints
Key Result: Increase customer retention rate by 5%	Key Result: Keep customers

✅ Well-Written OKRs	⛔️ Poor-Written OKRs
Objective: Reduce energy consumption by 20%	Objective: Save energy
Key Result: Implement energy-efficient lighting in all facilities	Key Result: Change the lights
Key Result: Increase the percentage of renewable energy used by 25%	Key Result: Use clean energy
Key Result: Implement an energy management system that reduces energy consumption by 15%	Key Result: Manage energy better
Key Result: Increase employee awareness of energy conservation by 30%	Key Result: Educate employees about energy

✅ Well-Written OKRs	⛔️ Poor-Written OKRs
Objective: Increase revenue by 15%	Objective: Make more money
Key Result: Increase the average order value by 10%	Key Result: Get people to spend more money
Key Result: Increase the conversion rate by 20%	Key Result: Get more people to buy

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