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OKR Basics

OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results — a goal-setting framework that helps organizations define measurable goals and track outcomes.

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History

• Peter Drucker introduced “Management by Objectives” (MBO) in the 1950s
• Andy Grove at Intel evolved MBO into OKRs by adding Key Results, quarterly cadences, and bottom-up goal setting
• Google popularized OKRs in 2013, demonstrating how they scale across large organizations

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The Structure

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Objective

An Objective is a qualitative, aspirational goal that describes what you want to achieve. Good objectives are:

• Inspiring and ambitious
• Clear and understandable
• Time-bound (typically quarterly)

Example: Become the market leader in customer satisfaction

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Key Results

Key Results are quantitative measures that indicate whether you’ve achieved the objective. Good key results are:

• Specific and measurable
• Outcome-focused, not task-focused
• Challenging but achievable (aim for 70% completion)

Example: Increase NPS score from 42 to 65

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Key Principles

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Further Reading

• OKR Guide — Comprehensive implementation guide
• Key Concepts — Agile Tools terminology