25+ Real OKR Examples for Different Teams

OKRs or objectives and key results are a collaborative goal-setting framework used by teams and organizations to set challenging, ambitious goals with measurable results. OKRs are how you track progress, create alignment, and encourage engagement around measurable goals.  

OKRs are a statement of intent by any team in your organization. It’s a public way of announcing what the team is going to work on and who will be accountable for its success or failure. At the company level, OKRs act as a north star for your organization and are goals that count on efforts from every level of the business. Setting company OKRs allows individual teams to set goals that help drive those overarching objectives while preserving their autonomy and enabling their own development and growth. 

Breaking down OKRs

OKRs are made up of two components:  

• The Objective: what you’re trying to accomplish
• Key Results: how you’ll measure whether you achieve the objective

When writing OKRs, use this format: 

Objectives need to be clear, inspiring, and easy to rally around. The golden rule of writing objectives is that any reasonable person should be able to understand the objective’s aim and motivation at a glance. Think of your objective as a strategic theme, a qualitative statement of what is to be achieved. An objective should be significant, concrete, and action oriented, designed to propel the organization in the desired direction. 

A key result (KR) is measurable and verifiable; there’s always a black and white answer whether it’s achieved. Setting around three KRs for an objective is a reasonable place to start, and you’ll want a specific person to be accountable to its success.  

Learn more in our article What are OKRs? Objectives and Key Results Explained.

Adopting a company OKR strategy helps keep three perspectives in mind: mission, vision, and business system integration. The objective should be aspirational (derived from the mission and vision), while the key results should be attainable with respect to department and team OKRs.  

Example

Objective: Bring in more, send out less 

Objective description: As a first step towards profitability, we need to become cash-flow positive

Key result 1: Increase cash collection to $1.2m

Key result 2: Expenses below $1.1m

Key result 3: Quarterly growth at 40%

Example

Objective: Skyrocket growth mode 

Objective description: Consistent scaling means consistently crushing the fundamentals

Key result 1: Keep the MoM revenue growth above 19% 

Key result 2: 100% customer renewal rate 

Key result 3: Keep the OPM (Operating Profit Margin) above 15% 

Engineers and software developers focus on optimization and reducing bottlenecks. OKRs for engineering teams will have an ambitious focus on preventing and correcting mishaps, as well as removing friction from the user experience. Outcome-based Key Results here are easier to find since the roles are rooted in performance versus output. 

Example

Objective: Be the bug spray 

Objective description: Our product should not inhibit someone’s progress 

Key result 1: Less than 10 open critical bugs 

Key result 2: Fix customer reported bugs in less than 7 days 

Example

Objective: Faster than F1, more reliable than a mule 

Objective description: More speed = less friction 

Key result 1: Average uptime of all services 

Key result 2: Average page load under 2 seconds

Need more examples? Check out our article on engineering OKR examples.  

OKRs for product management help product teams remain focused on company goals and user experience. Finding that critical balance is at the heart of effective product OKRs.

Example

Objective: Users love our product

Objective description: Our customers become our brand advocates

Key result 1: Everyone on the team owns an OKR

Key result 2: We are tracking 270 key results

Key result 3: Reduce number of inputs during the trial

Key result 4: Committed OKRs at 100% attainment

Need more examples? Check out our article on product OKR examples. 

Marketers need objectives that connect to higher-level company goals, focused on the underlying performance drivers for marketing. Questioning whether a metric is impactful, or vanity is crucial for Marketing OKRs.

Example

Objective: Flood the pipeline

Objective description: Widen the top of the funnel in order to hit the sales targets

Key result 1: Generate 4,300 leads

Key result 2: Bring in 140k people to the website

Key result 3: Generate 2,800 MQLs

Example

Objective: When you hear (idea), you think (your brand)

Objective description: Build the brand with curated content for our industry

Key result 1: Grow blog subscribers list to 5,000

Key result 2: Place 3 owned content pieces in media or other online publications

Key result 3: Increase social media followers by 50%

Want more examples? Check out our article on marketing OKR examples. 

OKRs bring new depth to sales. The number is a performance indicator, but the number itself is not a measure of performance. Sales OKRs should focus on the impact of the numbers: activity, efficiency, effectiveness, and structure.

Example

Objective: Bullseye on sales targets

Objective description: We need to finish the year with strong sales numbers

Key result 1: Hit $740k MRR (monthly recurring revenue )

Key result 2: Close 130 new customers

Key result 3: Hit $2.5m in new bookings

Example

Objective: Emerge from the market shadows

Objective description: Becoming a market leader definitely doesn’t happen overnight, but takes careful planning and hard work

Key result 1: Increase MRR by $200,000

Key result 2: Keep monthly customer churn below 5%

Key result 3: Lower overall expenses by 5%

Want to learn more? Check out our article on sales OKR examples. 

Emphasizing the outcome over output mentality in finance is crucial. Finance OKRs that lean too much on vague, qualitative pursuits tend to look like tasks. Balancing KPIs with OKRs will prevent your goals from becoming overly qualitative, but also keep your focus on the future.

Example

Objective: Laser focus on the budget

Objective description: Make sure we hit the main components of the budget

Key result 1: Expenses on budget

Key result 2: GAAP revenue on target

Key result 3: World-class cash collections

Example

Objective: Accounting scores A+’s

Objective description: High quality accounting is the key to a good accounting health. By setting quality as priority for our Accounting team, we aim to focus on quality over speed.

Key result 1: 100% invoices accuracy

Key result 2: 100% audit recommendations implemented

Key result 3: 100% GL account reconciliation

HR ensures every individual feels prepared and deeply engaged in the vision and mission set out by the executive leaders. OKRs ensure a transparent core for all members in the organization, fulfilling their need of purpose.

Example

Objective: First round draft picks only or recruit world class talent

Objective description: Bring in the top talent to take us to the next level

Key result 1: Create the target list of 20 people

Key result 2: Approach 20 people from the target list

Key result 3: Hire 7 people from the target list

Example

Objective: Our employees are engaged

Objective description: Make every voice heard, every person seen

Key result 1: 30% increase in eNPS compared to the previous year

Key result 2: 100% completion rate on the quarterly engagement survey

Key result 3: 100% attendance on the feedback workshops for all teams

Key result 4: 100% employee engagement rate

Need more examples? Check out our article on HR OKR examples.

Design has a direct correlation to the impact of visual communication. Poor design can undermine the most powerful messages while great design improves the time and engagement users experience messages. Exploring the result of outputs (the creative) is critical in design OKRs.

Example

Objective: Flawless sign-up flow

Objective description: To increase the revenue, we need to make trial sign up frictionless - all of our customers come from trials

Key result 1: Reduce the number of steps to sign up for trial

Key result 2: Increase the percentage of completed sign ups

Key result 3: Reduce number of inputs during the trial

Example

Objective: Captivate and capture visitors with the new website

Objective description: We need to launch our new and improved website and make sure the design grabs the user's attention and users spend the necessary time on it

Key result 1: Average Session Duration > 1 min

Key result 2: Bounce Rate < 40%

Key result 3: Cart Abandonment Rate < 60%

To retain customers, tech companies must ensure customers achieve the outcomes that led them to invest in their technology. It’s the job of the technical success team to make sure that happens, accounting for why customer retention is the classic north star metric for the team. 

Example

Objective: The Technical Success service is exceptional

Objective description: Support customers every step of the way

Key result 1: 100% retention of technical success accounts

Key result 2: Every account has configurable reporting custom to their needs

Key result 3: Increase daily active user count for all our accounts

In a startup, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with a seemingly never-ending list of things to do. OKRs are a mindset as much as a methodology, helping to focus more on what matters. Startups must maximize every effort given and every dollar spent. OKRs help startups use resources efficiently and create alignment.

Example

Objective: Make Series A look like child’s play

Objective description: To accelerate our growth, we need to raise the next round of capital

Key result 1: Build a list of 100 VCs to target

Key result 2: Get 20 second meetings

Key result 3: Receive 5 term sheets

Key result 4: Close the minimum of $9m investment

Example

Objective: From Startup to Scaleup

Objective description: Make the transition, show the market

Key result 1: 10-fold our customer base growth

Key result 2: 2 new MVPs introduction

Key result 3: Company valuation to increase at least 500%

Key result 4: At least 1 Private Equity Fund to commit on an investment

OKR examples for a CEO

The Chief Executive Officer’s OKRs should be directly connected to the company mission and vision. CEOs work for their teams as much as their teams work with them. Note the diversity of the OKR examples below: one is focused on industry domination, while the other is strongly team-centric. 

Example

Objective: Amass huge SaaS (metrics)

Objective description: Achieve top percentile SaaS metrics

Key result 1: Hit 18% MoM growth

Key result 2: Gross margin to 90%

Key result 3: Monthly logo churn below 1%

Key result 4: Net MRR churn to -5%

Example

Objective: Serving others: Sales team edition

Objective description: Executive presence helps sales teams, and being close to customers and prospects is important

Key result 1: Attend 100 sales calls

Key result 2: Send 300 sales emails

Key result 3: Visit 20 prospects on site

OKR example for a CSO

It's up to the CSO to advance organizational strategy and execution, as well as reach (or surpass) employee performance goals. The Chief Strategy Officer must overcome challenges by implementing more effective strategy execution methodologies, like OKRs.  

Example

Objective: Target and secure the unrecognized buyer persona market

Objective description: We can’t adjust for what we don’t know

Key result 1: Validate a problem hypothesis

Key result 2: Validate a solution hypothesis

Key result 3: Test 3 pricing/packaging/channel options for segments

OKR example for a COO

The role of the Chief Operating Officer is about strategic growth, acceleration, and cross-functional efficiency. Optimization for the long term is the COO’s priority. Transparency and process optimization are at the core of OKRs, helping leaders focus on the micro level without micromanagement.

Example

Objective: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, but make it operations

Objective description: Optimize processes that keep the wheel turning

Key result 1: Cut procure-to-pay cycle time in half

Key result 2: Pay 50% of invoices in 10 days for 2% discount

Key result 3: Add new vendors in 3 business days

OKR example for a CoS

The Chief of Staff, while holding various responsibilities, has a distinct and particular purpose: drive organizational effectiveness. CoS OKRs drive a focus on outcomes rather than outputs, which creates an effectiveness-over-efficiency mentality.  

Example

Objective: Gold medal performances across the board

Objective description: OKRs are a benchmark. Set the bar higher.

Key result 1: The Leadership team’s average OKR progress >= 70%

Key result 2: The Principal’s OKR progress >= 70%

Key result 3: OKRs progress across the organization >= 70%

OKR example for a CPO

Product OKRs for the Chief Product Officer enable product teams to strategically problem-solve using their own process. Identifying product team OKRs as a CPO or product leader ensures that teams will focus on what matters, internally align as a team with that goal, and create methods for collaboration to reach it. 

Example

Objective: Create a forest of opportunity from the seeds of trials

Objective description: Trials are a make or break experience

Key result 1: 70% of trials complete their public profile during sign up

Key result 2: 50% of trials invite a friend within 5 days

Key result 3: Increase the activation metric by 5%

OKR example for a CTO

Example

Objective: Be there for our customers 24/7

Objective description: Prioritize and align the technologies that provide the greatest impact

Key result 1: Top 10 web assets get 60% mobile/tablet visitors

Key result 2: 50% of top 10,000 transactions are from iPhone native app

Key result 3: Expose 20 core transactions as restful APIs

OKR example for a CMO

In an experiment-driven department, the Chief Marketing Officer offers guidance, encourages risks, and builds trust. With OKRs, the Chief Marketing Officer can focus on enabling both creative choices and aligned outcomes within the marketing team.

Example

Objective: Gain the world's trust

Objective description: Drive results through creative and content strategy

Key result 1: Reach 100,000 cumulative unpaid website visits

Key result 2: Increase marketing-generated leads from $500,000 to $2M of pipeline

Key result 3: Increase average G2 review from 4.6 to 4.8

OKR example for a DE&I leader

Framing diversity, equity, and inclusion as a solution, not a problem, should be at the core of OKRs for DE&I leaders. The main idea of OKRs for DE&I is to bring quantitative measurements to an otherwise highly qualitative role.  

Example

Objective: DE&I is the marble that we etch our progress on

Objective description: DE&I is not a side project, it’s a core value

Key result 1: Capture new customer segments and markets with employees mirroring target audience

Key result 2: Become a top SaaS employer

At Gtmhub, we’re committed to helping you bridge the gap between strategy and execution. Inspired by the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) methodology, our platform is designed to help you align your teams, improve focus and foster transparency.

Quick-start your OKR journey with ready-to-go OKR templates from our Marketplace or connect with 160+ Integrations to update your OKRs and KPIs automatically to easily make data-driven decisions with our customizable Insights and Dashboards.

Ready to achieve your most ambitious goals? Start a free trial today or book a demo to see Gtmhub in action.