This scenario is everyday reality in many companies. Top-down imposed goals kill intrinsic motivation, which is the most powerful driving force of any team. What if we reversed this process? What if the team, based on company strategy, defined how they want to contribute to its success? This is the philosophy of OKR (Objectives and Key Results). In this article, we will show you how in 90 minutes, during an engaging workshop, you can work with your team to set goals that won’t just be numbers in a spreadsheet, but will become a source of authentic engagement and sense of purpose.
Quick Navigation
- How do OKRs differ from traditional KPIs and why do they motivate so well?
- How to conduct a 90-minute workshop that connects team work with company mission?
- How to set Key Results that are ambitious but not demotivating?
- What is the most common mistake when creating OKRs and how to avoid it?
- Change the way your team talks about goals
How do OKRs differ from traditional KPIs and why do they motivate so well?
Most managers are accustomed to managing through KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). KPIs are metrics that measure the “health” of a process or department. Think of them as a dashboard in a car - they show speed, engine temperature, and fuel level. They are absolutely essential to know if everything is working properly. They tell you if you’re staying on course.
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are something completely different. They’re not a dashboard, but a destination entered into your GPS navigation. They don’t tell you where you are, but where you’re heading. OKRs are designed to drive change, inspire, and set ambitious directions.
The fundamental difference lies in their nature. A KPI is usually a metric, e.g., “maintain customer satisfaction at 95%”. This is a defensive goal, monitoring the status quo. An OKR consists of two parts: an inspiring, qualitative Objective, e.g., “Provide our customers with legendary service”, and 3-4 measurable, quantitative Key Results that show how we’ll get there, e.g., “Reduce average response time to tickets from 24h to 8h”.
OKRs motivate so well because they separate the inspiring vision (“why we do this”) from concrete, measurable evidence of success (“how will we know we succeeded”). Most importantly, in an ideal world, they are not imposed but co-created by the team.
How to conduct a 90-minute workshop that connects team work with company mission?
The secret to effective OKRs is the process of creating them. Instead of sending an email with goals, organize a 90-minute engaging workshop. Its purpose is to create space for discussion and jointly define priorities.
Here’s a simple agenda you can lead:
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Minutes 0-15: Context and inspiration. Your task is to set the stage. Start by reminding everyone of the company’s mission and present the most important company-wide goals for the upcoming quarter. Show the team what the entire organization is focusing on. This is your starting point.
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Minutes 15-45: Defining the Objective. Ask your team one powerful question: “Considering the company’s goals, what is THE ONE most important, most inspiring thing our team can achieve this quarter to deliver the greatest value?”. Start brainstorming. Write down all ideas. Your goal is to develop one short, motivating sentence that will be your Objective.
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Minutes 45-75: Creating Key Results. Once you have your Objective, ask the next question: “How will we know we’ve truly achieved it? What 3-4 measurable, concrete results will be evidence of this?”. At this stage, you turn inspiration into mathematics. Each Key Result must be a number - something that can be unambiguously measured at the end of the quarter.
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Minutes 75-90: Finalization and commitment. Read the full OKR aloud. Make sure everyone understands it the same way and feels it is ambitious but achievable. End the workshop by asking for symbolic confirmation of commitment to achieving this shared goal.
How to set Key Results that are ambitious but not demotivating?
OKRs are meant to be ambitious by design. They should pull the team out of their comfort zone and inspire them to seek new solutions. Google, which popularized this method, is famous for considering 70% achievement of an OKR goal as a great success. But how do you set the level of ambition without killing motivation?
You can use a simple categorization of Key Results, dividing them into committed and aspirational goals.
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Committed KRs are those you’re highly confident you can achieve. These are usually operational commitments that you must deliver. Their 100% completion is expected.
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Aspirational KRs are so-called “moonshots”. These are goals that require innovation, thinking outside the box, and taking risks. Here, achieving 60-70% is a fantastic result.
It’s important for the team to know which goals are which. This transparency allows for boldly setting challenges without fear of “punishment” for not achieving 100%. Failure in pursuing an ambitious goal is often a more valuable lesson than success in achieving a safe one.
OKR Philosophy in a Nutshell
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OKR is a compass, KPI is a dashboard. KPI monitors the current state, OKR sets an inspiring direction for the future.
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Goals are co-created, not imposed. True engagement is born when the team has real influence on defining their Objective.
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Measure results, not effort. Key Results must describe the effect (e.g., increased customer satisfaction), not a list of tasks to do (e.g., making 100 phone calls).
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Aim for the stars, not the ceiling. Ambitious goals (stretch goals) motivate people to step outside their comfort zone. Achieving 70% of an ambitious goal is often more valuable than 100% of a safe one.
What is the most common mistake when creating OKRs and how to avoid it?
The biggest and most common trap that teams fall into when starting with OKRs is confusing Key Results with a to-do list.
Remember: A Key Result is a measurable OUTCOME, not an action. Actions (initiatives, tasks) are things you do to achieve the outcome.
Wrong (task list): “Launch 3 new marketing campaigns”, “Conduct 5 webinars”, “Write 10 blog articles”.
- Right (outcome): “Increase the number of qualified marketing leads from 200 to 400”.
How to tell the difference? Ask a simple question: “Does just doing this thing guarantee success?”. You can launch 3 campaigns that don’t bring any leads. You can write 10 articles that nobody reads. These are just actions. A true Key Result describes the value that was created as a result of those actions. Focusing on outcomes rather than “busyness” is the fundamental mindset shift that OKRs introduce.
Change the way your team talks about goals
The OKR method is much more than just a management technique. It’s a tool for building organizational culture based on autonomy, transparency, and sense of purpose. It’s a way for every team member to understand how their daily work contributes to realizing the company’s grand vision.
Implementing this way of thinking requires new skills from managers - facilitation, strategic thinking, and the ability to engage the team in a shared conversation about the future. These are competencies that distinguish an inspiring leader from an administrative supervisor.
Contact us to discuss workshops on OKR methodology and strategic goal setting. We will help your managers learn how to lead a process that unleashes intrinsic motivation and directs the energy of the entire team toward what truly matters.
Read Also
Read also
- What is Motivation and Motivating?
- 5 Motivation Strategies from Hannibal
- 5 Motivation Strategies According to Hannibal
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many OKRs should a team have per quarter?
Most experts recommend one to three Objectives per team per quarter, each with three to four Key Results. Keeping the number low ensures the team stays focused on what truly matters rather than spreading effort too thin.
Can OKRs work for non-technical teams like HR or marketing?
Yes, OKRs are highly effective for any team that can define measurable outcomes. For example, an HR team might set an Objective around improving employee onboarding experience, with Key Results tied to satisfaction scores and time-to-productivity metrics.
What happens if a team consistently achieves 100% of their OKRs?
Consistently hitting 100% usually indicates that the goals are not ambitious enough. In the OKR philosophy, achieving 60-70% of aspirational goals is considered a strong result, and teams should be encouraged to set bolder targets.
How often should OKR progress be reviewed?
Weekly check-ins are recommended to track progress on Key Results and identify blockers early. A more thorough mid-quarter review helps teams adjust their approach if needed, while the end-of-quarter review focuses on scoring and learning from the cycle.