OKR
Definition
An OKR (Objectives and Key Results) is a goal-setting framework that pairs one qualitative Objective — the outcome you want — with three to five measurable Key Results that prove you reached it. Popularized at Intel by Andy Grove and later at Google, OKRs are typically set on a quarterly cycle, reviewed weekly, and scored at the end of the period.
The Objective is deliberately not a number. It names a destination in plain language, so anyone in the company can repeat it. The Key Results carry all the measurement: each one moves a specific metric from a stated baseline to a stated target inside the cycle. If a Key Result can be finished by completing a task, it is a task masquerading as a result. The test is whether someone could do all the listed work and still miss the number.
OKRs break down more often on rhythm than on wording. A set of objectives written at a planning offsite and not opened again until scoring week produces a score, not a course correction — the framework specifies a weekly check-in precisely because the value sits in the adjustments made between setting and scoring.
Example
Objective: Make onboarding effortless for new admins. Key Results: cut median time to first value from 9 days to 3; lift 30-day activation from 41% to 60%; reduce onboarding support tickets per new account from 2.4 to 1.0.
See also: OKR software