Goals Tracker (OKR) — User Guide

Recommended operating roles:

• OKR Admin
• Configures cycles, permissions, templates, categories, and evaluation structure.
• Defines scoring standards and check-in policy.
• Controls structural settings to avoid uncontrolled sprawl.

• OKR Owner
• Owns Objectives and Key Results for team, department, initiative, or company scope.
• Ensures each objective has measurable outcomes and clear ownership.
• Leads mid-cycle and end-cycle reviews for owned goals.

• Contributor
• Updates Check-ins, notes, blockers, and actions.
• Supports progress updates from the execution layer.
• Should not change structural governance settings.

• Viewer / Leadership
• Reviews dashboards, reports, risk signals, and cycle outcomes.
• Uses outputs for governance decisions without casual editing of live objectives.

Complete this checklist before broad rollout:

1. Define cycle cadence

• Choose monthly or quarterly cycles.
• Set cycle start and end dates.
• Set check-in frequency (weekly or biweekly).

1. Define scoring method

• Use a clear scale (for example, 0–1 or 0–100%).
• Define confidence interpretation and risk thresholds.
• Align meaning of on-track, developing, and at-risk.

1. Create templates and KR patterns

• Standardize measurable KR patterns:
• Increase X from A to B.
• Reduce X by Y.
• Deliver X by date D.
• Avoid activity-only KR formats.

1. Set ownership model

• Assign one clear owner per objective.
• Assign KR-level ownership and check-in accountability.
• Define escalation path for blocked outcomes.

1. Configure categories and evaluation criteria

• Create category taxonomy.
• Define evaluation criteria and follow-up questions where used.
• Keep standards consistent across teams.

1. Define type and visibility governance

• Set rules for personal, department, and company scope.
• Define public/private visibility boundaries.
• Document who can edit, check in, review, and close.

1. Prepare review rhythm

• Weekly/biweekly: check-in review.
• Monthly: operating review (especially for monthly cycles).
• End-of-cycle: strategic outcome review and lessons learned.

1. Run end-to-end readiness test

• Create a cycle.
• Create objective + measurable KRs.
• Assign ownership.
• Run a check-in.
• Review dashboard and reports.
• Validate tree/chart view.
• Close cycle with outcome capture.

1) Create a new OKR cycle

1. Create a cycle record.
2. Select monthly or quarterly cadence.
3. Set start and end dates.
4. Define check-in cadence.
5. Publish to relevant teams.

2) Create objectives and key results

1. Create the objective.
2. Add one or more key results.
3. Make each key result measurable.
4. Assign owner, scope, and target/baseline where possible.
5. Publish with clear visibility.

3) Run weekly or biweekly check-ins

1. Open the target key result.
2. Add a check-in entry.
3. Record current value or progress percentage.
4. Record confidence and notes.
5. Capture blockers and corrective actions.
6. Save and review dashboard impact.

4) Run a mid-cycle review

1. Review dashboard or report by team/department.
2. Identify behind-schedule key results.
3. Identify low-confidence, developing, or at-risk items.
4. Assign corrective actions and owners.
5. Avoid changing targets unless governance allows it.

5) Close cycle and review outcomes

1. Confirm final KR values.
2. Score final outcomes.
3. Capture lessons learned and closure notes.
4. Compare planned vs achieved outcomes.
5. Close cycle and preserve history.

6) Link tasks and approvals when needed

1. Link related tasks if KR progress depends on tracked execution work.
2. Add approval steps where governance requires formal review.
3. Keep OKR outcome review separate from raw task execution.
4. Use linked tasks for traceability, not as a KR substitute.

Use module outputs as governance inputs, not status decoration:

• Dashboard review
• Cross-team progress by cycle and scope.
• At-risk and developing signals.
• Leadership summary view.

• Report view
• Structured progress review.
• Check-in history with confidence and notes.
• End-of-cycle outcome summaries.

• Check-in history review
• Trendline of progress movement.
• Confidence trajectory over time.
• Blockers/actions evidence for decision quality.

• Tree/chart structure review
• Hierarchical visibility across people, teams, and departments.
• Useful for company rollup and alignment reviews.

Recommended rhythm:

• Weekly or biweekly: check-in operating review.
• Monthly: operational cycle review.
• Quarterly: strategic cycle closure and lesson capture.

Key results are too vague to score

• Rewrite as measurable outcomes with baseline and target.
• Remove activity-only wording.

Teams stop doing check-ins after launch

• Add recurring calendar reminders.
• Make check-ins part of weekly/biweekly review meetings.
• Keep required fields limited and clear.

Too many objectives reduce focus

• Reduce objective count per team per cycle.
• Keep attention on top outcomes, not every activity stream.

Leadership cannot see what is at risk

• Use dashboard/report filters for low-confidence and delayed items.
• Review developing and at-risk segments in each governance meeting.

Teams confuse OKR with task management

• Reconfirm module boundary: OKR manages objectives, KRs, check-ins, and cycle review.
• Keep execution tracking in task/project modules; use task links only for dependency traceability.

Ownership is unclear

• Require one accountable owner per objective.
• Define KR-level check-in accountability and escalation owner.

Public/private settings create confusion

• Publish visibility rules before cycle launch.
• Train users on who can view, update, approve, and close records.