Goal Setting Fundamentals: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

A bold vision means nothing without structure. Too often, I’ve seen companies dive into trying to execute on an abstract “vision” without setting clear, measurable goals. That initial momentum that has everyone standing up during meetings eventually fades, leading to scattered priorities and lost focus.

In my experience, what separates people who “know” what they need to do, from those who actually do it are well designed OKRs. 

OKRs or Objectives and Key Results help business owners break ambitious goals into actionable steps:

• The Objective is your big-picture goal.
• The Key Results are the specific, measurable outcomes that tell you whether you're making real progress.

OKRs work because they bring focus and accountability. When teams know what they’re aiming for and how success is measured, execution becomes intentional, and results follow.

When I worked at Uber, OKRs were a key part of our process. We were growing quickly, our product was highly disruptive, so to stay ahead we needed to structure our goals carefully. Each city team was tasked with setting specific objectives tied to the needs of their area, alongside the company’s overarching annual targets. Chicago isn’t Dallas isn’t Florida, the target for each needed to be tailored, a specific plan of attack rather than an  abstract vision. 

Here’s how to keep it simple and scalable:

• Limit OKRs to a few high-impact objectives per quarter.
• Ensure every key result is measurable and time-bound.
• Ensure the OKRs are relevant, targeting the specific challenges of the team.
• Follow up with those teams to make certain they understand what they need to do and why.

You don’t have to be Uber to make useful goals. Whether you’re running a solo business or trying to scale up your team, OKRs provide a clear, repeatable system for holding yourself accountability. The most important thing is to design a process, commit to it, and stay focused. 

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Kelly Feeney consults and advises business leaders on strategy, planning, and execution. As an Operations Exec, Kelly has led teams as large as 300 with budgets of $100M+ at enterprise companies like Uber and Airbnb.

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn or learn more about her work at Kairos Studio.