How Do You Know If Your OKRs Are Actually Good?

Writing OKRs isn’t the challenge. 

Writing ones that actually move the needle? That’s where most teams stumble.

You set an objective. You write key results. They sound smart, ambitious, maybe even inspiring… but somewhere in the quarter, they stop mattering. 

The team forgets them. The metrics don’t move. 

And you’re left wondering: Was this OKR ever any good to begin with?

In fast-paced environments, there's no room for vague, activity-based goals. You need OKRs that create focus, force clarity, and guide real decision-making  - not just look tidy in a slide deck.

This guide walks through how to evaluate whether your OKRs are set up for success - and how to fix them if they’re not.

Why So Many OKRs Miss the Mark

Many teams assume an OKR is solid if it sounds important, feels ambitious, or looks structured. But good OKRs aren’t just well-written. They’re useful. They shape decisions, create alignment, and clarify what success looks like.

The most common issues show up in predictable ways:

• Key Results describe activities, not outcomes. Launches, updates, and redesigns don’t tell you if anything improved.
  
  
• There’s no target. You can’t evaluate progress if you haven’t defined what success looks like.
  
  
• The baseline is unknown. If you don’t know where you’re starting, it’s hard to measure improvement.
  
  
• The result is vague. Terms like "optimize," "enhance," or "streamline" don’t drive action.

These aren’t just formatting problems. They affect whether the OKR will actually help your team focus.

What Makes an OKR “Good”?

A strong OKR isn’t perfect - it’s clear. It helps your team prioritize the right work, adapt when needed, and assess whether your efforts are paying off.

Here’s what to look for:

• A focused Objective that defines a meaningful improvement in the business.
• Outcome-based Key Results that track change, not checklists.
• Directional clarity, such as increasing retention or decreasing churn.
• Specific, realistic targets based on known baselines.
• Team-level ownership of shared results, with clear contribution from individuals.

Let’s look at a few practical examples.

From Activity to Impact: Stronger OKRs in Action

These changes shift the focus from deliverables to measurable business outcomes. They're tied to user behavior, not just output, and offer a clear picture of success.

5 Signals of a High-Quality OKR

Not sure if your OKR is solid? These five signals will help you spot quality (or the lack of it):

1. Clarity: The objective is specific, directional, and easy to understand.
2. Outcomes over Outputs: Key results are about results, not tasks.
3. Targeted: Each key result has a baseline and target.
4. Aligned: It supports a company or team-level objective.
5. Useful in Practice: It drives discussion, prioritization, and decision-making throughout the quarter.

If your OKR checks all five, you're in good shape. If not, revise before your team invests energy in the wrong direction.

Insights from real data

Our own analysis of 2,473 startup OKRs reveals that teams with fewer than three Key Results per Objective saw significantly higher completion rates. These high‑performing teams focused more on meaningful movement and less on busywork.

Stress-Test Your OKRs Before You Launch

Before you lock in an OKR, pressure-test it like you would any other strategic decision. A goal that looks clean in a doc can still fall apart when reality hits.

Here’s how to run a fast, pre-launch gut check:

• Ask, “What are we trying to change?” If the answer is fuzzy, the OKR needs more clarity.
  
  
• Trace the outcome to a metric. Can the team measure this today? Is the direction (up, down, improve) clear?
  
  
• Play it out. What will you track week to week? If there’s nothing meaningful to review until the end, the KR might be too passive.
  
  
• Stress-test the levers. Do you know what work could move this result? If not, you may need to narrow or revise.
  
  
• Check for team alignment. Can each person explain how their work contributes? Misalignment early becomes drag later.

Great OKRs aren't just clear. They're durable. A little friction now saves a lot of wasted energy later.Here’s how to run a proper mid-quarter evaluation:

• Refocus the conversation on the outcome. Ask the team: What result are we trying to achieve, and has that changed?
  
  
• Review real movement in the metric. Don’t just ask what got shipped. Look at whether your metrics are trending in the right direction.
  
  
• Identify early signals of misalignment. Are team priorities drifting? Are projects being delivered without impacting the intended result?
  
  
• Adapt where needed. If progress is stalled, use your weekly check-in to change tactics. OKRs should guide decisions, not lock teams into a bad plan.

The best teams don’t wait for retros to realize their OKRs weren’t working. They course-correct early - while there’s still time to hit the goal.

• Ask the team: What are we trying to change, and are we on track?
• Review progress weekly: Look for movement in the metric, not just project updates.
• Adjust early: If a KR isn't moving, shift your approach - don’t wait until the quarter’s end.

A good OKR doesn’t just look clear at the start. It stays useful when priorities shift.

Turn Data into Discipline

OKRs only matter if they influence how your team works. 

A polished document doesn’t move the needle  - focused execution does.

If your OKRs aren’t helping you prioritize, spot risk, or measure progress, it’s time to revise. Better OKRs aren’t just better written. They make your week-to-week decisions easier.

Aim for clarity, alignment, and practical value. When you get those right, your OKRs become less of a planning artifact  - and more of an operating system for your team.