Setting goals is easy (ish).
Setting goals that actually lead to focus, momentum, and measurable progress?
That takes a little more planning.
If you’ve heard of OKRs - Objectives and Key Results - you probably know they’re used by companies like Google, Netflix, and Spotify to drive alignment and performance.
But for startups and growing teams, OKRs aren’t about mimicking big tech - they’re about clarifying what matters most right now, and helping your team move fast together.
In this article, we’ll break down what OKR planning really looks like, how to do it without overcomplicating things, and what it takes to make your goals stick beyond kickoff week.
What Is OKR Planning, Exactly?
OKR planning is the process of defining your top priorities for the next cycle, turning them into measurable outcomes, and aligning your team around those goals.
It typically happens:
- Quarterly (or every 6–8 weeks for startups)
- As a mix of top-down direction and bottom-up input
- Before a new execution cycle begins
Think of OKR planning as your moment of focus: a way to step back, prioritize intentionally, and set your team up for a quarter of meaningful, visible progress.
Why OKR Planning Matters
Good planning leads to better execution. Period.
Without a clear planning process, OKRs can quickly become vague intentions that live in a doc and die in a spreadsheet. But with the right structure, planning helps your team:
- Identify what actually matters this quarter
- Align on how to measure success
- Avoid setting too many or too fuzzy goals
- Reduce confusion and second-guessing mid-cycle
It’s not about writing perfect OKRs. It’s about writing usable ones - and creating shared ownership from day one.
The 5-Step OKR Planning Process
Here’s a simple flow we recommend for fast-moving teams:
1. Review Where You Are Now
Before you set new goals, understand how the last cycle went.
Ask:
- What did we accomplish?
- What carried over or got stuck?
- What surprised us (good or bad)?
- What’s changed in the business since last cycle?
This reflection sets the stage for better goal-setting - and prevents rinse-and-repeat OKRs that don’t evolve with reality.
2. Define Top-Level Company Priorities
Start with high-level direction.
What are the 2–3 most important outcomes the company should achieve in the next cycle?
These become your top-level objectives - the “North Stars” that all team-level OKRs will ladder up to.
Examples:
- Launch MVP and gather product-market fit signals
- Grow monthly active users by 30%
- Improve team operations to support upcoming scale
Keep them high-impact, outcome-oriented, and time-bound.
3. Draft Team and Department OKRs
Once top-level goals are clear, individual teams can draft their own OKRs that connect to those company priorities.
Tips for teams:
- Start with 1–2 objectives (not more than 3)
- Each objective should have 2–4 key results
- Key results should be specific, measurable, and achievable in the cycle
- Assign clear owners for each key result
Encourage teams to write OKRs together - it drives buy-in and creates context around the “why” behind the goals.
4. Align, Review, and Refine
Now it’s time to bring it all together.
- Review OKRs across teams
- Spot overlaps, misalignments, or conflicting goals
- Look for overloaded individuals or unclear ownership
- Refine language and targets where needed
This step is critical. It ensures OKRs don’t just exist in silos - and that everyone understands how their goals contribute to the whole organization.
Pro tip: Use a shared tool - like OKRs Tool - or template to visualize all OKRs in one place.
5. Launch with Clarity and Rhythm
OKR planning doesn’t end when you hit “publish.”
Before kicking off the quarter:
- Schedule your weekly check-in cadence
- Decide how updates will be shared (async, dashboard, meetings)
- Clarify what “done” looks like for each key result
- Encourage teams to link initiatives and projects to their KRs
Most importantly: make OKRs part of how your team works, not just how you plan.
What a Good OKR Planning Session Looks Like
- It’s focused (1–2 hours max per team)
- It includes the people doing the work - not just leadership
- It prioritizes clarity over perfection
- It leaves everyone knowing:
→ What we’re aiming for
→ How we’ll measure progress
→ What comes next
OKRs don’t have to be over-engineered. Done right, planning them can feel like finally getting on the same page - and finally making progress visible.
Common Planning Pitfalls to Avoid
Even with a solid process, it’s easy to fall into a few familiar traps during OKR planning. These missteps often lead to bloated goals, poor follow-through, or lack of team buy-in.
Here are some of the most common OKR planning pitfalls - and what to do instead:
These aren’t just theoretical problems - they’re the things that cause teams to abandon OKRs altogether. By spotting them early and taking a lighter, outcome-driven approach, you’ll set your team up for long-term success.
OKR planning should energize your team - not overwhelm them. Stay focused, stay flexible, and remember: better goals start with better conversations.
Final thoughts
Your startup moves fast.
Planning OKRs doesn’t slow you down - it helps you move faster in the right direction.
A few hours of clear planning gives your team weeks of clarity, alignment, and momentum. It’s how you make goals actionable instead of aspirational.
So don’t overthink it.
Start with what matters. Make it measurable.
And get your team working toward shared success.
Need a simple tool for OKR planning?
OKRs Tool makes OKR planning fast, collaborative, and actually fun. With built-in templates, real-time updates, and weekly check-ins baked in, it’s the easiest way to go from planning to progress - without spreadsheets or bloat.
Sign up today and start your next cycle with clarity.
