Setting OKRs is just the beginning.
The real value comes at the end of the cycle - when you stop, reflect, and ask:
Did we actually move the needle?
That’s where the OKR review comes in.
It’s not just a performance recap. It’s a chance to surface insights, realign priorities, and evolve how your team works.
A strong OKR review helps you close the loop - so you’re not just setting goals, but building a cycle of learning and progress.
Here’s how to run an OKR review that’s clear, constructive, and worth the time.
What Is an OKR Review?
An OKR review is a structured reflection held at the end of each OKR cycle (usually quarterly). It’s your team’s opportunity to look back on what was achieved, what got in the way, and what you want to do differently next time.
Think of it as the "R" in OKRs:
- You set Objectives
- You tracked Key Results
- Now it’s time to Review
The goal isn’t to judge - it’s to learn and improve.
Why OKR Reviews Matter
Without a review, OKRs are just another planning exercise.
But with one, they become part of a living, learning system.
Here’s what OKR reviews help you do:
- ✅ Understand which goals were achieved - and why
- ✅ Catch blind spots or blockers before they repeat
- ✅ Recognize patterns across teams and cycles
- ✅ Adjust strategy based on real-world learning
- ✅ Reinforce accountability, alignment, and ownership
Most of all, they help you turn execution into improvement.
But timing matters.
To get the full benefit of your review, you’ll want to run it while the last cycle is still fresh - and before the next one begins. Let’s talk about when to run your OKR review for maximum impact.
When to Run Your OKR Review
Typically, reviews happen at the end of the cycle - right after the final check-in, and before the next round of OKR planning.
Here’s a simple timeline:
- Week 10–12 (of a quarter): Final updates to all KRs
- Week 12: OKR review meeting (or async reflection)
- Week 13: Planning begins for the next cycle, using review insights as input
A well-timed review bridges the gap between reflection and action - capturing lessons while they’re clear and turning them into momentum for the next cycle.
How to Structure a Great OKR Review
The best OKR reviews aren’t just status updates. They’re honest, structured conversations that help your team understand what’s working, where friction is building, and how to improve.
Here’s a framework to help your team reflect in a way that’s both clear and constructive:
1. Review Objective by Objective
Start by walking through each objective from the past cycle. Display it clearly, along with its corresponding key results and their final status. Use three simple markers:
- ✅ Achieved
- ⚠️ Partially Achieved
- ❌ Not Achieved
Then, for each key result, ask a few guiding questions:
- What helped us hit or exceed this result?
- What slowed us down, distracted us, or blocked us?
- Were the metrics we chose truly reflective of success?
- Did we learn anything surprising - about the product, users, or ourselves?
It’s important not to gloss over results that weren’t met. Often, those “misses” carry the most useful insights.
Maybe the scope was too ambitious. Maybe the owner lacked clarity or support. Or maybe priorities shifted mid-cycle and the goal became irrelevant. The point is: the review isn’t about passing judgment - it’s about surfacing context.
Create space for the team to contribute their own perspectives. Objective reviews should be rooted in data, but also open to narrative. Invite multiple angles to create a shared understanding of why outcomes looked the way they did.
2. Reflect as a Team
Once you’ve gone through the OKRs one by one, take a step back. Shift the conversation from what happened to why it happened—and how it felt. This is where the team’s collective experience becomes essential.
Good team-level reflection questions include:
- Did our OKRs reflect the right priorities for the quarter?
- Were our goals ambitious or achievable - or both?
- Did we spend too much time tracking activity versus impact?
- Was the ownership of each KR clear throughout the cycle?
- Did our weekly check-ins support momentum - or feel like a burden?
This part of the review shouldn’t feel like therapy - but it should create psychological safety. You want people to speak candidly about process gaps, miscommunication, or any misalignment that occurred - not to place blame, but to strengthen the system for next time.
If you’re a founder or team lead, model this openness yourself. Share what you think you could have done differently. That creates a culture where learning beats performance theater - and where reviews become energizing instead of draining.
3. Celebrate Wins (Big and Small)
Once you’ve reflected on performance and process, shift into recognition mode.
Take time to call out what went right—not just what needs work.
This can include:
- OKRs that were fully achieved (or exceeded)
- Key results where the team overcame obstacles
- Goals that were ambitious and stretched the team, even if they weren’t fully met
- Individual contributors or teams who showed extraordinary ownership
Celebration doesn’t mean sugarcoating. It means reinforcing the value of progress - even when it didn’t look like perfection. Especially in fast-moving startups, your team needs to feel that their work mattered and that the time spent pursuing hard goals was seen and appreciated.
Pro tip: let team members recognize each other. Peer shoutouts are often more meaningful than top-down praise and help reinforce the shared spirit that OKRs are designed to promote.
4. Document the Takeaways
This step is often skipped - but it’s arguably the most important.
If your team leaves with great insights but they’re never written down, the review’s value fades fast.
Create a shared document (or OKR summary inside your tool) that captures:
- Each objective’s final status (achieved, partial, missed)
- The outcome of each key result (with data, if available)
- Summary insights: What worked, what didn’t, what you’re changing
- Action items or follow-ups for the next cycle
This isn’t about building a report for investors. It’s about building continuity across cycles - so your planning process becomes sharper and more informed over time.
You can keep it lightweight, but it should be accessible to everyone. When your team can look back over previous cycles, they’ll be better equipped to set stronger, clearer goals next time.
So, What Does a Great OKR Review Look Like?
A great OKR review isn’t about whether all your goals were green. It’s about whether your team is getting smarter with each cycle.
When done well:
- People speak candidly about what helped or hindered execution
- There’s a sense of psychological safety to share things that didn’t work
- The team feels proud of progress - even if not every KR was hit
- Learnings are captured, shared, and used to improve the next plan
And most importantly?
Your team leaves aligned, re-energized, and ready to move forward - not burned out or boxed in.
Final thoughts
The best startups don’t just set goals - they evolve with them.
OKR reviews are your chance to pause, reflect, and improve. They close the loop between intention and execution, helping your team get better every single cycle.
So don’t skip the review. Don’t rush through it. Use it to reinforce focus, strengthen your culture of ownership, and turn your goal-setting system into a true engine for growth.
Want to make OKR reviews effortless?
OKRs Tool makes end-of-cycle reviews fast, focused, and collaborative. Easily see progress across goals, capture team reflections, and carry insights forward into your next planning session.
Sign up today and make every review cycle one your team actually looks forward to.
