What are OKRs?
OKRs pair an Objective (what we want to achieve) with Key Results (how we will know). Building on Peter Drucker’s management by objectives (1954), Andy Grove developed the method at Intel in the 1970s, and John Doerr introduced it to an early-stage Google in 1999.
📌 At a glance
- Structure
- 1 objective + usually 3–5 key results
- Roots
- Drucker’s MBO → Andy Grove at Intel
- Spread
- John Doerr, Google (1999)
- Cadence
- Often quarterly
Writing good OKRs
Objectives are short, inspiring and qualitative; key results are measurable, time-bound outcomes, not task lists. Tasks are initiatives that drive the key results.
OKR vs MBO and KPI
MBO often ties goals directly to appraisal and pay; KPIs track ongoing health metrics; OKRs are transparent, ambitious and usually kept separate from compensation. See goal-setting theory.
Frequently asked questions
- What are OKRs?
- A goal framework pairing an objective with measurable key results.
- How are OKRs different from KPIs?
- KPIs monitor ongoing performance; OKRs define ambitious change over a set period.
References
- Grove, A. S. (1983). High output management. Random House.
- Doerr, J. (2018). Measure what matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation rock the world with OKRs. Portfolio.
- Drucker, P. F. (1954). The practice of management. Harper & Row.