10 Company OKR Examples and Steps to Write Them

Company OKRs

Are your company goals scattered islands, with no clear bridge connecting them? Many businesses struggle to translate their strategic vision into actionable objectives for their teams.

This disconnect can lead to misalignment, confusion, and ultimately, a lack of progress. But OKRs can bridge this gap.

Imagine OKRs as a roadmap that connects your company’s big-picture vision with the specific actions each team needs to take to get there.

We’ll walk you through the proven steps to set meaningful company OKRs and provide real-world examples.

Company OKRs

What are Company OKRs?

Company OKRs are overarching measurable objectives that define the strategic priorities and goals of an entire organization.

These OKRs represent the collective aspirations and focus areas the company aims to achieve within a specific time frame, such as a quarter or a year.

Company OKRs typically encompass high-level outcomes related to revenue growth, market expansion, customer satisfaction, product innovation, or organizational culture.

They provide a shared vision and direction for all teams and departments in their daily work. This ensures alignment toward common company goals.

How can OKRs Help You Solve Company Challenges?

Here are some ways you can achieve more successful outcomes for your business and people by using OKRs and tackling challenges using them.

1. Builds a Strong Alignment between Strategy and Execution

Your company might have brilliant strategies, but if execution falters, they’re just ideas on paper. OKRs help you translate the overarching strategy into actionable goals. Everyone – from executives to frontline staff – understands how their daily tasks contribute to the bigger picture.

2. Transparent Company and Team Goals Guide Everyone

Confusion or being unaware of company goals is a productivity killer. For instance, everyone, from the CEO to the intern, understands the company’s key objectives (e.g., “Launch a new product line”) and how their work contributes through KRs (e.g., “Secure 500 pre-orders”). Transparency empowers everyone to make decisions aligned with the bigger picture.

3. Clarity in Individual and Cross-Functional Goals

You can ensure everyone’s work contributes to the team’s objectives. For example, a salesperson’s OKR might be to “Close 20 deals for the new product line,” directly contributing to the marketing team’s pre-order target (mentioned earlier). This synergy between individual and cross-functional goals drives collective success.

4. Helps Employees to Collaborate and Focus on a Few Aligned Goals

You can enable your team members to break down silos with only a few shared goals. Think about it: The engineering team’s OKR to “Develop a user-friendly interface for the new product” directly impacts the marketing team’s ability to showcase its features and drive pre-orders. Regular check-ins and open communication ensure a smooth collaboration.

5. Makes Employees More Accountable

Lack of clear ownership hinders results. OKRs make accountability easy. For example, a customer support agent’s OKR is to “Maintain a 95% customer satisfaction rating related to product launch issues.” This translates directly into ownership for a smooth product launch and a positive customer experience. Everyone sees the impact of their contribution.

6. Helps People Prioritize and Avoid Unnecessary Work

Ever feel like you’re drowning in tasks? Well, you can make prioritization simpler with OKRs. Imagine: Your marketing team is bombarded with requests. An OKR focused on increasing brand awareness through social media campaigns clarifies the most important task, allowing them to decline less impactful projects strategically.

7. Trains Team to Focus on Leading Metrics for Growth

By creating leading KRs, your team could be more creative and outcome-focused. Here’s an example: Let’s say your sales team has an OKR to “Increase conversion rate on the pricing page by 15%.” This metric becomes the north star, guiding A/B testing of different page layouts and messaging. Data insights from OKRs illuminate the path to achieving your goals.

8. Allows Teams To Be More Responsive to Changing Environment

The business landscape is dynamic. You can stay agile and focused with OKRs. Imagine market research reveals a sudden surge in demand for a new feature. With OKRs in place, the product team can adjust its goals to prioritize the development of this feature, ensuring the company remains responsive to changing market conditions.

9. Gives More Autonomy to Teams and Individuals

Micromanagement is the opposite of innovation. You can empower your teams to take charge with OKRs. For instance, the engineering team’s OKR, “Reduce development time for new features by 20%,” promotes ownership and creative problem-solving. They can experiment with new tools and processes to achieve this measurable outcome, boosting team morale and innovation.

How are Company OKRs different from KPIs?

Here are some key differences between OKRs and KPIs that illustrate how the former inspires change and drives teamwork.

1. Connecting the Dots to Business Impact

While KPIs are fantastic for tracking performance, OKRs go a step further. They connect the team’s efforts to the company’s strategic objectives. Imagine your KPI is “Increase website traffic by 20%.” An OKR would tie this to a business outcome: “Increase website traffic by 20% to generate 10% more qualified leads.”

2. Embracing the Power of Quantitative & Qualitative Goals

You can have a quantitative key result like “Reduce customer churn by 5%” and a qualitative one like “Improve customer satisfaction through personalized outreach programs.” This holistic approach ensures a well-rounded strategy.

3. Flexibility Through Each Cycle

Unlike static KPIs, OKRs are flexible. They can be adjusted throughout the cycle to respond to shifting market conditions or unforeseen opportunities.

4. Including the Team Members’ Inputs

Involving teams in creating OKRs drives ownership and increases buy-in. When people feel their voices are heard, they’re more invested in achieving those goals.

5. Promotes Creativity

OKRs encourage ambitious and inspirational objectives. This focus on “what could be” sparks Creativity and innovation. Instead of a KPI like “Maintain current market share,” an OKR might be “Become the market leader in sustainable product solutions.” This bold objective ignites a fire within teams to explore creative solutions and achieve the extraordinary.

How Should You Set Company-level OKRs? (Steps)

These steps will help you establish a foundation of strong company-level OKRs that are clearly connected to your overall business strategy and fueled by valuable team input.

Step 1: Develop a High-Level Business Strategy and Priorities

Ensure your company has a clear, high-level business strategy. This strategic roadmap serves as the foundation for your objectives. 

Conduct a strategic planning session with leaders to define key priorities. For example, you have a struggling e-commerce company.

Your strategic priority might be to “transition from a price-driven model to a value-driven model.” This strategic direction informs your OKRs.

For example, an OKR could be: “Increase customer lifetime value by 15% through personalized product recommendations.” This OKR directly translates the strategic priority into an actionable goal for growth.

Step 2: Don’t forget to Consider Teams’ and Departments’ Inputs

While senior leadership sets the overall direction, involving teams in writing OKRs creates a sense of ownership and increases the likelihood of success. Your team knows the business’s ground reality.

Their firsthand experience with customer needs, market trends, and operational challenges provides invaluable insights. Organize workshops where representatives from different functions and teams brainstorm and discuss potential OKRs.

Let’s say your company’s strategic objective is to “become the industry leader in customer service.” Sales, marketing, and customer support teams all play a crucial role in achieving this.

By incorporating their input on specific improvement areas and measurable goals (e.g., “Reduce customer support tickets by 20%”), the company creates well-rounded and achievable OKRs with buy-in from all levels.

Step 3: Gather Top Leaders for Annual and Quarterly Company OKRs

Bring your leaders together for collaborative goal-setting. This ensures alignment across departments and enables a unified approach to achieving company-level OKRs.

Here’s how: Schedule annual and quarterly OKR-setting sessions. These sessions should involve senior leaders from all departments, such as the CEO, CFO, CMO, etc.

During these sessions, discuss strategic priorities, brainstorm objectives, and collaboratively define KRs with clear metrics. The goal is to create a set of company-level OKRs everyone understands, owns, and is committed to achieving.

Step 4: Keep the OKRs Flexible to Adapt to Changing Business Environment

The business environment is rarely static. Build flexibility in your team to adapt to changing market conditions or unforeseen opportunities.

Conduct regular check-ins throughout the cycle (monthly or bi-weekly) to assess progress on company-level OKRs. If circumstances shift and achieving an OKR becomes unrealistic, don’t be afraid to adjust it. 

Gather your leaders again, reassess priorities, and adapt the OKRs as needed. This ensures your company stays agile and focused on achieving the most impactful goals, even in a dynamic environment.

Some Common Focus Areas for Companies

Many companies worldwide have similar focus areas. Your business priorities may contain objectives from these areas.

  • Growth Initiatives

Set your sights on expanding your market share, customer base, or revenue streams.

  • Product/Service

Focus on innovation, improvement, or expansion of your offerings.

  • Customers

Prioritize customer satisfaction, acquisition, or retention strategies.

  • Revenue

Target specific financial goals like increasing sales or profitability.

  • Brand Awareness

Elevate your brand recognition, reputation, or thought leadership.

  • Culture

Cultivate a desired work environment that drives employee engagement or innovation.

10 Company OKR Examples Based on The Challenges and Goals

These Company OKR Examples will help you guide your team members in creating meaningful OKRs that reflect true success for the business.

1. Grow Successfully

Objective: Expand our customer base and market share by 20%

Owner: Head of Growth

Due Date: 1 Year

Key Results:

  • Increase new customer acquisition by 15% through targeted marketing campaigns
  • Achieve a 90% customer satisfaction score on post-purchase surveys to ensure quality customer growth
  • Launch two new successful product features based on user feedback and market research

2. Enter the New Market

Objective: Successfully launch our product/service in the [Target Market]

Owner: CEO

Due Date: 9 months

Key Results:

  • Secure 500 pre-orders for our product/service in the target market through pre-launch marketing efforts
  • Achieve a brand awareness score of 70% within the target market through targeted marketing campaigns
  • Establish a local customer support team with a 95% positive resolution rate to ensure a smooth customer experience

3. Become Profitable

Objective: Increase company profitability by 10%

Owner: CFO

Due Date: 1 Year

Key Results:

  • Reduce customer acquisition cost (CAC) by 15% through marketing campaign optimization
  • Increase average customer lifetime value (CLTV) by 8% through upselling and cross-selling initiatives
  • Streamline operational costs by 5% through process improvement and vendor negotiations

4. Achieve Significant Revenue

Objective: Increase annual revenue by 25%

Owner: Head of Sales & Marketing

Due Date: 1 Year

Key Results:

  • Surpass the sales target of [Target Revenue] through a combination of new customer acquisition and upselling to existing customers.
  • Maintain a customer renewal rate of 90% by delivering exceptional customer service and ongoing product value
  • Expand into two new high-growth market segments, generating [Target Revenue] from these new markets

5. Launch the New Product Successfully

Objective: Achieve a successful launch of the new product, [Product Name]

Owner: Product Development Lead

Due Date: 6 Months

Key Results:

  • Secure [Target Number] pre-orders for [Product Name] before launch through effective pre-marketing campaigns
  • Achieve a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 60 or higher within the first month of launch, indicating customer satisfaction with the product
  • Achieve a [Target Percentage] user adoption rate for core functionalities of [Product Name] within the first 3 months of launch

6. Build a Top-Notch Customer Experience

Objective: Elevate customer experience to become a competitive differentiator

Owner: Head of Customer Success

Due Date: 1 Year

Key Results:

  • Reduce customer churn rate by 10% through proactive customer support and personalized customer success initiatives
  • Increase customer satisfaction score on post-interaction surveys by 5 points, indicating improvement in customer experience quality
  • Achieve a Customer Effort Score (CES) of 3 or lower (on a scale of 1-7, lower is better), indicating a smooth and effortless customer experience

7. Retain Customers Successfully

Objective: Become the industry leader in customer retention

Owner: Head of Customer Success

Due Date: December 31, 2024

Key Results:

  • Achieve a customer churn rate below the industry average by 5 percentage points
  • Increase the number of customer success stories by 20%, highlighting the value proposition and positive customer experiences
  • Implement a proactive customer health score system resulting in a 15% reduction in churn from at-risk customers

8. Provide Prompt and Impactful Customer Service

Objective: Deliver exceptional customer service that fosters loyalty and positive brand perception

Owner: Head of Customer Support

Due Date: 1 Year

Key Results:

  • Reduce first contact resolution rate (FCR) for customer support inquiries by 10%
  • Achieve a customer satisfaction score of 90% or higher on post-interaction surveys
  • Increase the use rate of the self-service knowledge base by 20%

9. Turn Customers into Advocates

Objective: Increase the number of customer advocates actively promoting our brand

Owner: Head of Marketing

Due Date: 1 Year

Key Results:

  • Increase the customer Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 15 points
  • Launch a successful customer referral program, resulting in a 20% increase in new customer acquisition
  • Increase customer engagement on social media by 30% 

10. Create an Empowering Company Culture

Objective: Cultivate a thriving company culture that fosters innovation, engagement, and employee satisfaction

Owner: CEO

Due Date: 1 Year

Key Results

  • Achieve an employee satisfaction score of 85% or higher on internal surveys
  • Reduce employee turnover rate by 10%, fostering stability and knowledge retention
  • Implement a company-wide employee recognition program

What are the qualities of company OKRs?

Here’s a breakdown of the key qualities that make your company OKRs powerful:

  1. Short & Sweet, Big Impact: Your OKRs should be clear, concise, and easily understood by everyone in the company. Ditch lengthy jargon. Opt for impactful statements that ignite team spirit.
  2. Specific & Actionable: Don’t leave room for ambiguity. Numbers, percentages, and specific targets keep everyone on the same page and progressing towards a concrete goal.
  3. Mission Possible, But Not Mundane: OKRs should reflect your company’s mission. They translate your “why” into a tangible “what” for the current cycle. Think of “stretch goals” that push your company to progress significantly.
  4. Aim High, Stretch Your Potential: Great OKRs push boundaries. Don’t settle for incremental improvements. Set ambitious objectives that require significant change and inspire teams to achieve the extraordinary.
  5. Prioritize: Focus on what matters most during this strategy cycle. Don’t overload your OKRs with too many goals. Prioritize the 2-3 most critical objectives that will drive the most significant impact.

Conclusion

Don’t overload your company with too many OKRs. Prioritize the most critical objectives and ensure they are truly ambitious yet achievable. Effective OKRs are a game-changer for achieving focused, measurable growth.

If you need further help implementing OKRs or want a customized plan for your company, consider hiring our OKR Consultants. Feel free to contact us!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are corporate OKRs?

Corporate OKRs are an ambitious goal-setting framework businesses use to translate their strategy into clear, actionable priorities for everyone to understand and work towards.

2. What is the difference between team OKRs and company OKRs?

Company OKRs focus on high-level strategic priorities. Team OKRs, on the other hand, cascade down (or bottom-up) from company OKRs and translate them into specific, actionable goals for individual teams. These team OKRs should directly contribute to achieving the company’s objectives.

3. How do companies use OKRs?

  • Align everyone around a common goal
  • Boost transparency and communication
  • Drive focus and accountability
  • Measure progress and adapt

4. How do companies track OKRs?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to tracking OKRs. Many companies use OKR software, while others leverage spreadsheets or internal dashboards. The key is to have a system that allows for regular check-ins (monthly or bi-weekly) to assess progress, identify roadblocks, and celebrate achievements.

5. How do companies set OKRs?

  • Define your strategic priorities
  • Gather input from teams
  • Align and finalize OKRs

6. Who manages OKRs in a company?

Typically, there’s a designated OKR Champion or leader, often the CEO or Head of Strategy. This individual spearheads the OKR process, facilitates goal-setting workshops, and oversees the implementation and tracking of OKRs. However, the success of OKRs relies on everyone in the company understanding, embracing, and contributing to their achievement.

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Gaurav Sabharwal

CEO of JOP

Gaurav is the CEO of JOP (Joy of Performing), an OKR and high-performance enabling platform. With almost two decades of experience in building businesses, he knows what it takes to enable high performance within a team and engage them in the business. He supports organizations globally by becoming their growth partner and helping them build high-performing teams by tackling issues like lack of focus, unclear goals, unaligned teams, lack of funding, no continuous improvement framework, etc. He is a Certified OKR Coach and loves to share helpful resources and address common organizational challenges to help drive team performance. Read More

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