Getting Started with OKRs

This guide walks you through setting up OKRs in ILPapps — from creating your first objective to running your first check-in. By the end, your team will be aligned around clear, measurable goals.

What Are OKRs?

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal-setting framework used by companies like Google, Intel, and Spotify. An Objective is a qualitative, inspiring goal. Key Results are the measurable outcomes that tell you whether you achieved it.

Example:

• Objective: Become the market leader in customer satisfaction
• Key Result 1: Increase NPS score from 42 to 65
• Key Result 2: Reduce average support response time from 4 hours to 1 hour
• Key Result 3: Achieve 95% customer retention rate

Step 1: Configure Your Cycles

Before creating OKRs, set up your tracking cycles (typically quarterly).

1. Go to Settings → Cycles.
2. Create cycles for the current year (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) with start and end dates.
3. Set the current active cycle.

Step 2: Create Your First Objective

1. Navigate to OKR Suite → Objectives.
2. Click Create Objective.
3. Write a clear, inspiring objective title. Good objectives are qualitative and motivating.
4. Assign an owner — who is accountable for this objective?
5. Select the cycle (quarter) this objective belongs to.
6. Optionally set a parent objective if this cascades from a company-level goal.

Tips for good objectives:

• Start with a verb: "Launch...", "Improve...", "Build..."
• Make it inspiring — your team should feel motivated reading it.
• Keep it focused — one clear direction, not a list of tasks.

Step 3: Add Key Results

1. Open your new objective.
2. Click Add Key Result.
3. Define a measurable outcome with a target value.
4. Assign an owner (can be different from the objective owner).
5. Repeat for 2–5 key results per objective.

Tips for good key results:

• Must be measurable — "Increase revenue to $1M" not "Improve revenue".
• Include a starting value and target value for clear progress tracking.
• Each key result should be independently achievable.

Step 4: Run Your First Check-in

Check-ins are how you track progress. Run them weekly.

1. Go to OKR Suite → Check-ins.
2. Click New Check-in or use Batch Check-in for multiple key results.
3. Update the current value for each key result.
4. Add notes explaining what happened this week — context matters.
5. Submit the check-in.

Step 5: Review and Iterate

• Use the OKR Dashboard to see overall progress at a glance.
• Review objectives monthly with your team — are you on track?
• Use Analytics to identify which objectives are falling behind.
• Adjust key result targets if circumstances change (but not too often).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Too many objectives — Stick to 3–5 per team per quarter.
• Key results that are really tasks — "Launch feature X" is a task; "Increase user engagement by 20%" is a key result.
• Setting and forgetting — OKRs only work with regular check-ins.
• 100% targets — OKRs should be ambitious. Hitting 70% is healthy.
• No alignment — Team OKRs should connect to company OKRs. Use child objectives.

Next Steps

• Read OKR Best Practices for advanced tips.
• Explore the OKR Suite documentation for a full feature reference.
• Connect your OKRs to the Strategy Board for strategic alignment.