How to Write OKRs: A Simple 4-Step Guide with Examples [2026] | AnnualPlan.ai
OKR•February 11, 2026•6 min read
How to Write OKRs: Guide
Simple 4-step guide to writing effective OKRs with formula and examples
AnnualPlan Team
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How to Write OKRs: A Simple 4-Step Guide with Examples
Reading time: 5 minutes | Last updated: February 2026
Writing effective OKRs is simpler than most guides make it seem. Use this formula: "I will [OBJECTIVE] as measured by [KEY RESULTS]." The Objective describes what you want to achieve. The Key Results measure how you'll know you achieved it. This guide walks you through the process with examples.
**How Many Key Results?**
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Quick Summary
Identify your top 3-5 priorities
Write inspiring, qualitative Objectives
Add 3-5 measurable Key Results per Objective
Calibrate for stretch (aim for 60-70% confidence)
The OKR Formula
Every OKR follows this simple structure:
"I will [OBJECTIVE] as measured by [KEY RESULTS]"
Example:
I will launch a world-class customer onboarding experience
As measured by:
Reduce time-to-value from 14 days to 3 days
Achieve 90% onboarding completion rate
Reach NPS of 50+ for new customers
Step 1: Identify Your Priorities
Before writing OKRs, answer: What are the 3-5 most important things we need to accomplish?
Don't try to OKR everything. OKRs are for your top priorities - the initiatives that will move the needle most.
Ask:
What would make this quarter a success?
What's blocking our biggest goals?
Where should we focus limited resources?
Tip: If you have more than 5 Objectives, you haven't prioritized enough.
Step 2: Write Your Objectives
An Objective answers: "What do we want to achieve?"
Good Objectives are:
Qualitative - Describes a destination, not a number
Inspirational - Motivates the team
Ambitious - Stretches capabilities
Actionable - Something you can influence
Time-bound - Has a deadline (usually quarterly)
Examples of Good Objectives:
"Create the best onboarding experience in our industry"
"Build a sales engine that delivers predictable growth"
"Become the go-to resource for OKR best practices"
Examples of Bad Objectives:
"Increase revenue by 25%" ← This is a Key Result, not an Objective
"Do marketing stuff" ← Too vague
"Maintain current performance" ← Not ambitious
Step 3: Write Your Key Results
Key Results answer: "How will we know we achieved the Objective?"
Good Key Results are:
Specific - Unambiguous and clear
Measurable - Contains a number
Outcome-focused - Measures results, not activities
Challenging - Requires effort to achieve
The "So What?" Test:
For each Key Result, ask "So what?" If you can ask it, you're measuring an activity, not an outcome.
Activity (Bad)
Outcome (Good)
Launch 5 email campaigns
Generate 500 qualified leads from email
Publish 20 blog posts
Grow organic traffic by 50%
Conduct 10 customer interviews
Identify 3 validated product opportunities
3-5 per Objective. Fewer loses important dimensions; more dilutes focus.
Step 4: Calibrate for Stretch
OKRs should be ambitious. Target 60-70% confidence when you set them.
Too easy: "I'm 90% sure we'll hit this" → Raise the bar
Just right: "I'm 60-70% sure we'll hit this" → Good stretch
Too hard: "I'm 20% sure we'll hit this" → May demotivate
Remember: Achieving 70% of an OKR is success, not failure. If you consistently hit 100%, your goals aren't ambitious enough.
Complete OKR Examples
Marketing OKR
Objective: Build a demand generation engine that fuels predictable growth
Key Results:
Generate 5,000 marketing qualified leads (up from 2,800)
Achieve 30% MQL-to-SQL conversion rate (up from 22%)
Reduce customer acquisition cost from $180 to $120
Grow organic traffic from 150K to 300K monthly visits
Sales OKR
Objective: Create a world-class sales experience that wins enterprise deals
Key Results:
Close $3.5M in new annual recurring revenue
Achieve 115% quota attainment across the team
Reduce average sales cycle from 60 to 40 days
Increase average deal size from $25K to $40K
Product OKR
Objective: Deliver a product that customers can't live without
Key Results:
Achieve 75% feature adoption within 30 days of launch
Improve user activation rate from 45% to 65%
Reduce support tickets by 40%
Reach user satisfaction score of 4.5/5
Personal OKR
Objective: Complete my first marathon this year
Key Results:
Run 4 times per week for 16 weeks
Complete a half-marathon by month 3
Achieve sub-4:30 marathon time
Zero injuries requiring medical attention
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Too many OKRs
Stick to 3-5 Objectives with 3-5 Key Results each. More = less focus.
2. Key Results without numbers
"Improve customer experience" isn't measurable. "Achieve NPS of 55+" is.
3. Measuring activities instead of outcomes
"Launch product" is an activity. "Acquire 1,000 users" is an outcome.
4. Setting it and forgetting it
Review OKRs weekly. They should guide daily priorities.
5. Expecting 100% achievement
If you consistently hit all OKRs, raise the bar. 70% is the target.
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