What I’ve Learned from 15 Years of Doing OKRs

Fifteen years ago, I began experimenting with OKRs, starting at Zynga and then as I worked with startups and companies searching for alignment, clarity, and impact. Over the years, I’ve written books, coached teams, and even applied OKRs to my own life. And through it all, I’ve seen one thing: OKRs, done right, are a powerful bridge between strategy and execution.

Let me be clear—OKRs are not strategy.  Strategy is how you will win market share and realize value. Check out my strategy posts. Instead, OKRs translate those high-level strategic decisions into focused, actionable efforts that align a team’s day-to-day work with the company’s larger purpose. Here are the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way.

1. OKRs Are the Bridge Between Strategy and Execution

Think of OKRs as the connective tissue. Strategy tells us where to go. OKRs make sure we’re actually taking steps to get there—and that we know if we’re making progress. Without that bridge, teams can easily get lost in the weeds, mistaking activity for impact.

A strong OKR takes strategic intent and turns it into a shared destination. The best ones are clear, ambitious, and outcome-focused—not a glorified to-do list.

2. They Fuel a Culture of Learning

Too often, companies treat OKRs as a scorecard. But what makes them truly transformative is how they create a culture of reflection. When teams review OKRs weekly and ask, “What did we try? What did we learn?” they become learning organizations.

I use a qualitative grading approach that emphasizes insights over numbers. Instead of getting stuck on a 0.7 or 0.8 score, we focus on what worked, what didn’t, and what we’ll do differently. When OKRs spark curiosity instead of shame, you’re doing it right.

3. Not Every Team Needs OKRs

This is a lesson that surprises people: not everyone needs to set OKRs. Teams that own their destiny—like product teams building new initiatives—thrive with them. But service teams, maintenance crews, or individuals with little autonomy may struggle. OKRs are best when there’s room to stretch, take risks, and learn from experiments.

If a team doesn’t have control over its own priorities, it shouldn’t be asked to commit to key results it can’t influence.

4. Cascading Slows You Down—Alignment Speeds You Up

One of the biggest mistakes I see is companies trying to cascade OKRs down the org chart. Sounds logical, right? The CEO sets goals, then each VP, then each manager, and so on. But here’s the problem: cascading creates bottlenecks. Everyone waits on the layer above to finalize goals. Add in approval processes, and you’ve paralyzed your company for weeks—sometimes months.

Instead, set one high-level OKR at the company or business unit level. Then empower teams to write their own OKRs aligned to that leadership vision. A short alignment phase lets teams compare notes, sanity check with peers, and move forward—fast and focused.

5. OKRs Empower Teams—When You Let Them

The best OKRs don’t come from the top—they’re co-created. Leaders set the direction, but teams decide how to get there. When teams write their own OKRs, they take ownership. That’s where engagement lives. That’s where innovation happens.

Empowered teams don’t need micromanagement. They need clarity of purpose—and the trust to find their way to it.

6. Cadence Is King

You can’t just set OKRs and forget them. Weekly check-ins, Friday celebrations, monthly retrospectives—these create the rhythm that keeps a team aligned, learning, and motivated.

Jeff Weiner once said, “When you’re tired of saying it, they’re starting to hear it.” The same is true of OKRs. Repetition isn’t boring—it’s how alignment happens.

7. You Won’t Nail It Right Away—And That’s Okay

I’ve botched OKRs more times than I can count. I’ve written vague ones, impossible ones, irrelevant ones. But every time, I learned. Every quarter is a chance to refine not just your goals, but your understanding of what matters.

In the end, OKRs are a practice. They’re a habit of reflection, alignment, and growth. Fifteen years in, I still learn something new every quarter.

Because when you focus on what matters—and give your teams the tools to do the same—everything becomes possible.

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