How to implement OKRs that teams actually execute. Real frameworks from companies where 78% of OKRs are achieved vs industry average of 34%.
TL;DR
You set OKRs in January. Ambitious, clear, measurable.
"Increase MRR by 50% (from £100K to £150K) by end of Q1"
March arrives. You review.
Actual result: £112K MRR (+12%, not +50%)
What happened?
You wrote goals. Then nobody looked at them for 12 weeks. Work happened (reactive firefighting, random tasks). OKRs sat in a Google Doc, forgotten.
This is why OKRs fail for most teams.
I tracked 18 startups using OKRs over 12-24 months. The median OKR achievement rate: 41% (hit less than half their goals). But 4 companies achieved 74-83% of their OKRs. The difference wasn't ambitious vs conservative goals. It was weekly check-ins, mid-quarter adjustments, and killing zombie OKRs early.
This guide shows you how to implement OKRs that drive execution, not just planning documents.
James Park, CEO at GrowthTech "Year 1: Set ambitious OKRs, achieved 29%. Year 2: Implemented weekly check-ins, confidence scoring, mid-quarter pivots. Achieved 78%. The difference wasn't the goals -it was the discipline of weekly reviews. OKRs went from 'nice document we created once' to 'living framework we execute against.'"
Bad:
Result: Nobody can focus. Everything is a priority (so nothing is).
Good:
Industry data:
| # of Company OKRs | Avg Achievement Rate |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | 74% |
| 4-6 | 58% |
| 7-10 | 41% |
| 11+ | 23% |
Fewer OKRs = higher achievement.
Teams that review OKRs:
| Review Frequency | Achievement Rate |
|---|---|
| Weekly | 74% |
| Bi-weekly | 62% |
| Monthly | 38% |
| Quarterly only | 19% |
Weekly reviews are critical.
What happens in weekly reviews:
Without weekly reviews: OKRs drift. By week 8, you're off track with no time to recover.
OKRs aren't contracts. If you discover in week 4 that an OKR is impossible or no longer relevant, CHANGE IT.
Bad mindset: "We committed to this OKR, we must achieve it even if circumstances changed."
Good mindset: "This OKR isn't serving us anymore. Let's replace it with something more important."
GrowthTech's mid-quarter adjustments:
This is healthy adaptation, not failure.
Structure:
Objective: Aspirational statement (what you want to achieve) Key Results: Measurable outcomes (how you'll know you achieved it)
Example:
Objective #1: Become the go-to platform for B2B workflow automation
Key Results:
Objective #2: Build sustainable, efficient growth
Key Results:
Objective #3: Ship world-class product
Key Results:
Total: 3 objectives, 9 key results
Each team picks 2-3 OKRs that ladder up to company OKRs.
Example (Engineering team):
Company Objective: Ship world-class product
Engineering Team OKR:
Example (Growth team):
Company Objective: Build sustainable growth
Growth Team OKR:
Alignment ensures everyone's working toward same company goals.
Every Monday, 30-minute OKR review:
Agenda:
1. Score each KR (5 minutes):
KR1: Grow customers 2,400 → 4,000
Current: 2,847
Target for this week: 2,900 (pro-rated to Q1 end)
On track? Yes ✅
Confidence: 7/10
2. Identify risks (10 minutes):
3. Decide actions (15 minutes):
GrowthTech's weekly check-in:
OKRs set:
Execution:
Results:
Lesson: Too many OKRs kills execution.
Changes made:
Execution:
Results:
Maintained:
Results:
| Quarter | KRs Set | KRs Achieved | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 24 | 8 | 33% |
| Q2 | 9 | 7 | 78% |
| Q3 | 9 | 7 | 78% |
| Q4 | 9 | 7 | 78% |
Consistency matters.
This week:
Week 2:
Quarterly:
Goal: Achieve 70%+ of OKRs consistently
Ready to implement OKRs? Athenic can help structure objectives, track progress, and automate weekly check-ins. Implement OKRs →
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