4 OKR examples for Project Planning
What are Project Planning OKRs?
The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.
Creating impactful OKRs can be a daunting task, especially for newcomers. Shifting your focus from projects to outcomes is key to successful planning.
We've tailored a list of OKRs examples for Project Planning to help you. You can look at any of the templates below to get some inspiration for your own goals.
If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read more about the OKR meaning online.
Best practices for managing your Project Planning OKRs
Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.
Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇
Tip #1: Limit the number of key results
Having too many OKRs is the #1 mistake that teams make when adopting the framework. The problem with tracking too many competing goals is that it will be hard for your team to know what really matters.
We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.
Tip #2: Commit to the weekly check-ins
Setting good goals can be challenging, but without regular check-ins, your team will struggle to make progress. We recommend that you track your OKRs weekly to get the full benefits from the framework.
Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.
Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row
Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples below). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.
As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.
Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.
Building your own Project Planning OKRs with AI
While we have some examples below, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. There are 2 options available to you.
- Use our free OKRs generator
- Use Tability, a complete platform to set and track OKRs and initiatives
- including a GPT-4 powered goal generator
Best way to track your Project Planning OKRs
The rules of OKRs are simple. Quarterly OKRs should be tracked weekly, and yearly OKRs should be tracked monthly. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:
- It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
- It will highlight poorly set OKRs
- It will surface execution risks
- It improves transparency and accountability
Most teams should start with a spreadsheet if they're using OKRs for the first time. Then, once you get comfortable you can graduate to a proper OKRs-tracking tool.
If you're not yet set on a tool, you can check out the 5 best OKR tracking templates guide to find the best way to monitor progress during the quarter.
Project Planning OKRs templates
We've covered most of the things that you need to know about setting good OKRs and tracking them effectively. It's now time to give you a series of templates that you can use for inspiration!
We've added many examples of Project Planning Objectives and Key Results, but we did not stop there. Understanding the difference between OKRs and projects is important, so we also added examples of strategic initiatives that relate to the OKRs.
Hope you'll find this helpful!
OKRs to enhance project planning and team coordination
- Enhance project planning and team coordination
- Cut down process issues by 25% through prioritizing and addressing planning obstacles
- Identify primary roadblocks causing process delays
- Implement changes and measure improvements
- Develop strategies to mitigate identified obstacles
- Provide comprehensive training to all team members on project planning software by quarter-end
- Identify required skill levels for project planning software
- Develop a comprehensive training program
- Schedule training sessions for all team members
- Implement a system of weekly project update meetings to boost coordination
- Assign a coordinator to manage meetings
- Schedule weekly project update meetings
- Develop an agenda for each update meeting
OKRs to decrease time from idea to product deliverables
- Decrease time from idea to product deliverables
- Reduce the average time spent on idea validation by 20%
- Streamline the idea validation process to eliminate unnecessary steps
- Conduct regular brainstorming sessions to generate and validate ideas collectively
- Utilize rapid prototyping to gauge user interest and validate ideas more efficiently
- Implement a feedback mechanism to quickly evaluate the viability of ideas
- Improve project planning to ensure timely completion of all deliverables
- Regularly track progress and provide feedback to address potential delays promptly
- Implement agile project management methodologies to adapt and adjust plans efficiently
- Assign responsibilities and ensure the team understands the scope and requirements
- Break down project into smaller tasks with clear deadlines for each deliverable
- Increase efficiency in the product development process by streamlining workflows
- Enhance cross-team collaboration to minimize bottlenecks and accelerate decision-making
- Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and timelines to streamline decision-making processes
- Implement regular cross-team meetings to share updates and coordinate efforts effectively
- Foster a collaborative culture by encouraging open communication and sharing of ideas
- Create a centralized platform for sharing documents and information to improve access and transparency
OKRs to acquire proficiency in business analysis as a beginner
- Acquire proficiency in business analysis as a beginner
- Execute two successful business analysis projects under supervision
- Develop detailed project plans under supervisor guidance
- Identify and define two suitable business analysis projects
- Implement projects, ensuring objectives are met successfully
- Gain feedback showing 90% satisfaction from 5 different team members on collaboration skills
- Solicit feedback from each team member
- Conduct an anonymous survey on collaboration skills
- Review and analyze received responses
- Complete four certified business analysis courses online
- Dedicate regular study times and complete all coursework
- Enroll in the chosen business analysis courses
- Research and select four online certified business analysis courses
OKRs to successfully migrate to GitLab
- Successfully migrate to GitLab
- Complete migration plan and timeline, including a step-by-step guide for all teams
- Develop a detailed timeline with specific milestones and accountable team members
- Create a comprehensive step-by-step guide outlining the migration process for all involved teams
- Conduct a thorough analysis and assessment of all existing systems and data
- Collaborate with relevant teams to identify potential roadblocks and ensure seamless transition
- Migrate 100% of the code repositories and branches from the current system to GitLab
- Ensure all team members are trained and proficient in using GitLab for version control
- Assign mentors to assist team members in mastering GitLab version control
- Regularly assess and evaluate team members' proficiency in GitLab usage
- Conduct comprehensive GitLab training for all team members
- Provide ongoing support and resources to enhance proficiency in GitLab
- Achieve 100% uptime and stability on GitLab platform throughout the migration process
- Collaborate with the migration team to establish effective communication channels and address concerns promptly
- Conduct thorough testing of the GitLab platform for any potential issues or vulnerabilities
- Perform regular backups and monitor system logs to proactively identify and address any disruptions
- Implement redundant systems and failover mechanisms to ensure continuous availability
More Project Planning OKR templates
We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.
OKRs to scale development with a design system OKRs to streamline high-quality project delivery at Goalkeep OKRs to increase conversion rate of pre-launch leads for pre-orders by 10% OKRs to implement automation in the reporting process OKRs to drastically improve onboarding and activation OKRs to improve software development team leadership effectiveness
OKRs resources
Here are a list of resources to help you adopt the Objectives and Key Results framework.
- To learn: Complete 2024 OKR cheat sheet
- Blog posts: ODT Blog
- Success metrics: KPIs examples