OKR Manager

Create, evaluate, and grade OKRs using Google-style methodology. Works for solopreneurs, small teams, larger companies, and personal goals.

Core Concepts

Formula: "I will [Objective] as measured by [Key Results]"

Scoring (0.0–1.0 scale):

• 0.0–0.3: Failed / minimal progress
• 0.4–0.6: Made progress, didn't hit target
• 0.6–0.7: Sweet spot for aspirational OKRs (this IS success)
• 0.8–1.0: Exceeded expectations (if hitting 1.0 consistently, goals aren't ambitious enough)

OKR Types:

• Committed: Must achieve. Target score: 1.0. Failure requires explanation.
• Aspirational: Stretch/"moonshot". Target score: 0.7. 70% = success.

Modes of Operation

Mode 1: Create OKRs

Triggers: "create OKRs", "set goals", "help me write OKRs", "plan my quarter"

→ Run Discovery → Draft → Validate → Finalize

Mode 2: Evaluate OKRs

Triggers: "review my OKRs", "is this a good OKR", "evaluate these goals", "give me feedback"

→ Apply quality checks → Score dimensions → Provide specific fixes

Mode 3: Weekly Check-In

Triggers: "weekly check-in", "OKR update", "how am I doing"

→ Quick status on each objective → Identify blockers → Set weekly focus

Mode 4: Monthly Review

Triggers: "monthly review", "score my OKRs", "monthly OKR check"

→ Score each KR numerically → Identify what's working/struggling → Adjust tactics

Mode 5: Grade OKRs (End of Period)

Triggers: "grade my OKRs", "end of quarter review", "final OKR score"

→ Final scores with evidence → Reflection questions → Learnings → Prompt for next period

Mode 1: Create OKRs

Step 1: Discovery

Use the tiered framework. Every question is skippable — user can say "skip" or "not sure."

Opening:

"I'll ask a few questions to write better OKRs for you. All questions are optional — skip any that don't apply. Ready?"

Tier 1: Quick Start (Always Ask)

Important: One Business Per OKR Set

If user mentions multiple businesses:

"OKRs work best when focused on ONE business at a time — it's about concentration, not spreading thin. Which business should we focus on? (We can do a separate session for others.)"

Approach by Type:

After Quick Start:

"That's enough to start drafting. Want to go deeper for sharper OKRs? I can ask about [your vision / past results / resources] — or we can jump to drafting."

Tier 2: Strategic Deep Dive (Optional)

Offer sections à la carte:

Section A: Current State

• What's your current revenue or MRR? (Ballpark fine)
• How many clients/customers do you serve?
• What's taking up most of your time?
• What's your biggest bottleneck or frustration?

Section B: Vision & Direction

• If everything goes perfectly, what's different in 1 year? 5 years?
• Is your business model, offer, or ideal customer likely to change?
• What would you do with unlimited resources?
• What are you deliberately saying "no" to?

Section C: Resources & Constraints

• How many hours/week can you realistically dedicate?
• What resources do you have? (budget, team, tools, network)
• What external factors could derail you?
• Who are you depending on? Who's depending on you?

Tier 3: Reflection Round (If Previous Period Exists)

Ask: "Did you set goals last period? Want to reflect before planning ahead?"

If yes:

• What was your biggest win?
• What was your biggest failure or disappointment?
• What goal did you set but never touched? Why?
• What surprised you?
• What will you do differently?
• What assumptions proved wrong?
• What unfinished work should carry forward?

After discovery, summarize:

"Here's what I'm hearing: [summary]. Does that capture it? Anything to add before we draft?"

Step 2: Draft Objectives

Write 2–4 Objectives that are:

• Ambitious — Pushes beyond current state
• Qualitative — Future state, not a metric
• Memorable — One line, inspires action
• Action-oriented — Strong verbs (Build, Launch, Establish, Transform, Dominate)

Avoid:

• Vague verbs: "help," "support," "continue," "maintain"
• Metrics in objectives (those go in Key Results)
• Business-as-usual (OKRs are for change, not status quo)

Template: [Verb] [outcome] [context/scope]

Examples:

• "Build a predictable client acquisition engine"
• "Launch a productized service offering"
• "Establish authority as the go-to expert in [domain]"
• "Transform operations to support 2x growth"

Step 3: Write Key Results

For each Objective, write 2–5 Key Results using SMART criteria:

• Specific: One metric, one target
• Measurable: Quantifiable (number, %, $, date)
• Attainable: Stretch but possible (not fantasy)
• Relevant: Directly proves the Objective
• Time-bound: Deadline within the period

Also ensure MECE:

• Mutually Exclusive: Each KR tracks something different
• Collectively Exhaustive: Together, KRs = Objective achieved

Template: [Verb] [metric] from [baseline] to [target] by [date]

Examples:

• "Increase MRR from $2K to $8K by March 31"
• "Close 5 new clients by end of Q1"
• "Reduce response time from 24 hours to under 2 hours"
• "Achieve NPS of 50+ (baseline: 32)"

KR Types:

Step 4: Validate Quality

Objective Checks:

• Would I be proud to achieve this?
• Can I explain it in one sentence?
• Does it require real effort/change?
• Is it outcome-focused (not activity-focused)?

Key Result Checks:

• Is there a specific number or date?
• Can a stranger verify completion? (No gray area)
• Does it measure outcome, not output?
• Is 70% achievement still meaningful? (The "70% test")

Overall Checks:

• If all KRs hit 100%, is the Objective achieved?
• Are there 2–5 KRs (not too few, not too many)?
• Is at least one KR a "leading indicator" (actionable early)?

Step 5: Classify and Finalize

Mark each OKR as:

• Committed (target: 1.0) — failure requires explanation
• Aspirational (target: 0.7) — stretch goal, 70% is success

Output format:

## [Period] OKRs

### O1: [Objective] [Committed/Aspirational]

| KR | Target | Baseline |
|----|--------|----------|
| KR1: [Description] | [Target] | [Baseline] |
| KR2: [Description] | [Target] | [Baseline] |
| KR3: [Description] | [Target] | [Baseline] |

### O2: [Objective] [Committed/Aspirational]
...

Include:

• Baselines (where they're starting)
• Review cadence recommendation
• Key dates/milestones

Mode 2: Evaluate OKRs

When user shares existing OKRs for feedback:

Red Flags to Identify

Weak Objectives:

• Too vague: "Improve customer satisfaction"
• Activity-focused: "Launch 3 marketing campaigns"
• Sandbagging: Easily achievable with no stretch

Weak Key Results:

• Not measurable: "Improve brand awareness"
• Too many (6+) or too few (1)
• All lagging indicators (no early warning)
• Activities disguised as results: "Send 100 cold emails"
• Missing baselines

Score Each Dimension (1–5)

Provide specific feedback on what to fix with rewritten examples.

Mode 3: Weekly Check-In

Quick 15-minute status update.

Flow:

1. Ask for status on each Objective: "On track 🟢, At risk 🟡, or Off track 🔴?"
2. For each, ask: "Any updates on the Key Results?"
3. Identify blockers: "What's in the way?"
4. Set focus: "What's the ONE thing to move forward this week?"

Output:

## Week [N] Check-In — [Date]

| Objective | Status | Trend | Notes |
|-----------|--------|-------|-------|
| O1: [Short title] | 🟢/🟡/🔴 | ↑↓→ | [Brief note] |
| O2: [Short title] | 🟢/🟡/🔴 | ↑↓→ | [Brief note] |

**This week's focus:** [ONE thing]
**Blocker to address:** [If any]

Mode 4: Monthly Review

Deeper 1-hour review with scoring.

Flow:

1. Score each KR numerically (0.0–1.0):
   • Pull targets
   • Ask for actuals
   • Calculate: (Actual - Baseline) / (Target - Baseline)
2. Calculate Objective scores (average of KRs)
3. Identify:
   • What's working? (KRs ≥0.6)
   • What's struggling? (KRs <0.4)
   • What needs to change?
4. Adjust tactics (not goals) if needed

Output: Monthly scorecard with scores and recommendations

Mode 5: Grade OKRs (End of Period)

Full retrospective and grading.

Flow:

1. Final score for every KR with evidence (target vs actual)
2. Grade each Objective:
   • Committed: 1.0 expected, <0.8 needs explanation
   • Aspirational: 0.7 = success
3. Reflection questions:
   • What was your biggest win?
   • What was your biggest miss?
   • What surprised you?
   • What will you do differently next period?
4. Determine what carries forward vs. retires
5. Prompt: "Ready to draft next period's OKRs?"

Output:

## [Period] OKR Grade Report

### Summary
- Objectives: [N]
- Average Score: [X.XX]
- Committed achieved: [X/Y]
- Aspirational at ≥0.7: [X/Y]

### O1: [Objective] — Score: X.XX ✓/✗

| KR | Target | Actual | Score |
|----|--------|--------|-------|
| KR1 | [Target] | [Actual] | 0.XX |
| KR2 | [Target] | [Actual] | 0.XX |

**What worked:** [Insight]
**What blocked:** [Insight]
**Carry forward:** [Yes/No + what]

### Key Learnings
1. [Learning]
2. [Learning]

Adaptations by Type

Solopreneur

Small Team

• Assign each KR a single owner
• Do weekly team check-ins (15 min)
• Make OKRs visible to whole team
• Cascade from company → team level

Larger Company

• Cascade: Company → Department → Team
• Balance committed (operational) and aspirational (growth)
• Cross-team OKRs need explicit coordination
• Quarterly formal reviews with stakeholders

Personal

• Cover multiple life areas (don't just optimize one)
• Include maintenance goals (what to keep doing)
• No revenue pressure — focus on what matters to you
• Lower stakes, more experimentation allowed

Time Horizon Guidelines

Cascading: Annual → Half → Quarter should align. Each quarterly OKR should advance a half-year priority.

Quick Reference

Scoring Scale

The 70% Test

For every KR, ask: "If we only achieved 70%, would it still be meaningful?"

• Yes → Good KR
• No → Rephrase or mark as Committed

Common Mistakes

Reference Files

For detailed examples and templates, see:

• references/okr-examples.md — Sample OKRs by domain
• references/grading-guide.md — Detailed scoring rubrics
• references/strategic-planning-worksheet.md — Standalone worksheet version