Are you planning Q2? Stop using OKRs
OKRs are everywhere. Every quarter, teams dust off their templates, fill in objectives and key results, and convince themselves they’re doing strategy.
Most of the time, they’re not.
The problem with jumping straight to OKRs
The assumption behind OKR adoption is that your organization is ready for them. That people have clarity on strategy. That teams are autonomous enough to pursue outcomes without hand-holding. That there’s enough psychological safety to report honestly on what’s not working.
That assumption is usually wrong.
Christina Wodtke, one of the most thoughtful writers on OKRs, calls this “the prework.” Before OKRs can function, you need:
- A well-defined strategy framework — your team needs to know where you’re going before they can set objectives that matter
- Psychological safety — people need to feel safe reporting red results without fear of punishment
- Multidisciplinary product teams — OKRs work when teams are empowered to solve problems, not just execute tasks
- Agile or lean methodologies — OKRs need iterative working rhythms to be actionable
- Effective management practices — managers need to coach, not just track
- Autonomous teams — teams need decision-making authority, not just accountability
- A culture of effectiveness — the organization rewards outcomes, not activity
What happens when you skip the prework
Teams fill in the OKR template. Numbers appear. Quarterly reviews happen. And… nothing changes. The OKRs become another reporting exercise. Leadership is frustrated. Teams feel like they’re doing busy work.
The OKRs aren’t broken. The foundation is.
What to do instead
Before adopting OKRs, ask honestly: does our organization have the prerequisites? Start with the hardest one — psychological safety. If people are afraid to report “this didn’t work,” no framework will save you.
Fix the foundation. Then try OKRs.