Stable anchors on every entry, so a finding can link straight to its fix.
A Key Result that describes work the team does, not a change in the world.
Signal
Verbs like launch, build, ship, migrate, deliver, create, roll out in the KR.
Fix template
Ask "if this ships and works, what changes for users?" and write that as the KR.
Example
"Launch the new payment page"→"Self-serve payment changes (without contacting support) from 12% to 45% by end of Q3"
A number that can grow while the thing you care about stays flat or gets worse.
Signal
Undefined actor or vague action: engagement, users, interactions.
Fix template
Name the specific actor and the observable action they take.
Example
"Increase engagement by 25%"→"Blog readers who start a free trial, from 1.4% to 3.2%"
A KR set at a level the team would reach anyway.
Signal
Target sits within historical default trajectory.
Fix template
Ask "if we hit 70% of this, would we be genuinely satisfied?" If yes, raise the bar.
Example
"Grow ARR by 5%" (when ARR is already on track for 6%)→"Grow ARR by 18% with new self-serve channel contributing at least 30%"
TBD, X%, (owner), or "to be confirmed" lingering in the OKR.
Signal
Visible meta-text from a draft template still present at commit time.
Fix template
Fill the field or strike the KR before locking the set. Do not commit drafts.
Example
"Reach X% NPS by Q3"→Strike the KR until X is known. Instrument first if the baseline does not exist.
An Objective with no by-when.
Signal
No quarter, no date, no horizon stated in the Objective.
Fix template
State the quarter or specific date directly in the Objective text.
Example
"Become the most trusted checkout in our category"→"Become the most trusted checkout in our category by end of Q4 2026"
No explicit reference to parent strategy, pillar, or company OKR.
Signal
A1 Alignment scores 0 or 1 in the rubric.
Fix template
Name the parent component verbatim in the Objective or KR1.
Example
"Increase activation"→"Ladder into the 'Customer voice to business value' pillar: increase week-1 activation from 18% to 32% by Q3"
A KR that requires no behaviour change to hit.
Signal
Target sits at or near current performance.
Fix template
Identify what would have to be true for a 10x outcome, then set the bar 2x to 3x current.
Example
"Convert 3.5% of trial users" (current 3.3%)→"Convert 6.5% of trial users by retiring the email-only onboarding"
An Objective that names a solution, foreclosing alternatives.
Signal
Build X or Migrate to Y appears in the Objective.
Fix template
Frame the problem at the Objective level. Let KRs reveal what changes.
Example
"Migrate to the new auth provider"→"Reduce sign-in friction so unique active users grow from 240k to 380k by Q3; auth-migration is the first hypothesis"
A KR that measures activity (touches, sessions, calls) instead of the result the activity should produce.
Signal
Counts actions, not consequences.
Fix template
Ask "after we counted that, what changed?" Write the consequence.
Example
"150 customer interviews completed"→"Customer-validated PRDs from 0 to 6 by end of quarter"
A KR that, if maximised, harms the goal.
Signal
Hitting the target requires gaming the actual outcome.
Fix template
Write the KR that captures the underlying change, not the proxy.
Example
"Resolve 100% of support tickets within 24 hours" (incentivises closing tickets unresolved)→"First-contact resolution from 42% to 58% with median time-to-resolve at or under 24 hours"
All KRs measure outcomes only visible after the quarter ends.
Signal
No leading indicators to course-correct mid-quarter.
Fix template
Add at least one KR that is observable by mid-quarter.
Example
Full set of ARR, revenue, and retention KRs→Add "Week-4 sign-up cohort 14-day retention from 32% to 45%"
An Objective with more than 5 Key Results.
Signal
Ambition pretending to be commitment. Nothing is prioritised.
Fix template
Cut to 3 to 5. The cut KRs become candidate next-quarter set or work items, not deletions.
Example
8 KRs under one Objective→Top-3 priorities for the quarter, with the other 5 deferred to Q+1 as candidates
