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OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results. It is a goal-setting framework in which an Objective describes what you want to achieve and Key Results define measurable evidence of progress or success.

What the letters in OKR stand for

Part Meaning Purpose
Objective The intended achievement Provides a clear, generally qualitative direction
Key Results Measurable outcomes linked to the objective Shows whether progress is being made or the objective has been met
Initiatives Work or actions associated with the objective and results Describes what people will do to pursue the results; it is not another expansion of the acronym

Microsoft describes OKRs as including an objective, its associated key results and related initiatives. See Microsoft’s OKR overview.

Objective vs. Key Result

Objective

An Objective states the outcome you want in plain language. It is directional rather than a list of tasks—for example, “Increase sales.”

Key Result

A Key Result turns that direction into something assessable by naming an observable metric and a time period. Microsoft gives “Increase sales by 10% this quarter” as a more effective formulation than “Increase sales.” Read its guidance on writing effective OKRs.

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A simple OKR example

  • Objective: Increase sales.
  • Key Result: Increase sales by 10% this quarter.
  • Initiatives: Specific campaigns, product work or sales activities chosen to pursue that result.

The example illustrates the distinction: the Objective describes the intended achievement, while the Key Result supplies the metric and deadline needed to judge progress. It does not by itself prove that using an OKR will produce a particular business result.

Where the OKR idea came from

OKR practices are commonly associated with Andy Grove’s work at Intel in the 1970s and John Doerr’s later introduction of the framework at Google. This is cautious historical attribution, not a settled claim that one person invented the method or that it began on one definitive date. Amazon Ads summarizes the history using similarly qualified language in its OKR definition and history guide.

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What an OKR is—and is not

  • It is a structured way to connect an intended achievement with measurable outcomes.
  • It is not simply a task list; tasks are usually tracked as initiatives supporting the results.
  • The acronym refers to “Objectives and Key Results”; initiatives are an optional associated element, not part of the abbreviation.

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