Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
OKRs—Helpful or Harmful?
Summary
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are a staple of Q1 goal setting, but how helpful are OKRs to achieving your team's goals? Are they agile: do they stay relevant in a constantly shifting new normal, or does the process of getting to mutually agreed OKRs suck the innovation out of a team? Join Bria Alexander, DesignOps 2022 curator, in conversation with Design Operations leaders Benson Low, Natalya Pemberton, and Stephanie Goldthorpe to discuss the help (or the harm) in setting OKRs.
Key Insights
-
•
OKRs work best when teams feel ownership of the key results connected to organizational objectives.
-
•
Enforcing OKRs individually across all roles can cause resistance, especially among junior engineers.
-
•
OKRs are as much a mindset and a tool for collaborative alignment as a goal-setting framework.
-
•
Language and framing of OKRs should be customer-centric and value-focused, not solely business outcomes.
-
•
OKRs can foster cross-team conversations about interdependencies that did not exist previously.
-
•
Measurement in OKRs can and should include qualitative, quantitative, milestone-based, and aspirational metrics.
-
•
OKRs may not fit all organizations or teams; in such cases alternative goal-setting tools or prioritization models can be used.
-
•
OKRs should be iterative with regular check-ins allowing teams to pivot based on outcomes and realities.
-
•
Setting too many or unrealistic OKRs can demotivate teams; focus and selectivity are critical.
-
•
Successful OKRs help design leaders secure a seat at the strategic table and influence broader organizational goals.
Notable Quotes
"When teams are connected to real strategic missions and own their key results, OKRs become positive."
"Junior engineers often resent having to create OKRs that feel disconnected from their day-to-day work."
"It's okay to try and mess up your OKRs in the first few quarters and learn from it."
"OKRs are not one-size-fits-all; you have to shape them based on your organizational context and culture."
"Language matters—make your OKRs user-centric and customer-focused to avoid them feeling like overhead."
"OKRs can sometimes suck the oxygen out of the room if they focus only on bottom-line results, missing process and experience."
"Celebrate progress continuously and use OKRs as a learning process to evolve goals and strategies."
"Accessibility is a great example where OKRs can unify multiple product and design teams to a non-negotiable standard."
"OKRs help highlight intentions to leadership and open up conversations that generate alignment and support."
"An OKR coach told us to think of OKRs like a health panel at a physical—you have KPIs for status and OKRs for change targets."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If a dialog pops up but the keyboard focus isn’t moved into it, a screen reader user might not know it’s there."
Sam ProulxEverything You Ever Wanted to Know About Screen Readers
June 11, 2021
"There is no need for you to take notes because session notes, videos, and decks will be shared as soon as possible."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
November 17, 2022
"Don’t force yourself into a job you know isn’t right just because you’re unemployed."
Corey Nelson Amy SanteeLayoffs
November 15, 2022
"When enterprises are awkward, employees disengage, operations break down, and the customer experience suffers."
Milan GuentherA Shared Language for Co-Creating Ambitious Endeavours
June 6, 2023
"People will talk to customers whether you want them to or not. The question is how to make it a better experience."
Erin May Roberta Dombrowski Laura Oxenfeld Brooke HintonDistributed, Democratized, Decentralized: Finding a Research Model to Support Your Org
March 10, 2022
"The most important thing you can do is listen and watch and put assumptions aside about what is easy or hard."
Sam ProulxUnderstanding Screen Readers on Mobile: How And Why to Learn from Native Users
June 6, 2023
"Our AI-supported mornings were no longer about just dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s, but deeper analysis sessions including clients."
Mujtaba HameedThe new horizon of ethnography: using AI to unlock the full potential of in-person research
March 11, 2026
"Whoever has been and might continue to be the most negatively impacted absolutely needs to be centered and have their voices at the table."
Ilana LipsettAnticipating Risk, Regulating Tech: A Playbook for Ethical Technology Governance
December 10, 2021
"When we design for the edges, we get the middle for free."
Samuel ProulxFrom Standards to Innovation: Why Inclusive Design Wins
September 10, 2025
