But if you\u2019re reading this, then we\u2019re assuming \u2013 unless you\u2019re some kind of child genius product manager \u2013 that you\u2019re not 9 years old. This probably means your OKRs are a bit different these days. And that, in turn, means that wall charts and marks on a wall no longer cut the mustard when it comes to tracking and reporting on your progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All of which is a pretty roundabout way of saying: welcome to an article all about the best OKR software tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we\u2019ll be working our way through the following:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n\n- What is an OKR anyway?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- OKRs vs KPIs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Why are OKRs important?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What to look for in an OKR tool<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The 5 best OKR software tools<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
What is an OKR anyway?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An OKR<\/a>, which stands for \u2018Objectives and Key Results’, is an important kind of goal-setting framework for business leaders. Using OKRs, product managers, department heads, and managers can set clear aims for the future of the business and outline how they\u2019ll get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEven though the acronym only defines two principle ingredients, there are often said to be three parts to the OKR framework: objectives, key results, and initiatives. So let\u2019s look at each one in turn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Objectives<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What is it you\u2019re trying to achieve? Is it to become the number-one product in your category? Or maybe it\u2019s a more granular goal, like driving more people to your product page. You\u2019ll likely have several business objectives at any one time \u2013 attainable and ambitious \u2013 and OKRs are how you formalize them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key results<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
These are the measurable data points you track to determine whether or not you\u2019ve hit your goals. So if your goal is to become the number one product in your category, your key results might include things like \u2018achieve 10,000 downloads per month\u2019, \u2018reach a top-10 app store chart position\u2019, and \u2018net 50 customer referrals per month\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initiatives<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
This is the methodology that\u2019ll help you tick off<\/a> those key results and, in turn, achieve your objectives. If your goal is to drive people to your product page, for example, your initiatives would probably involve a mix of ad campaigns, email and content marketing, and organic social activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\nOKRs vs KPIs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
At their simplest, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and OKRs are both methods businesses can use to keep track of performance. But what can makes OKRs a more appealing prospect is that they wrap performance monitoring up in a bit of much-needed context, and provide a way to ladder achievements up towards a goal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, while KPIs can tell you how a certain metric is performing, they don\u2019t really tell you what that means<\/em>, or what you should do next. OKRs, on the other hand, align teams on a clear direction of travel. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat\u2019s important is to understand how one fits into the other: KPIs are metrics, while OKRs are a framework that uses those metrics to determine success. Or, in other words: KPIs are one of the building blocks of OKRs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To take an earlier example: if your OKR is to become the number one software product in your category, and one of your key results is to achieve 10,000 downloads per month, then you\u2019ll be monitoring a KPI (downloads) to know if you\u2019ve hit that goal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without the OKR in place, your KPI is just tracking how download figures go up and down month-to-month or quarter-to-quarter, without rhyme or reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why are OKRs important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s pretty hard to incentivize change if you don\u2019t clearly lay out your goals \u2013 and even harder if you don\u2019t figure out how to achieve them. OKRs are ambition drivers; the framework gives teams something to shoot for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are three reasons why the OKR framework matters: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. OKRs galvanize teams<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Setting a clear set of objectives is a great way to align teams on a common purpose. Without that vision, people end up just ticking along \u2013 often in siloes \u2013 plugging away at nothing in particular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. OKRs provide focus<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Those objectives also provide much-needed focus. It\u2019s all too easy to cast the net too wide in terms of what success looks like, and that often results in scattershot strategies aimed at solving too many problems at once. OKRs help you shoot towards a few clear-cut aims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. OKRs push growth<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The OKR framework is all about plotting a course to a better version of your business, which means they\u2019re a great way to stop teams and companies from treading water. At least one of your OKRs should be as lofty as you can make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What to look for to find the best OKR software tool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Looking for your dream OKR-enabler? Keep an eye out for software with these three key facets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Easy to update<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
No matter how smart or flashy, OKR tools can\u2019t inherently know the progress of any of your goals, so you\u2019ll want to choose something that people don\u2019t hate updating. The simpler it is to add progress updates and data sources, the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Relevant data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Think about how much data you need to track. For most key results, some kind of data will naturally form the basis of how you determine success \u2013 so data visualization that tells a story is always a plus. But don\u2019t get wowed by an overflow of data. Sometimes less is more; especially if you don\u2019t want to end up having to work hard to sort the signal from the noise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Outcomes, not output<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Remember that a KPI is an output; it\u2019s a blank bit of data that speaks to a larger purpose. OKRs, on the other hand, are all about outcomes<\/em> \u2013 so we\u2019d advise looking for an OKR software solution that\u2019ll help you learn from successes and failures instead of just posting rising or falling statistics. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe 5 best OKR software tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n1. Perdoo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Is](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/download.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPerdoo<\/a> is a lightweight but focused tool that brings KPIs and OKRs into one place and helps keep teams on track with reminders and check-ins on a regular basis. One cool feature here is that integrations with Slack and Teams let managers share progress and wins as and when OKR inroads are made. That\u2019s alongside coaching options from the Perdoo team that can help businesses of all sizes get up and running with the OKR framework. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFrom the site:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cAlign everyone with the strategy. Focus teams on what matters. Engage employees to achieve goals and feel their best.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPricing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFour tiers, from free up to $17 per user, per month <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Mirro<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/mirro-logo-tagline-retina.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nBilled as \u2018performance management software for agile teams\u2019, Mirro<\/a> is part HR suite and part OKR platform that makes it easy to set up OKRs at an organizational, team, or individual level, and assign staff members for each one. It\u2019s simple to update progress on each task, and that progress feeds into customizable dashboards that shine a light on progress by goal, with live leaderboards that can help teams and departments enjoy a bit of light competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFrom the site:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cHigh-growth companies may struggle with keeping their teams aligned with both collective and individual goals. Mirro simplifies this process by empowering people to take ownership, be autonomous, and be open about sharing their progress.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPricing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n$7-$9 per user, per month<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Unlock:OKR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/download-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Unlock:OKR<\/a> team boasts 25 years of experience in the biz, and has used that know-how to create a software platform that\u2019s incredibly focussed on that goal. The suite here is \u201cdesigned to improve adoption of OKR, nothing more and nothing less,\u201d which means an incredibly tight, lightweight tool that aligns teams and stakeholders on OKRs from both a bottom-up and top-down approach. That means egalitarian OKR input and reporting, with clear alignment. As with some of the other providers in this list, Unlock:OKR also offers coaching services to help teams adopt OKR best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFrom the site:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cWe believe OKR software should be light, almost invisible, enabling you to embrace the OKR framework in the flow of work.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPricing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n$6 per user, per month<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Quantive Results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Quantive_logo-300x150.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn a nutshell:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPreviously known as Koan (before it was wrapped into the Quantive branding), this is a robust OKR offering that makes it easy to create and stick to OKRs as a team, while also reporting on live progress in a streamlined, visual way. Okrs can be set up using a variety of templates, but there are also custom fields for inputting the vectors and requirements that work best for your teams. Quantive Results<\/a> boasts Adobe, Ubisoft, and TomTom among some of its big-hitter users. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFrom the site:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cQuantive Results enables companies to improve what matters and stay ahead of the competition by connecting your organization’s data and people to a shared mission with a strategy execution platform.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPricing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n$18 per user, per month, with enterprise pricing on request<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. ProdPad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019d obviously be remiss if we didn\u2019t talk about ProdPad here. But not just because we\u2019re extremely biased: moreover, ProdPad is the only OKR software<\/a> package designed specifically for product managers. Product management is at the heart of every feature and tool we make, so our OKR integration has been built to keep things clean and efficient, without losing any core functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOKRs in ProdPad can be designed at the product level or the product portfolio level \u2013 it\u2019s up to you. Whatever the case, they\u2019re built into your home page, with their own tab and easy management.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F8trbOIxw3ls%2F0.jpg\")
What is an OKR anyway?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An OKR<\/a>, which stands for \u2018Objectives and Key Results’, is an important kind of goal-setting framework for business leaders. Using OKRs, product managers, department heads, and managers can set clear aims for the future of the business and outline how they\u2019ll get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though the acronym only defines two principle ingredients, there are often said to be three parts to the OKR framework: objectives, key results, and initiatives. So let\u2019s look at each one in turn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is it you\u2019re trying to achieve? Is it to become the number-one product in your category? Or maybe it\u2019s a more granular goal, like driving more people to your product page. You\u2019ll likely have several business objectives at any one time \u2013 attainable and ambitious \u2013 and OKRs are how you formalize them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are the measurable data points you track to determine whether or not you\u2019ve hit your goals. So if your goal is to become the number one product in your category, your key results might include things like \u2018achieve 10,000 downloads per month\u2019, \u2018reach a top-10 app store chart position\u2019, and \u2018net 50 customer referrals per month\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the methodology that\u2019ll help you tick off<\/a> those key results and, in turn, achieve your objectives. If your goal is to drive people to your product page, for example, your initiatives would probably involve a mix of ad campaigns, email and content marketing, and organic social activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At their simplest, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and OKRs are both methods businesses can use to keep track of performance. But what can makes OKRs a more appealing prospect is that they wrap performance monitoring up in a bit of much-needed context, and provide a way to ladder achievements up towards a goal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, while KPIs can tell you how a certain metric is performing, they don\u2019t really tell you what that means<\/em>, or what you should do next. OKRs, on the other hand, align teams on a clear direction of travel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s important is to understand how one fits into the other: KPIs are metrics, while OKRs are a framework that uses those metrics to determine success. Or, in other words: KPIs are one of the building blocks of OKRs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To take an earlier example: if your OKR is to become the number one software product in your category, and one of your key results is to achieve 10,000 downloads per month, then you\u2019ll be monitoring a KPI (downloads) to know if you\u2019ve hit that goal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Without the OKR in place, your KPI is just tracking how download figures go up and down month-to-month or quarter-to-quarter, without rhyme or reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s pretty hard to incentivize change if you don\u2019t clearly lay out your goals \u2013 and even harder if you don\u2019t figure out how to achieve them. OKRs are ambition drivers; the framework gives teams something to shoot for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are three reasons why the OKR framework matters: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Setting a clear set of objectives is a great way to align teams on a common purpose. Without that vision, people end up just ticking along \u2013 often in siloes \u2013 plugging away at nothing in particular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those objectives also provide much-needed focus. It\u2019s all too easy to cast the net too wide in terms of what success looks like, and that often results in scattershot strategies aimed at solving too many problems at once. OKRs help you shoot towards a few clear-cut aims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The OKR framework is all about plotting a course to a better version of your business, which means they\u2019re a great way to stop teams and companies from treading water. At least one of your OKRs should be as lofty as you can make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking for your dream OKR-enabler? Keep an eye out for software with these three key facets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter how smart or flashy, OKR tools can\u2019t inherently know the progress of any of your goals, so you\u2019ll want to choose something that people don\u2019t hate updating. The simpler it is to add progress updates and data sources, the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about how much data you need to track. For most key results, some kind of data will naturally form the basis of how you determine success \u2013 so data visualization that tells a story is always a plus. But don\u2019t get wowed by an overflow of data. Sometimes less is more; especially if you don\u2019t want to end up having to work hard to sort the signal from the noise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that a KPI is an output; it\u2019s a blank bit of data that speaks to a larger purpose. OKRs, on the other hand, are all about outcomes<\/em> \u2013 so we\u2019d advise looking for an OKR software solution that\u2019ll help you learn from successes and failures instead of just posting rising or falling statistics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a nutshell:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Perdoo<\/a> is a lightweight but focused tool that brings KPIs and OKRs into one place and helps keep teams on track with reminders and check-ins on a regular basis. One cool feature here is that integrations with Slack and Teams let managers share progress and wins as and when OKR inroads are made. That\u2019s alongside coaching options from the Perdoo team that can help businesses of all sizes get up and running with the OKR framework. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From the site:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlign everyone with the strategy. Focus teams on what matters. Engage employees to achieve goals and feel their best.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pricing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Four tiers, from free up to $17 per user, per month <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a nutshell:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Billed as \u2018performance management software for agile teams\u2019, Mirro<\/a> is part HR suite and part OKR platform that makes it easy to set up OKRs at an organizational, team, or individual level, and assign staff members for each one. It\u2019s simple to update progress on each task, and that progress feeds into customizable dashboards that shine a light on progress by goal, with live leaderboards that can help teams and departments enjoy a bit of light competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the site:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHigh-growth companies may struggle with keeping their teams aligned with both collective and individual goals. Mirro simplifies this process by empowering people to take ownership, be autonomous, and be open about sharing their progress.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pricing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n $7-$9 per user, per month<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a nutshell:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Unlock:OKR<\/a> team boasts 25 years of experience in the biz, and has used that know-how to create a software platform that\u2019s incredibly focussed on that goal. The suite here is \u201cdesigned to improve adoption of OKR, nothing more and nothing less,\u201d which means an incredibly tight, lightweight tool that aligns teams and stakeholders on OKRs from both a bottom-up and top-down approach. That means egalitarian OKR input and reporting, with clear alignment. As with some of the other providers in this list, Unlock:OKR also offers coaching services to help teams adopt OKR best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the site:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe believe OKR software should be light, almost invisible, enabling you to embrace the OKR framework in the flow of work.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pricing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n $6 per user, per month<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a nutshell:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Previously known as Koan (before it was wrapped into the Quantive branding), this is a robust OKR offering that makes it easy to create and stick to OKRs as a team, while also reporting on live progress in a streamlined, visual way. Okrs can be set up using a variety of templates, but there are also custom fields for inputting the vectors and requirements that work best for your teams. Quantive Results<\/a> boasts Adobe, Ubisoft, and TomTom among some of its big-hitter users. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From the site:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cQuantive Results enables companies to improve what matters and stay ahead of the competition by connecting your organization’s data and people to a shared mission with a strategy execution platform.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pricing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n $18 per user, per month, with enterprise pricing on request<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019d obviously be remiss if we didn\u2019t talk about ProdPad here. But not just because we\u2019re extremely biased: moreover, ProdPad is the only OKR software<\/a> package designed specifically for product managers. Product management is at the heart of every feature and tool we make, so our OKR integration has been built to keep things clean and efficient, without losing any core functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OKRs in ProdPad can be designed at the product level or the product portfolio level \u2013 it\u2019s up to you. Whatever the case, they\u2019re built into your home page, with their own tab and easy management.<\/p>\n\n\nObjectives<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Key results<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Initiatives<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
OKRs vs KPIs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why are OKRs important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. OKRs galvanize teams<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. OKRs provide focus<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. OKRs push growth<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What to look for to find the best OKR software tool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Easy to update<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Relevant data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Outcomes, not output<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The 5 best OKR software tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Perdoo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Mirro<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Unlock:OKR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n4. Quantive Results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. ProdPad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n