Frequently Asked Questions About Lobkovich No-BS OKRs Framework
21 answers covering everything from basics to advanced usage.
// Basics
What does the 'No-BS' in No-BS OKRs actually mean?
It means stripping away the bureaucratic implementation patterns that make most OKR rollouts fail — cascading goals about everything, treating OKRs as planning theatre, and writing activity lists disguised as key results. Sara Lobkovich designed the approach for organisations wired for systemic change and innovation, focusing exclusively on genuine clarity, focus, and alignment rather than process compliance.
What is a Theme in the OKR framework?
A Theme is a short keyword phrase of two to four words that names the strategic territory an OKR set addresses — like 'Creative Sustainability' or 'Revenue Growth'. It's a navigational tool, not a title, giving anyone on the team an instant signal of what this objective and its key results occupy. The theme should reflect the core tension or opportunity for the cycle.
What inputs do I need before starting an OKR set?
You need three required inputs: team or role context (who's setting the OKRs), the goal cycle (the time period), and the strategic challenge or focus area (what you're trying to move the needle on, including tensions and what winning looks like). Optionally, gather available data signals you track and any known constraints or burnout/compression risks that should shape the goals.
// How To
How do I draft an Outcome Key Result?
Identify the single most important measurable outcome that signals your objective is being achieved, using the format [metric] + [direction] + [magnitude] + [from X to Y] + [by when]. For example: 'Increase weekly active user retention by 30 points from 45% to 70% within 90 days of launch.' It should feel ambitious — something you influence but don't fully control.
How do I draft a Progress Key Result?
Identify one measurable process or workflow improvement that, if achieved, meaningfully supports your Outcome KR — a leading indicator or enabler. Use the same [metric] + [from X to Y] + [by when] structure, e.g. 'Decrease average user path to value from seven clicks to three by end of Q2.' Test it by asking: 'If we hit this, does it make the outcome more likely?'
How do I stress-test my OKR set before finalising?
Run five checks: (1) Does the objective answer what's most important AND why? (2) Do all key results describe outcomes or progress with zero activity language? (3) Is the set small enough to create genuine focus? (4) Are key results objectively measurable — would two observers agree? (5) Does it feel ambitious but not fabricated? If any check fails, revise before finalising.
How do I move OKRs from slides into daily operations?
State explicitly which cycle the set governs, confirm team ownership, then schedule regular check-ins where key results are reviewed against current data and used to inform prioritisation decisions. An OKR is a working tool, not a planning artefact — if it only lives in a deck, it has failed. Let it shape what the team says yes and no to each week.
// Troubleshooting
My key result keeps sounding like a to-do list. How do I fix it?
If your key result starts with 'conduct', 'run', 'hold', or 'deliver', it's an activity — rewrite it to describe what will be measurably true as a result. Instead of 'deliver onboarding redesign', write 'reduce time-to-first-contribution from 45 to 28 days by Q3'. Move the activities into a project plan and keep only the measurable outcomes in your OKR.
My team has tons of data but can't pick which metrics matter. What should I do?
You're in a target-rich environment, where the challenge is mindset discipline, not data availability. Resist tracking everything you could measure. Return to your objective and ask which single Outcome KR would most clearly signal success, then which one Progress KR most directly enables it. Judicious prioritisation beats comprehensive coverage — a tight set creates the focus a sprawling dashboard destroys.
My team barely has any metrics. Can we still use OKRs?
Yes — lean on Target Behavior Key Results. In data-sparse environments like creative, strategy, or HR, count observable behaviours or spontaneous feedback patterns, such as 'Increase new hires proactively connecting with cross-functional colleagues from two to eight per cohort.' This instruments what matters before richer metrics exist and builds your measurement muscle. Don't avoid it because the signal feels 'soft' — it's a legitimate, powerful approach.
Our objective already contains a number. Is that a problem?
Yes — objectives should be directional and purpose-driven, not metric-based. Measurability belongs entirely in the key results. If your objective includes a target, you've collapsed two layers. Rewrite the objective as an ambitious statement of purpose that says what matters and why, then move the number into an Outcome or Progress Key Result where it belongs.
What happens if external factors prevent us from hitting a key result?
That's expected and acceptable under the 'influence, not control' principle. Key results don't require full team control to be valid — if knowing the goal shaped your decisions and prioritisation throughout the cycle, it did its job. Review what the data tells you, learn from the gap, and adjust. Demanding full control only produces timid goals that fail to move the needle.
// Comparisons
How does No-BS OKRs compare to SMART goals?
SMART goals focus on making individual targets specific and measurable but offer no structure for separating purpose from measurement or for prioritising across competing goals. No-BS OKRs adds a directional Objective carrying the 'why', three distinct key result types, and a discipline of judicious focus. SMART can produce a long list of valid-but-unfocused targets; No-BS OKRs forces you to surface only the few that matter.
How does No-BS OKRs differ from a KPI dashboard?
A KPI dashboard tracks ongoing operational health across many metrics; No-BS OKRs identifies the few ambitious changes you're trying to drive this cycle. KPIs tell you if the business is running; OKRs tell you what you're trying to improve and why. No-BS OKRs explicitly warns against turning OKRs into a comprehensive metrics list — that destroys the focus they exist to create.
Is the Target Behavior Key Result just a vague qualitative goal?
No — it's rigorously countable. A Target Behavior KR counts the frequency of specific observable behaviours or verbatim signals, like 'Increase spontaneous mentions of ease of use from zero to five per week.' Unlike a vague qualitative aim, it has a baseline, a target, and a time unit, so two observers could agree whether it was hit. It's a disciplined way to measure before instrumented metrics exist.
// Advanced
How do I use OKRs as an individual rather than a team?
Apply the same workflow at a smaller scale: name a Theme for your focus area, write one directional objective with its 'why', then one Outcome KR for the end-state you're driving and one Progress KR for the enabling improvement. Individual strategists often operate in data-sparse zones, so a Target Behavior KR can help instrument signals of progress before hard metrics exist.
What is a compression zone and how does it affect OKR-setting?
A compression zone is the position of teams — often product — caught between competing stakeholder demands, like customer needs versus internal technical or operational constraints. This tension makes goal-setting especially complex because multiple valid pressures pull in different directions. Naming your Theme around the core tension and keeping the set deliberately few helps a compressed team choose what truly matters instead of trying to satisfy everyone.
Can I have more than one objective per cycle?
You can, but restraint is the whole point. No-BS OKRs prioritises judicious selection — each additional objective dilutes focus. If you genuinely have two distinct strategic territories, give each its own Theme, objective, and tight key result set. But first ask whether they're truly separate or whether one is actually a key result supporting the other. Fewer objectives almost always produce more clarity.
How do I balance ambition with sustainability in my OKRs?
Surface burnout and compression risks as an input before drafting, then let them shape your set — sometimes sustainability itself becomes an Outcome or Target Behavior KR. The Creative Sustainability example pairs a client-outcome KR with an internal energy-score KR so the team pursues head-turning work without burning out. Ambition that ignores capacity isn't ambition; it's a fabricated target that quietly erodes the team.
What is an energy scoring model and how is it used in OKRs?
An energy scoring model is a self-assessment practice where team members rate their own energy or capacity on a defined scale. It's used as a Target Behavior Key Result to track team sustainability alongside client-facing outcomes — for example, 'Improve bi-weekly average energy score from 6 to 8.' It gives data-sparse teams a measurable way to protect wellbeing while pursuing demanding goals.
How often should I review and update my OKRs?
Schedule regular check-ins throughout the cycle — not just at the end — where key results are reviewed against current data and used to inform prioritisation. OKRs are living operational tools, so the cadence should be frequent enough to genuinely shape decisions, often bi-weekly or monthly. The set itself typically stays stable for the full goal cycle unless a fundamental strategic shift occurs.