Create Company-Level OKR

Overview

Company-level OKRs are strategic objectives that define the organization's top priorities for a specific period. These high-level goals are typically set by senior leadership and cascade down to drive alignment across all teams and individuals in the organization.

What are Company-Level OKRs?

Company-level OKRs represent the most critical outcomes that your organization needs to achieve. They are:

• Strategic: Focused on long-term business outcomes
• Ambitious: Set challenging but achievable targets
• Measurable: Include specific, quantifiable key results
• Time-bound: Have clear deadlines and timeframes
• Aligned: Support the company's mission and vision

Prerequisites

Before creating company-level OKRs, ensure you have:

• Administrator privileges - Only administrators can create company-level OKRs
• Strategic clarity - Clear understanding of company priorities
• Leadership alignment - Buy-in from senior management
• Measurement framework - Defined metrics and tracking methods

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Access the Create OKR Interface

Navigate to the OKR creation page and select the Company level option.

1. Click on "Create OKR" from your dashboard
2. In the Level section, select "Company OKR"
3. Choose the appropriate Period (Q4 - 2025 in the example)
4. Set the Owner (typically CEO or senior executive)

Step 2: Define Your Objective

The objective should be a bold, qualitative statement that describes what you want to achieve.

Best Practices for Company Objectives:

• Keep it inspiring and motivational
• Make it broad enough to encompass multiple initiatives
• Ensure it aligns with company strategy
• Use clear, simple language that everyone can understand

Example Objectives:

• "Become the leading OKR management platform in Southeast Asia"
• "Achieve sustainable profitability while maintaining growth"
• "Transform customer experience through digital innovation"

Step 3: Set Key Results

Key Results are specific, measurable outcomes that indicate progress toward your objective.

For each Key Result, define:

Key Result Details

• Goal's unit measurement: Choose the appropriate unit (%, $, number, etc.)
• Start value: Current baseline (typically 0)
• Target value: Desired end result (e.g., 100 for percentage)
• Weight: Relative importance (Standard 1x KR weightage)
• Criteria: How success is measured (Higher is better, Lower is better)

Assignment and Ownership

• Team: Select the responsible team
• Owner: Assign a specific individual accountable for this key result

Example Key Results for Company OKRs:

• "Increase annual recurring revenue from $2M to $5M"
• "Achieve 95% customer satisfaction score"
• "Expand to 3 new markets in Southeast Asia"
• "Reduce customer churn rate from 15% to 8%"

Step 4: Review and Create

Before finalizing your company OKR:

1. Validate alignment - Ensure objectives support company strategy
2. Check measurability - Verify all key results are quantifiable
3. Confirm ownership - Make sure each element has a clear owner
4. Review timeline - Validate the period is appropriate
5. Assess achievability - Ensure targets are challenging but realistic

Click "Create OKR" to finalize your company-level objective.

Best Practices for Company OKRs

1. Limit the Number

• Keep to 3-5 company objectives per quarter
• Focus on what matters most to avoid dilution of effort

2. Ensure Executive Sponsorship

• Each objective should have a C-level or VP sponsor
• Regular executive reviews and updates are essential

3. Cascade Alignment

• Company OKRs should cascade to team and individual levels
• Create clear line of sight from individual work to company goals

4. Regular Monitoring

• Weekly or bi-weekly progress reviews
• Monthly leadership alignment meetings
• Quarterly comprehensive assessments

5. Communicate Broadly

• Share company OKRs with entire organization
• Explain the "why" behind each objective
• Celebrate progress and learnings

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Setting Too Many Objectives

• More than 5 objectives dilute focus
• Quality over quantity approach works better

Making Objectives Too Operational

• Company OKRs should be strategic, not tactical
• Avoid objectives that are just regular business activities

Lack of Measurement

• Every key result must be quantifiable
• Avoid vague or subjective metrics

Poor Ownership Assignment

• Each objective and key result needs a clear owner
• Shared ownership often leads to no ownership

Integration with Team and Personal OKRs

Company OKRs serve as the foundation for organizational alignment:

• Team OKRs should directly or indirectly support company objectives
• Personal OKRs can align with either company or team objectives
• Use objective linking to create clear connections

Tracking and Updates

Progress Monitoring

• Update key result progress regularly (weekly/bi-weekly)
• Use the progress tracking features in AntOKR
• Document challenges and blockers

Review Cycles

• Weekly: Quick progress checks with owners
• Monthly: Detailed review with leadership team
• Quarterly: Comprehensive assessment and planning

Next Steps

After creating your company OKRs:

1. Communicate: Share with the entire organization
2. Cascade: Help teams create aligned team OKRs
3. Monitor: Set up regular review and update processes
4. Iterate: Learn and improve for the next planning cycle

Troubleshooting

Access Issues

If you cannot create company-level OKRs, verify that you have administrator privileges in your AntOKR account.

Alignment Challenges

If teams struggle to align with company OKRs, consider:

• Breaking down company objectives into smaller components
• Providing clearer context and reasoning
• Facilitating alignment workshops

Measurement Difficulties

For hard-to-quantify objectives:

• Use proxy metrics that indicate progress
• Combine quantitative and qualitative measures
• Regular stakeholder feedback and assessment

Company-level OKRs are the cornerstone of organizational alignment and strategic execution. When done well, they provide clarity, focus, and motivation for the entire organization to work toward common goals.