Team OKRs in Action

Teams that own their OKRs break the typical top-down ritual of checklists and dashboards. When a team defines objectives based on strategic context, the goals become concrete commitments rather than imposed KPIs, leading to sharper decisions and measurable impact. The article shows how high-performing teams answer four questions-strategic goal, relevance, quarterly move, and progress metrics-to align daily work with outcomes.

At ThoughtWorks, cross-functional groups that co-create their OKRs connect their work to broader organizational goals, resulting in clearer priorities and real product improvements. The piece contrasts this with the common pitfall where leadership hands down objectives, turning OKRs into static artifacts that teams merely comply with.

The author outlines a lightweight Team OKR cycle: a quarterly planning workshop, weekly check-ins, and mid-cycle/end retrospectives. This rhythm turns OKRs into a living system, enabling teams to adapt while staying aligned with strategy. Real-world examples, such as a Brazilian bank's onboarding initiative, illustrate how strategic OKRs flow down to team-level commitments that drive tangible customer outcomes.

By treating OKRs as a bridge rather than a cascade, teams maintain autonomy while contributing to strategic objectives, fostering cross-team alignment without rigid control. The approach emphasizes conversation over command, ensuring that each team's work is both purposeful and measurable.