---
name: okr
description: Draft or revise an OKR set for a planning period — objectives with measurable key results that initiatives ladder up to. Use when setting quarterly strategy or re-anchoring drifting work.
version: 1.0.0
owner: wawan
risk: low
category: planning
scope: read:okf, write:planning/okrs
---

# okr — Draft or Revise an OKR Set

This skill produces an OKR instance for a planning period: a small set of objectives, each with
measurable key results, structured as a tree that initiatives and agent runs ladder up to. It
operationalizes the [okr-tree](/okf/core/concepts/okr-tree.md) concept.

> **Format note:** three-level progressive disclosure
> ([SKILL-FORMAT](/skills/SKILL-FORMAT.md)). Level 1 above is the trigger; this body is the
> procedure; rare variants go to Level 3 sub-files.

## When to use vs. not

- **Use** to set strategy for a planning period, or to re-anchor an initiative that has drifted from
  its parent KR.
- **Do not use** to spec a single piece of work — that is the [PRD skill](/skills/prd.skill).
  OKRs sit one level above initiatives.

## Procedure

1. **Objectives: qualitative and few.** 2–4 objectives for the period. Each is directional and
   inspirational, carries no number itself, and states a "what we want to be true."
2. **Key results: measurable outcomes.** 2–5 KRs per objective. Each is a **change in the world**,
   not a count of work done — "reduce human correction rate to < 0.5", not "ship 5 features". KRs
   that measure output invite the [watermelon flag](/okf/core/concepts/watermelon-flag.md).
3. **Ladder to the north star.** Every KR should move, directly or indirectly, the north-star metric
   — **human correction rate per agent run** (lower is better). If a KR ladders to nothing, cut it.
4. **Baseline and target.** Each KR states current baseline, target, and the measurement source.
   "From X to Y, measured by Z."
5. **Leave room for initiatives.** OKRs are parents; do not pre-assign every initiative. The tree is
   filled in as work is chosen.
6. **Set the review cadence.** State when KRs are checked and that reporting follows
   [anti-optimism](/okf/core/concepts/okr-anti-optimism.md): report the red, separate confidence
   from status.

## Required content

- **Period & identity** — planning period, `product_slug`, `pm_slug`.
- **Objectives** — numbered, qualitative.
- **Key results** — per objective: baseline → target, measurement source, confidence.
- **North-star linkage** — how the set ladders to human correction rate.
- **Cadence** — review rhythm and reporting stance.

## Output and placement

- OKR instances are **operational** — under `/planning/okrs/`, not in the OKF bundle.
- Filename: period-slugged, e.g. `okrs-q3-2026.md`.

## Quality bar

Before handoff: objectives are qualitative; KRs are outcomes with baseline+target+source; every KR
ladders toward the north star; reporting stance is anti-optimist; no initiative is smuggled in as a
KR.

## Level 3 sub-cases

- Mid-period KR revision / re-baselining without resetting objectives: see `okr-rebaseline.md`
  (author on first need).
- Multi-product objective rollups: see `okr-rollup.md` (author on first need).