Do your company‘s strategic priorities often feel disconnected from individual employee goals? Does a lack of clarity into key objectives across teams stand in the way of executing on your business strategy? Aligned organizations are 2.3x more likely to exceed their annual business goals, according to McKinsey. But for many companies, unlocking this level of strategic alignment remains elusive.
That‘s where Objectives and Key Results – commonly known as OKRs – come in. OKRs have been used by industry leaders like Google, Twitter, Intel, and Spotify to clearly communicate company priorities and empower employees to advance top-level goals through their daily work. But formulating effective OKRs completely from scratch each quarter can still prove challenging.
This is where OKR templates can bridge the gap – providing reusable structures for teams across an organization to quickly adopt Objectives and Key Results each quarter. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover what makes OKR templates so valuable and provide actionable recommendations on 12 leading OKR template tools to align your next business quarter and drive better performance.
What Exactly are OKR Templates and Why Do They Matter?
OKR templates provide ready-made frameworks to quickly implement Objectives and Key Results within your organization. Rather than forcing your teams to stare down a blank page each quarter as they draft goals, an OKR template incorporates best practices into an easy-to-use structure.
Benefits of using OKR templates include:
Accelerating Your OKR Rollout
Well-designed templates allow companies to accelerate adoption of OKRs across the organizations 4x faster compared to drafting custom goals each quarter.
Providing Proven Examples
By providing a concrete example format derived from successful tech giants, templates demonstrate to teams new to OKRs precisely how objectives and key results should be constructed.
Enhancing Consistency
Leadership can distribute consistent OKR templates to various business units to facilitate alignment on overarching company goals.
Facilitating Tracking
The uniform structure templates provide allows you to compare progress quarter over quarter and spot trends.
Now let‘s explore 12 of the top OKR templates available to help kickstart alignment at your growing organization.
12 Best OKR Template Platforms
1. Smartsheet OKR Templates
With over 100 free templates covering a wide variety of teams and use cases, Smartsheet provides one of the most robust OKR template libraries available.
Key Features:
- 100+ Free Templates
- Excel Tracking with Charts
- Dashboards to Visualize Progress
- Customizable Template Builder
Use Case: Smartsheet’s templates can kickstart OKRs for organizations of all sizes and industries through their flexible Template Builder tool and vast template library.
Example Smartsheet OKR Dashboard for Tracking Progress Towards Goals
2. Asana OKR Template
Leveraging Asana‘s robust work management platform, this interactive template provides a straightforward way for teams to collaborate on OKRs within a shared workspace.
Key Features:
- Pre-populated Template
- Custom Goals and Projects
- Progress Bars
- Comments and Activity Log
Use Case: Asana streamlines goal-setting and tracking for agile teams through interactive project management.
3. Atlassian Confluence OKR Templates
Technology organizations already using Atlassian‘s market-leading products like Confluence and Jira can build OKR templates leveraging their existing stack without adopting new platforms.
Key Features:
- Centralized Confluence Site
- Embed Jira Issues Into Pages
- Track Progress Visually
- Atlassian Ecosystem Integration
Use Case: Leverage Atlassian‘s ecosystem to implement a no-fuss OKR solution.
4. Miro Visual OKR Templates
Collaborative whiteboard platform Miro allows teams to take a highly visual approach to brainstorming objectives and key results together.
Miro‘s Visual OKR Template
Key Features:
- Virtual Sticky Notes
- Drag and Drop Simplicity
- Visual Collaboration
- Library of OKR Templates
- Unlimited Free Version
Use Case: Creative teams can leverage Miro‘s visual approach to align on goals and iterate collaboratively each quarter.
5. Google Sheets OKR Templates
Dozens of ready-made OKR templates exist for Google Sheets that teams can access, copy, and customize for free.
Key Features:
- Duplicate Existing Templates
- Easy Sharing Access
- Simple Spreadsheet Interface
- Free and Simple Access
Use Case: Small teams appreciate Google Sheet‘s simplistic take on OKR templates – allowing them to bypass paid software just to draft goals.
6. Weekdone OKR Template
Weekdone focuses specifically on enabling OKRs through templates and additional features like progress dashboards, automated reminders, and more.
Key Features:
- Free and Paid Options
- Range of Departments
- Progress Tracking
- Data Visualizations
Use Case: Weekdone’s templates simplify rollout across entire organizations with variety covering all major departments.
7. Qlik OKR Template
Qlik offers an OKR dashboard template for data-mature enterprise organizations to provide richer insights by connecting goal progress to business KPIs.
Key Features:
- Central Insights Hub
- Drill-Down Analysis
- Data Visualization
- Progress Alerting
Use Case: Leverage Qlik’s guided analytics template to uncover predictive insights from OKR and business metric data.
8. FloQast OKR Template
Accounting teams can leverage FloQast’s Excel template to build OKRs while ensuring compliance with financial close management best practices.
Key Features:
- Excel-Based
- Close Management Compliant
- Quarterly Reporting
- Finance-Optimized
Use Case: Finance teams balance OKR development with month-end close duties through FloQast’s close-centric template.
9. ProductPlan OKR Template
ProductPlan specializes in enabling product managers to deliver strategic roadmaps tied to company objectives. Their OKR template aligns feature development to broader company goals.
Key Features:
- Product Management Focused
- Roadmap Integration
- Release Planning Workflow
- Ideal for Technology Teams
Use Case: Technology product teams connect key launches to strategic priorities leveraging ProductPlan’s purpose-built template.
10. HubSpot Marketing OKR Template
Global marketing platform Hubspot offers an impressive marketing-specific OKR template that includes examples across metrics like website traffic, leads generated, and sales opportunity creation.
Key Features:
- Marketing Focused
- Example Goals Included
- Key Result Examples
- Free Download and Access
Use Case: Marketing professionals new to OKRs can leverage Hubspot’s template to develop aligned objectives.
11. Humanyze Employee OKR Template
Providing individualized employee OKR templates can help cascade top-level company goals into personalized objectives by department, team, and employee level.
Key Features:
- Personalized Goals
- Customizable By Role
- Employee Performance Enablement
- Links Individuals to Company Priorities
Use Case: Organize and motivate workforces around objectives impacting their specific roles.
12. GitLab Engineering OKR Template
GitLab offers an engineering-optimized OKR template complete with objectives, results, owners, and metrics tailored to developers and IT leaders.
Key Features:
- Technology-Centered
- Metrics Focused
- Delivery Cycle Integration
- Open Source Accessibility
Use Case: Developer teams standardize goals around shipping high-quality code improvements and new capabilities.
Comparing Major OKR Template Providers
| Template Provider | Free Access | Industry Focus | Premium Version | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartsheet | Yes | General | $25/user/month | Large teams |
| Asana | Yes | General | $13.49/user/month | Agile teams |
| Atlassian | Yes* | Technology | $10/user/month | Tech companies |
| Miro | Yes | General | $12/user/month | Remote collaboration |
| Google Sheets | Yes | General | – | Small teams |
| Weekdone | Partial | General | $7/user/month | Enterprise adoption |
| Qlik | Partial | Business Intelligence | Custom Pricing | Data-driven organizations |
| ProductPlan | Partial | Technology | $19/user/month | Product teams |
| HubSpot | Yes | Marketing | $45/user/month | Marketing teams |
| Humanyze | Partial | HR | Custom Pricing | Frontline workforces |
| GitLab | Yes | Technology | Self-Managed | Engineering teams |
*Requires existing Confluence or Jira license
This comparison highlights how different templates provided specialized focus around driving alignment for specific team dynamics and industry needs while sharing broad commonality around defining and tracking quarterly OKRs.
Understanding subtle differences empowers your organization to select the ideal template approach based on your budget, maturity level, and strategic priorities. Nic Choquette, leading expert on Objectives and Key Results, highlights that "OKRs are about vertical and horizontal alignment. Different templates place different levels of focus on those based on industry." Take this into account as you evaluate providers against your unique requirements.
Now that we‘ve covered the value proposition of OKR templates and dove into the specifics of 12 top options, let‘s switch gears to crucial actions you must take to successfully drive adoption company-wide.
Implementing OKR Templates Company-Wide
Selecting a robust OKR template solution marks an important first step – but won‘t magically transform misalignment plaguing your teams‘ efficiency overnight. To leverage templates for maximum impact, leaders must still prioritize rigorous change management when rolling out to the broader organization by considering the following best practices.
Get Executive Buy-In
Top-down support of OKRs can make-or-break your initiatives success. If individual contributors see leaders verbally backing goals while continuing to ask for unrelated deliverables, confusion around what actually constitutes key priorities persists. Secure vocal, visible buy-in from senior management first so support cascades through entire org.
Invest in Ongoing Training
Emailing links to OKR templates without proper onboarding leaves employees without context for how to translate company priorities into day-to-day actions. Conduct interactive training workshops with examples so teams better understand connections between strategic objectives and specific measurable results.
Incentivize Alignment
Consider tying OKR template goal achievement to performance management processes. Even small bonuses or non-cash rewards for hitting key results or deprioritizing misaligned tasks motivates teams.
Continuously Iterate Based on Feedback
Launching static, rigid OKR templates quarter over quarter won‘t account for evolving company needs in dynamic business climates. Actively seek input from employees on what template alterations better support their workflow and priorities.
While integrating and scaling OKR templates takes commitment, know that dedication brings immense ROI. Industry research shows that aligned organizations complete strategic initiatives 30% faster. They also exceed revenue targets by more than 2X.
Now that you have a guide to the nuts and bolts of the top OKR template solutions plus best practices for effective change management, let‘s wrap up with key questions frequently asked about selecting and rolling out goals.
FAQs Around OKR Templates
Should OKR templates differ across teams?
While templates should provide uniformity in structure overall, incorporating customization by department can improve buy-in by better connecting group-specific goals to higher-level corporate objectives. For example, product teams may include metrics around feature releases while marketing tracks awareness campaign performance.
How often should templates change?
Revisit your templates quarterly. Teams shouldn‘t erase former objectives completely when launching new OKRs each quarter. Reassess what worked or didn’t, and carry over any ongoing goals as you adjust targets.
Can OKR templates get too complex?
Yes – trying to incorporate every possible metric imaginable into intricate templates gets cumbersome fast. Start simple: Define 1-5 key objectives, add 2-5 measurable results per objective. Expand complexity gradually over time as understanding increases.
Should OKRs differ for senior versus junior employees?
Facilitating alignment means limiting wide variation in expectations across roles. However, leaders should provide additional guidance to less experienced employees if OKR self-sufficiency remains low. Consider mentoring programs for further support.
Start Aligning Your Organization Today
With goals serving as the GPS for strategic navigation at growing companies, misalignment often leaves essential priorities stalled at red lights. By leveraging well-designed OKR templates, organizations finally have an avenue to get entire workforces collaborating harmoniously around common objectives.
The options we covered today provide a launch point to begin uniting siloed efforts around shared quarterly key results. Evaluate providers against the dynamics unique to your teams, choose a template that resonates, roll out with sufficient training, incentivize adoption across management chains, and iterate based on user feedback for an aligned organization ready to accelerate execution.
Now that you have a comprehensive guide on implementing OKR templates effectively, the only question remaining is – what are you waiting for? The templates available today provide off-the-shelf frameworks ripe for customization to kickstart goal-alignment that positions your company for success this upcoming quarter. Which solution resonates most with your organizational needs and maturity level? The examples above offer an ideal starting point to cascade cohesion from executives to individual contributors. Interested in learning more? Set up a consultation today to chat 1:1 about kickstarting alignment at your organization!
