As a startup founder, you know that priorities can shift quickly.
Whether it’s a pivot in your strategy, new customer insights, changes in the market, or an unexpected opportunity, the ability to adjust your OKRs is important for staying on track.
But the real challenge is knowing how to make those adjustments without losing focus or momentum.
In this article, we’ll walk you through 7 tips for effectively adjusting your OKRs when priorities change in your startup.
Whether you’re a solo founder or working with a small team, these tips will help you keep your team aligned with the new direction.
When to Adjust Your OKRs: Assessing the Need for Change
When your startup’s priorities shift, the first question you face is whether to adjust your OKRs or stick with the original plan?
Changing OKRs mid-quarter isn’t always necessary, but it might be essential depending on how drastic the changes are.
Adjusting OKRs can ensure that your team remains focused on the most relevant and impactful goals, but frequent changes could lead to instability or confusion.
Consider these factors:
- Is the change urgent? If your startup’s pivot or shift is vital to your growth or survival, adjusting OKRs may be necessary.
- Can you maintain focus with current OKRs? If the shift is minor and doesn’t significantly affect your long-term goals, keeping the current OKRs could help maintain momentum.
- How much disruption can your team handle? Frequent changes can confuse your team, so assess whether a change will help or cause unnecessary disruption.
Ultimately, the decision to adjust or not comes down to the nature of the change and your team's ability to adapt.
If the change is more minor or gradual, it may be better to stick with your current OKRs and adjust them later.
But if the shift is strategic and requires an immediate focus change, go ahead and adjust.
Once you've determined whether a change is necessary, it's time to move forward with adapting your OKRs effectively.
7 Ways to Effectively Adjust Your OKRs
1. Reevaluate Your Company’s Vision and Objectives
The first thing to do when your priorities change is to revisit your company’s overall vision and objectives.
Has the startup’s focus changed, or are there new goals you need to prioritize?
It’s essential to align your OKRs with your updated vision to ensure your team stays on the right track.
Ask yourself:
- Have market conditions or customer feedback changed your direction?
- Are the current goals still relevant to your new focus?
- What are the key areas that need to be prioritized immediately?
Once you understand your new direction, you can adjust your OKRs to align with this updated strategy. This keeps your team focused on the most critical objectives.
2. Assess Current OKRs for Relevance
Once you’ve realigned your company’s vision and objectives, it’s time to assess your existing OKRs to ensure they’re still relevant.
Not all of your current OKRs will make sense in the context of the new priorities, and it’s important to update or replace those that no longer align.
Take a close look at each OKR to determine whether they need to be:
- Refined – Some key results may need adjusting to reflect new priorities.
- Paused – Some OKRs might no longer be a priority and can be temporarily put on hold.
- Removed – Certain OKRs might no longer serve the business, and it’s better to eliminate them entirely.
By doing this, you can ensure your OKRs stay relevant and aligned with your startup's current needs.
3. Communicate the Changes to Your Team
After updating your OKRs, it’s important to communicate the changes clearly to your team. Your team needs to understand the rationale behind the shift and how their new OKRs fit into the updated business strategy.
A clear, open conversation can help avoid confusion and frustration.
Make sure to:
- Explain the reasons behind the shift in priorities.
- Show how new OKRs support the updated vision and company objectives.
- Clarify how the team’s efforts contribute to the broader company goals.
Transparent communication ensures that everyone understands the direction and feels aligned with the new priorities.
4. Adjust Resource Allocation and Timeline
When changing priorities, you’ll likely need to adjust your resources.
You might need to shift personnel, reallocate budgets, or change timelines to accommodate new objectives. Here’s how to approach it:
- Reassign team members to focus on new key areas.
- Increase or decrease budgets based on which OKRs need more or less financial support.
- Adjust timelines to accommodate any new urgency or push for certain goals.
By optimizing your resources, you’ll give your team the tools they need to achieve their updated OKRs effectively.
→ OKRs Tool customers can automate this with our dynamic resource allocation feature.
5. Monitor Progress and Stay Flexible
As you continue working with your updated OKRs, keep a close eye on how things are progressing.
Since startups are agile by nature, it’s important to remain flexible and open to making additional changes as new challenges or opportunities arise.
Set up regular check-ins to track progress and ensure that you’re staying on course. If things aren’t working as planned, don’t hesitate to make further adjustments to keep your OKRs relevant.
By maintaining this flexibility, you can ensure your team stays agile and can quickly pivot if needed.
6. Use OKR Software to Simplify Adjustments
When priorities shift, the best OKR software makes updating and tracking your goals a breeze.
With OKRs Tool, you can easily modify your OKRs, track progress in real time, and ensure that your team stays aligned with the updated direction.
Here’s how OKR software can help:
- Quickly update OKRs across your company with minimal effort.
- Track progress without manually updating spreadsheets or losing visibility.
- Align teams and ensure everyone is working on the same objectives with a unified platform.
Simple OKR software ensures your process remains streamlined and effective, even as your priorities evolve.
7. Keep the Team Engaged and Motivated
Lastly, keep your team engaged and motivated as you adjust your OKRs.
A shift in priorities can be challenging, and it's important to maintain morale and focus.
Use AI-powered engagement tracking or regular check-ins to keep the energy high and ensure your team stays committed to the new objectives.
→ Get access to this information every week with OKRs Tool’s engagement tracking report
Be proactive about addressing any concerns and celebrate small wins along the way. Motivation can wane during times of change, so actively working to keep your team engaged will ensure momentum is maintained.
Conclusion
Changing priorities mid-quarter is a common challenge for startups, but it doesn’t have to derail your progress.
By reevaluating your OKRs, aligning your team, reallocating resources, and using the right tools, you can easily adjust your goals and stay on track.
Stay flexible and open to change, and use the tips we’ve shared to keep your team aligned with your updated objectives, no matter what changes come your way.
Ready to adjust your OKRs for your startup’s evolving priorities? Sign up for OKRs Tool today and easily track and align your goals as your business grows and changes.
