As a founder, I know all too well how it feels to watch an OKR stall.
I remember the first time I didn’t spot a stuck OKR early enough.
We had set ambitious objectives, rallied the team, and felt confident about our progress.
But as the months went by, progress reports weren’t showing the results we expected.
By the time I realized our OKRs were stuck, it was too late.
We had wasted resources, drained morale, and ended up missing key targets.
The consequences were felt across the company - misalignment, frustration, and an overall lack of momentum.
What I learned from that experience is that early intervention is crucial.
The sooner you can spot an OKR that’s off track, the quicker you can take action and get things back on track. And the best part? It’s completely avoidable.
In this article, I’ll show you the 7 key signs of an OKR is off-track and how to spot them early, so you can make adjustments before it’s too late.
1. Lack of Progress Updates
One of the first signs your OKR might be stuck is when updates aren’t being shared consistently.
OKRs are meant to be tracked regularly, so if your team is neglecting progress updates or the updates are sparse, it’s a major red flag.
This is often a sign that your team doesn’t know how to move forward or has lost interest in the goal.
What to do: If you notice updates are becoming infrequent or absent, reach out to your team to identify any roadblocks they’re facing. Provide support or clarification where needed. Regular check-ins are essential to keep the momentum alive and ensure that progress is consistently tracked.
2. Metrics Are Not Moving
OKRs should have clear, measurable key results.
If your metrics aren’t moving, this is a clear sign that something is wrong. Whether it’s because your team is distracted or they aren’t sure how to break down the objectives into actionable steps, stagnant metrics indicate a bigger issue.
What to do: Revisit the key results with your team and determine if they’re still relevant. Are they still aligned with your business priorities? If necessary, adjust the key results or break them down into smaller, more manageable milestones. Re-energize the team by clarifying how these metrics contribute to the larger vision.
3. Decreased Engagement or Morale
A stuck OKR often leads to lower morale and disengagement within the team.
If your team starts feeling like they’re working on goals that are unattainable or irrelevant, it’s easy for them to lose motivation. When OKRs aren’t progressing, your team may feel discouraged and stop pushing forward.
What to do: Talk to your team. Let them know how their work contributes to the company’s larger goals. Reconnect them with the purpose of the OKRs and offer encouragement. Providing a sense of ownership and demonstrating how their contributions matter can reignite their motivation and keep them engaged.
4. No Clear Roadmap or Next Steps
A common cause of stuck OKRs is the absence of a clear roadmap.
If there’s no plan of action, it’s hard for your team to understand how to achieve the key results. Without direction, they may feel lost or unsure of what to prioritize, causing the OKRs to stagnate.
What to do: Break down the key results into actionable steps with clear deadlines. Create a structured plan and communicate it to your team. Make sure that everyone knows what they need to do, when they need to do it, and why it’s important. A structured approach prevents confusion and helps keep the OKRs on track.
5. Alignment Is Off
One of the key reasons OKRs get stuck is poor alignment.
If your team doesn’t understand how their work fits into the larger picture, they’ll struggle to stay motivated. Additionally, misalignment between team and company goals can lead to wasted efforts and confusion.
What to do: Make sure that everyone on your team understands how their individual OKRs align with the company’s broader objectives. Have regular alignment meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page. Realign and update the OKRs if necessary to ensure that everyone is moving toward the same goals.
6. Lack of Accountability
OKRs rely heavily on accountability.
If there’s no one holding the team responsible for achieving key results, progress will slow down, and OKRs will stagnate. The lack of accountability can result in missed deadlines and missed targets, and it will ultimately undermine the purpose of the OKRs.
What to do: Reinforce accountability by assigning roles and responsibilities for each key result. Make sure that each team member understands what’s expected of them. Set regular check-ins to track progress and offer feedback. Try to find OKR software that automatically reminds your team to update their progress, reducing the risk of missed deadlines.
7. No Room for Flexibility
Startups are fast-paced, and priorities can shift quickly.
A stuck OKR might indicate that your goals need to be adjusted due to changes in the business environment or market conditions. If your OKRs are too rigid and not adaptable to these changes, they’ll become irrelevant and unachievable.
What to do: Review and reassess your OKRs regularly to ensure they remain aligned with the current business strategy. Be flexible and open to adjusting your goals as needed, but ensure that any changes are still within reach and support your broader vision. OKRs should be dynamic, evolving with your company’s needs, not rigidly fixed.
Conclusion
Spotting an OKR that’s off track early can save your team from unnecessary frustration.
By keeping an eye out for the warning signs and taking proactive steps to resolve issues, you can ensure that your OKRs remain relevant, motivating, and aligned with your business goals.
With real-time tracking, regular check-ins, and continuous feedback, your team will stay focused and empowered to achieve even the most ambitious objectives.
Use tools like OKRs Tool to streamline the process and make tracking progress easy and efficient. By acting quickly when things start to stall, you’ll ensure that your startup stays on course and achieves the success it’s striving for.
By developing the skill of reading progress signals and knowing when to intervene, you can keep your OKRs - and your startup - on track for long-term success.
