As a manager or team lead, you’re likely always on the lookout for strategies to push your team’s performance beyond their set targets. One of the tools you might have overlooked is the organizational powerhouse – OKRs! Yes, mapping out structured, measurable goals makes a significant difference not just for individual productivity but also team collaborations and overall organizational success.
But how can you help your team set up efficient, long-term objectives and key results that will keep you competitive and agile in your market niche?
Easy: Start strategically planning with well-outlined OKR templates!
This blog is designed to steer you in the right direction and show you how to utilize free OKR templates to their full potential. We’ll also share strategies that will help you elevate your goal setting and progress tracking process. Let’s dive in!
What is an OKR Template?
OKR ( Objectives and Key Results ) templates work as a performance management system to provide a framework for setting team goals and tracking results.
Whether you’re a small or large organization, it pays to clearly understand your company objectives so everyone is working toward the same goals. To further break it down, objectives are specific goals you want to achieve, while key results are the metrics used to measure your progress.
Use this OKR example : let’s say your objective is to increase sales by 20% in the next quarter. Your key results could be increasing web traffic by 10%, generating 50 new leads, or closing 10 new deals.
If you’re new to OKRs, check out our video for practical writing tips!
The Benefits of Tracking OKRs using OKR Framework Templates
As a business owner, it’s easy to get distracted by shiny objects and other things that aren’t important. With OKRs, you can keep your team focused on the things that matter most. You want to direct your energy in areas that can create an impact on your business rather than wasting time on things that won’t move the needle.
You must ensure that everyone in your organization is aligned with your company’s vision and goals. With OKRs, you can engage your team and get them excited about working toward a common goal.
Stay on track to hit your goals with clear timelines, measurable targets, and automatic progress tracking in ClickUp Learn About ClickUp Goals
Improving transparency and accountability
In any team, transparency and accountability are crucial to success. Unfortunately, achieving these things is challenging without the proper framework in place. OKRs assist your team in understanding their roles and responsibilities. It also helps you to hold everyone accountable for their actions.
Additionally, any delay in decision-making can be costly. You want your team to be able to make decisions quickly without sacrificing quality. Objectives and key results play a critical role in facilitating faster decision-making.
Quickly identify the areas that need attention and make decisions accordingly. It benefits to keep your organization agile and responsive to changes in the market.
Boosting performance
The ultimate role of any OKR is to improve performance . When everyone in your organization understands their objectives and key results, they’ll be more likely to work harder to achieve them.
This framework also allows you to track progress and identify areas that need improvement. Aligning your team’s efforts with your company’s goals will help you to achieve excellent results.
Link tasks to team OKRs in ClickUp
Creating a solid objective and key results framework starts with clearly understanding what you want your organization to achieve and how you’ll measure success. Although business owners will find it easier to establish their business objectives and key results, it’s always a challenge when it comes to putting all your OKRs in one view.
Fortunately, there are OKR templates you can use to align your whole team toward the same vision.
Here are 11 free OKR templates you should consider right now!
11 Free OKR Templates in Excel, Google Sheets, & ClickUp
1. ClickUp Company OKR Template
Track company OKRs and measure progress with this template
ClickUp is a productivity platform where teams come together to plan, organize, and collaborate on work in one place. And with ClickUp’s Company OKRs and Goals template , managers have the option to create tasks and link them to a key result. It will no longer be an administrative burden on team members to send weekly status emails because as the task progresses, it’s automatically tracked within the template!
An OKR system in ClickUp will transform the way teams and senior leadership communicate their top priorities. It ties strategic planning to actionable steps so every key result contributor understands how their performance directly affects the outcome. Start next quarter’s OKR planning today ! ClickUp Company OKR Template
2. ClickUp OKRs Template
ClickUp's OKR template enables precise tracking and alignment of objectives and key results, facilitating organized goal setting and measurable progress
The ClickUp’s OKRs Template is an excellent starting point for OKRs. It includes both a pre-defined OKR framework and workspaces to help you start planning your OKRs quickly and easily. The template comes with customizable OKR templates, a goal setting guide, and even sample OKRs. You’ll also get access to the OKR checklist and OKR playbook, which provide best practices for implementing OKRs in your organization. All the pieces of this OKR template work together to help you quickly get up and running with OKRs.
Understanding your team’s OKR framework is the key to successful OKR execution. This template helps you quickly establish and configure OKRs that are tailored specifically for your team’s unique needs. This OKR template includes all the visual tools, workspaces, and resources needed to make sure everyone understands their OKRs and is working towards them in an effective way. Download this OKR template
3. ClickUp OKR Framework Template
ClickUp’s OKR Framework Template
The ClickUp OKR Framework Template is a comprehensive tool designed to get you started on your OKR journey swiftly and efficiently. It features pre-established OKR frameworks, customizable templates, informative guides, and practical samples to streamline your planning process. With additional resources such as a dedicated OKR checklist and playbook, this template equips you with all the necessary insights to incorporate OKRs into your business strategy.
It is designed uniquely to help your team understand and effectively work towards their personalized OKRs. Transform your goal setting and execution process today with the ClickUp OKR Framework Template. Download this OKR framework template
4. ClickUp SMART Goals Template
Set goals for every critical function in your organization through ClickUp’s SMART templates
Creating a clear path to success starts with setting goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound – also known as SMART goals. By adopting the SMART goals approach, you can avoid distractions and focus on one goal at a time, increasing your chances of achieving it successfully.
ClickUp offers a SMART Goals Template that can serve as your guiding framework for goal setting. With this tool, you can streamline your goals, organize your targets effectively, and set yourself up for success. The best part? You have the flexibility to customize the template to suit your unique needs and ensure that you’re on the right track towards reaching your goals. Download this SMART Goals template
5. ClickUp SMART Goal Action Plan Template
With the SMART goal action plan template, you ensure your goals are followed through with a visual List view to keep everything organized and on-track
The ClickUp SMART Action Plan Template is a must-have tool for project managers looking to simplify complex tasks by breaking them down into manageable steps and considering factors such as time, resources, and expertise.
Using the SMART acronym, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely, this template organizes goals in each category and provides valuable prompts to ensure success. Once you’ve completed each category, simply highlight the text to create actionable tasks and set completion dates. Download This SMART Action Plan Template
6. ClickUp Strategic Marketing OKR Template
Achieve your objectives and key results (OKRs), plan out your marketing goals, and stay within budgets with Strategic Marketing Plan Template by ClickUp
ClickUp’s Strategic Marketing OKR Template provides a comprehensive OKR framework for strategic marketing teams. It includes OKRs specifically designed to improve the visibility and reach of your brand in the market, build customer loyalty, and increase sales. With this OKR template, you’ll get access to resources such as goal setting guidelines, OKR definitions, OKR templates, OKR checklists, and OKR playbooks. This OKR template is a great starting point for marketing teams wanting to get the best results out of OKRs.
Check out these strategic planning software tools ! ClickUp Strategic Marketing OKR Template
7. Google Sheets OKR Tracking Template
via Mooncamp
Google Sheets has a simple OKR template to start organizing each key result for the entire organization. It helps managers track the team’s progress toward quarterly objectives.
All you need to do is enter your objectives and a few key results into the appropriate columns. You can then visualize the status of each key result by color-coding the cells. This will help you see which areas need attention. Small business owners are already using this template to improve their productivity and achieve their goals! Google Sheets OKR Tracking Template
8. Excel OKR Tracking Template
via Weekdone
Over the years, Microsoft Excel has become one of the most popular tools for tracking OKRs. This is because it’s easy to use and provides much flexibility. You can easily customize your OKRs to suit your unique needs. If you want to track your progress visually, you can use sparklines or charts.
The best thing about using Excel to track your OKRs is you can share your progress with others. You can also use this tool to set reminders and add notes. Excel OKR Tracking Template
9. PowerPoint OKR Template
via Slide Model
This is another excellent OKR tracking option for small businesses or startup s. The OKR PowerPoint template is easy to use and helps you to track your progress over time.
Using this template, you must enter your objectives and key results into the appropriate slides. You can then track your progress by highlighting the cells achieved. This will help you to see which areas need improvement.
Businesses looking for a planning template that is easy to use and visually appealing can go for the OKR PowerPoint template. PowerPoint OKR Template
10. Google Sheets OKR Dashboard Template
via Super Metrics
You must avoid a situation where you must go back and forth between different tools to set reminders or add notes. The Google Sheets template alleviates this challenge by allowing you to do everything in one place.
This tool has been in the market for a while and is known for its user-friendliness. With this template, you must ensure that you enter the objectives and key results in the appropriate columns. After that, you can easily track progress by highlighting achieved cells. Doing this will help identify areas that need more work. Google Sheets OKR Dashboard Template
11. Microsoft Word Team OKR Template by Template.net
via Template.net
This Microsoft Word Team OKR Template offers the simplicity and intuitiveness of a text editing platform, while providing a comprehensive framework for objective tracking. This OKR template is particularly beneficial for teams who prefer working in a word processor for drafting, revising, and finalizing their OKRs.
This template includes ready-made sections for outlining objectives and defining the corresponding key results. Notes sections allow for additional context and tracking details, like specific performance metrics or timelines. You can also easily customize this template to accommodate your team’s unique needs, making it a versatile tool for any organization. Microsoft Word OKR Template Related Resources:
- Product OKRs
- Marketing OKRs
- Sales OKRs
- OKR Vs. KPI
Types of OKR’s Processes
Navigating through the landscape of OKRs can often bring you across various types that are tailored for specific purposes. Understanding these would help you in implementing the right OKR type for your specific needs. OKR Tracking : This is more than just a spreadsheet with numbers. OKR tracking primarily involves monitoring the progress of various objectives and their corresponding key results. It is a continuous process that provides valuable insights about ongoing developments, helping you keep your fingers on the pulse of your organization’s performance.
OKR Report: This refers to the formal documentation of the status and outcome of the set objectives and key results. An OKR report provides a detailed summary of achievements or areas that need improvement. They allow managers and key stakeholders an overview of the progress made towards reaching the company’s goals.
OKR Framework: This serves as the backbone for the successful implementation of OKRs within an organization. An OKR framework sets out the guidelines for setting, tracking, and evaluating objectives and key results. It’s usually tailored to a business’s needs and mission, ensuring that all OKRs are integrated seamlessly into the company’s workflow.
OKR Planning: This is the strategic aspect of OKRs where clear, attainable goals are set, and key results are defined. OKR planning includes aligning the OKRs with the company’s vision and mission, determining necessary resources, and setting up timelines for delivery.
OKR Document: This is the written record where all objectives and key results are recorded, together with their descriptions, timelines, and responsibilities. An OKR document is a valuable tool of reference and accountability that helps keep everyone on track.
OKR Initiatives: These refer to actions or steps planned or taken to achieve the set objectives. OKR initiatives are directly linked to key results, helping the company move closer towards the realization of the objectives. OKR Dashboard : A visual tool that provides an at-a-glance view of the OKR progress. It includes information like overall progress, key results achieved, tasks at hand, and future strategies. An OKR dashboard is a powerful tool to simplify tracking and reporting your OKRs.
By understanding these different types of OKRs, you can effectively streamline your strategies and enhance the way your team sets up and achieves its targets.
Be Better Than ‘OK’ and Start With a Detailed OKR Template
Having a clear approach to assessing your results and determining whether your business is truly performing to expectations is essential for organizational success. An objective and key results framework through an OKR template helps you to measure and assess your results with respect to your objectives.
It lets you know whether you’re making the right decisions and how you can improve your operations to reflect your performance. ClickUp’s Company OKR Template is the perfect place to start!
This easy-to-use template will quickly generate the necessary results for comparison purposes. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for a free ClickUp account today to get started.