I have noticed an unexplainable obsession with the Objective Key Result (OKR) framework across multiple companies. Never have they created clarity, prioritization, and purpose — benefits regularly attributed to OKRs — but instead wasted effort, ambiguity, and a laundry list of priorities.
Why are we still, in 2025, obsessed with a framework created 50 years ago at a now failing company? I have seen obsession with this framework violate my favorite principle from the Agile Manifesto, written about 30 years after the creation of the OKR framework: “Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.”
Dive in to learn what OKRs actually are, how they are commonly misused, and how not to make common mistakes if you are using them.