Implementing OKRs in a 10-person Team

OKRs work for small teams when they’re simple and visible. This playbook shows how to write crisp Objectives and measurable Key Results, ladder team goals to the company mission, run a quarterly cadence with weekly check‑ins, and use confidence scoring to adapt without theatre.

Key takeaways: Keep one company Objective and at most three team OKRs. Each KR is a measurable outcome, not a task. Run a weekly 15‑minute check‑in with confidence scores (0.3/0.7/1.0). No sandbagging, no vanity metrics—just focus and learning.

Focus, visibility, and honest weekly check‑ins.

Key Result template (copy/paste)

The short version

Write one company Objective with 2–4 measurable KRs; each team takes one Objective that ladders up. Check progress weekly, score confidence, and prune anything that doesn’t move the needle.

A 10‑person team can’t chase ten priorities. Limit work‑in‑progress, publish OKRs in a single doc, and make KRs owner‑clear. If a KR becomes a task list, rewrite it as an outcome.

The OKR ladder (company → team → individual)

Start with one company Objective that expresses the narrative. Teams pick Objectives that directly contribute; individuals own specific KRs.

Company O: “Win our ICP with a lovable onboarding.” Product O: “Activation feels instant.” Sales O: “Convert trials without hand‑holding.” Each KR has an owner and evidence source (query/report).

Write great Objectives and Key Results

Objectives are qualitative and inspiring; Key Results are quantitative outcomes with a baseline and target, not tasks or activities.

Good KR: “Activation ≥45% (from 32%).” Bad KR: “Ship new onboarding.” Add the evidence source (analytics report) and review cadence.

Quarterly cadence & weekly rhythm

Plan quarterly in 90 minutes; review weekly in 15. Mid‑quarter, prune or pivot one KR if evidence demands it.

Week 0: set OKRs and owners. Weeks 1–11: weekly check‑in (metrics + confidence). Week 6: adjust one KR if needed. Week 12: score and retro.

Confidence scoring (0.3 / 0.7 / 1.0)

Each KR owner reports a confidence level: 0.3 off‑track, 0.7 at risk but feasible, 1.0 likely. Discuss deltas, not excuses.

Capture one blocker and one next action per KR. If confidence stays at 0.3 for two weeks, change the plan or the KR.

Anti‑patterns to avoid

Too many OKRs, KR = task list, vanity metrics, and neglecting weekly check‑ins kill the system.

Fix by limiting to one company Objective, three team OKRs, and 2–4 KRs each. Tie KRs to source charts and keep the ritual short and honest.

Tools & templates (lightweight)

Use a single doc or sheet. A table with Objective, KR, owner, baseline, target, evidence link, confidence, blockers, and next action is enough.

Objective: ______
KR1: metric from A to B (owner, evidence link)
KR2: ...
KR3: ...
Weekly: confidence 0.3/0.7/1.0; blocker; next action

Core Web Vitals for a public OKR page

If you publish OKRs, keep INP ≤200 ms, LCP ≤2.5 s, CLS ≤0.1. Static pages beat heavy embeds.

Render charts as images (WebP), preconnect to your CDN, and set width/height to avoid layout shifts.

Related reads: Monthly Investor Update Template, Board Meeting Playbook, Seed–A Financial Model Template.

Example OKRs (steal these)

Use outcome‑based wording and show the baseline → target.

Product

• Objective: Make activation feel instant for our ICP.
• KR1: Activation rate 32% → 45% (evidence: analytics A‑12)
• KR2: Signup → first value time 3m20s → 1m50s (evidence: trace log)
• KR3: Onboarding drop‑off at step 2: 41% → 25% (evidence: funnel report)

Sales

• Objective: Convert trials without hand‑holding.
• KR1: Self‑serve trial → paid 8% → 12%
• KR2: Median time‑to‑first‑meeting 5d → 2d
• KR3: Logo concentration: top 3 deals <45% of pipeline

Operations

• Objective: Make support invisible.
• KR1: First response time 6h → 1h (business hours)
• KR2: CSAT 4.4 → 4.7
• KR3: Top 3 repetitive tickets per week → automated answers

How to measure (metric definitions)

Avoid debates by adding formula, source, owner, and cadence next to each KR.

Quarter planning workshop (90 minutes)

Fast, collaborative, and decisive.

1. 10m — CEO: narrative and single company Objective
2. 20m — Team breakouts: propose 1 Objective + 2–4 KRs each
3. 20m — Group read‑outs; push KRs to outcomes, set owners
4. 20m — Conflict trade‑offs; cut to the essential few
5. 20m — Finalise owners, baselines, targets, and evidence links

Weekly check‑in agenda (15 minutes)

Review deltas only; keep it tight.

• Numbers: show each KR with last week → this week; no long decks
• Confidence: 0.3 / 0.7 / 1.0 with one‑line rationale
• Blocker: name it, one owner, due date
• Next action: the single step that changes the slope

End‑of‑quarter scoring

Score KRs 0.0–1.0; average to the Objective score; capture 3 lessons.

Share wins and misses openly. Scores inform the next quarter but do not automatically drive compensation for small teams—use judgement to avoid perverse incentives.

OKRs & compensation

Don’t hard‑link OKRs to pay in a tiny start‑up.

When resources are volatile, hard links encourage sandbagging. Use OKRs to focus, then make compensation decisions holistically based on scope, impact, and market data.

Remote‑first rituals

Asynchronous by default, live where it matters.

• OKR doc lives in the wiki with links to evidence charts
• Weekly check‑ins in a standing 20‑minute call; notes inline in the doc
• One monthly demo to share progress and lift energy

Common pitfalls (with fixes)

Fix the system, not the people.

• KR looks like a task → rewrite as an outcome; add baseline → target
• Too many OKRs → choose; park the rest in a backlog for next quarter
• Metrics fight → add definitions and owners beside each KR
• No movement → change the plan by week 6; don’t stick to a dead KR

Glossary (quick reference)

Objective: qualitative direction. Key Result: quantitative outcome. TTFV: time to first value. Confidence: likelihood the KR will be met (0.3/0.7/1.0).

Freshness & update cadence

Quarterly planning; weekly check‑ins; monthly demo.

Archive each quarter’s OKR doc with YYYY‑Q naming and a one‑page summary. During fundraising or fast pivots, shorten the cycle but keep the ritual consistent.

FAQ

Quick answers on OKRs for tiny teams.

• How many OKRs should a 10‑person team have?
  One company Objective and up to three team OKRs. Each with 2–4 KRs, each KR with an owner.
• Should individuals have personal OKRs?
  Only if it clarifies ownership of KRs. Avoid creating a shadow system of performance objectives.
• What if we miss a KR?
  Say why, capture the learning, and adjust next quarter. Don’t roll everything over—choose deliberately.
• Do we need software?
  Not at this size. A shared doc or lightweight sheet with links to source charts works well.
• How long should the check‑in take?
  15 minutes. Review deltas, confidence, blockers, and next actions—no slide decks.

Want OKRs that help you ship, not posture?