What is a key result?

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a widely used methodology for defining and tracking the progress of strategic objectives. Within this framework, the Key Result (KR) is the element that measures the success of an objective, ensuring it is measurable and achievable.
In this article, we'll explain what a Key Result is, how it's divided between strategic and tactical, and provide a complete guide on how to create and track your KRs efficiently.

What is a Key Result?

A Key Result (KR) is a quantitative indicator that measures whether an objective is being achieved. While the objective defines "what" we want to achieve, the KR defines "how" we'll know we're getting there.
A good Key Result should be: ✔ Measurable – Expressed in specific numbers and targets. ✔ Clear on progress – Clearly shows if we're moving in the right direction. ✔ Outcome-focused – Measures the impact achieved, not just the activities performed.
Example: 📌 Objective: Improve the efficiency of the sales team. 📌 Key Result: Increase lead conversion rate from 10% to 20% by the end of the quarter.

Strategic Key Result vs. Tactical Key Result

Key Results can be classified in two ways, depending on their level of impact on the organization:

📌 Strategic Key Result

• Directly linked to the company's high-level objectives.
• Measures advancements that impact various areas of the organization.
• Example: "Increase company revenue from R$ 10M to R$ 15M this year."

📌 Tactical Key Result

• Linked to a specific tactical objective of a team or department.
• Contributes to the progress of a tactical objective.
• Example: "Reduce average customer service time from 5 to 3 minutes."

How to Create a Key Result?

To create a Key Result (KR), follow these steps:

1️⃣ Create an Objective

Before creating a KR, you need to have a defined objective. 👉Learn how to create an objective here.

2️⃣ Add a Key Result to the Objective

After creating an objective, you can click on "+ Add new" within the objective and select "Add Key Result."

3️⃣ Name the Key Result

The KR title should be quantitative. It follows this format:

📌 "Increase/Decrease Z from X to Y"

Example: 📌 "Increase the quantity of sales from 100k to 190k."

4️⃣ Configuring the Measurement Model

Once you've created the KR, click on it to open the detailed screen. You'll see these initial elements:

• Entity code and KR name
• KR progress bar
• Progress chart

To fill in the values, click on "Calculation Of Results" (or "Results Assessment") and edit the values month by month.

5️⃣ Choose the KR's Purpose

ect one of the options:
📌 Increase Value – Like "Increase revenue from R$ 10M to R$ 15M."
📌 Decrease Value – Like "Reduce churn from 5% to 2%."
📌 Deliverable – Like "Launch a new product in the market."

6️⃣ Choose the Measurement Model

📌 Monthly

The monthly measurement model adds the value month by month, considering the previous month's sum, making it a progression model. For example, if you have a target of 100%, in the first month you achieved 10%, in the second 20%, and so on.

📌 Accumulated

In the accumulated measurement model, you add the actual value for the month, and the platform calculates the sum to show the progress. For instance: In the first month, you sold 5 bananas; in the second, 2; and in the third, 10. It's not progressive, so we sum the values and check what the progress should be at that moment.

📌 Average

In the average model, you add the actual value for the month, and the platform performs the calculation to see if you are meeting the target average.

7️⃣ Choose the Unit of Measure

The KR values can be measured in various units, such as: 📌 %, R$, Quantity, Clients, Projects, Days, among others.

Initial Value and Target Value

8️⃣ Update the KR Values

Each KR (Key Result) has a chart with the following data series:

• Trend – This can be filled in manually and is usually based on the metric's historical performance in other periods.
• Forecast – This is automatically calculated based on the Actual value and the Trend. It represents the expected achievement by the end of the cycle.
• Planned – This can be filled in manually and should reflect the Key Result's plan. In the monthly model, the last month is fixed at the target value.
• Actual – This is the effective result for the month in relation to what was achieved for the metric.

To add new series to the chart, just click the "Add new series to chart" button.

ll create a new series named "Nova série" (New Series).

If you want to change the name of this Series, just click on the name and rename it. However, it comes as "Nova série" by default.

📌 Managing Highlights in a KR

Highlights are important events within a Key Result (KR). To add a new highlight:

• Click on "+ Add new highlight."
• Describe the highlight, and enter the person responsible and the month it refers to.
• Click on "New highlight."

📌 Action Plan: FCA (Fact, Cause, Action)

If a KR is having difficulty meeting its target, an Action Plan can be created using the FCA methodology:

📌 Fact: What happened?
📌 Cause: Why did it happen?
📌 Action: How to solve it?

When creating an FCA, tasks with deadlines and assigned responsible parties can also be added to ensure the actions are executed.

📌 KR Details

addition to progress tracking, a KR can have other configurations:

• Group: The team responsible for the KR.
• Owners: Who manages the KR.
• Category: Strategic or Tactical.
• Cycle: The evaluation period for the KR.
• Tags: Custom labels.
• Visibility: Public or private.

Furthermore, a KR can have sub-indicators for more detailed metrics.

📌 People

The People area within a Key Result (KR) allows you to manage who is involved in the execution and tracking of the KR.
You can:

• ✅ Add people → Click on "Select people to add" and choose from the list or search by name.
• ✅ Define roles → Select each person's role in the KR (e.g., owner, collaborator, leader).
• ✅ Adjust responsibility weight → Define each person's level of influence on the KR.
• ✅ Remove participants → If needed, you can exclude someone from the KR team.
  The People area ensures that everyone involved has clarity on their responsibilities and contributions to the expected outcome. 🔍
  Learn more.

📌 ${color}[#000000](Communication and History

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Within the KR, there's a comments section to discuss progress and challenges with the team. There's also an alteration history, ensuring transparency in tracking results.

📌 Conclusion

Key Results (KRs) are essential for ensuring that company objectives are measurable and achievable. With a clear structure and continuous tracking, it's possible to improve company performance and ensure the success of defined strategies.
Now that you know everything about Key Results, start applying them to your OKRs and boost your organization's performance! 🚀

Updated on: 03/07/2025