An OKR with no link to the actual work stays a forgotten slide after kickoff. Here's how to define Objectives and Key Results per project, connect them to your tasks, and track progress without a spreadsheet to update by hand.
OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results, a method popularized by Andy Grove at Intel and later by Google (see the history on Wikipedia). An Objective is a qualitative, ambitious goal ("Ship v2 with zero regressions"). Key Results are 2 to 4 measurable indicators that prove the objective was reached ("0 critical bugs in production", "95% of tickets migrated"). Unlike a plain to-do list on a project dashboard, an OKR answers "why this work matters" — not just "what to do".
The classic trap: OKRs set in a quarterly meeting, never linked to day-to-day tasks, forgotten by review time. The fix is to attach each Key Result directly to the project tasks that actually move it forward.
Create the objective directly on the relevant project's page, with its description and deadline — not in a separate doc nobody opens. The PMI also recommends always tying an objective to a concrete project deliverable.
Each Key Result has a current value and a target value ("12/50 customers migrated"). Avoid phrasing without a number — if it isn't measurable, it isn't a Key Result.
Each task in the project gets a "linked to" field pointing at the Key Result it advances. The link becomes visible to the whole team, not just the project manager.
The Key Result's completion percentage is derived from linked tasks (done / total) or from the current value entered — no manual re-entry in a separate spreadsheet. Cross-check it against your team's workload to see if the objective is still realistic on time.
Automatic status: a good system classifies each objective as On Track, At Risk, or Off Track based on the gap between actual progress and time elapsed — no need to self-report it in a meeting.
| Tool | OKR per project | Task ↔ Key Result link | Auto progress calculation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tandimy Recommended | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Notion | Manual (template) | ❌ | ❌ |
| Asana | Separate paid add-on | Partial | Partial |
| Excel / Google Sheets | Manual | ❌ | ❌ |
One OKR tab per project, Key Results linked to your tasks, and a global summary on the dashboard. Free.