5 OKR Mistakes That Kill Team Execution
Learn the most common OKR pitfalls and how to avoid them so your team actually achieves their quarterly goals.
Loach Team
Product Team
You've set your OKRs. The team is aligned. Everyone's excited about the quarter ahead.
Fast forward three months: progress is minimal, nobody remembers the OKRs, and you're wondering what went wrong.
Sound familiar? You're not alone. Here are the five most common OKR mistakes—and how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: Too Many OKRs
The problem: Teams set 7, 10, or even 15 objectives. It feels comprehensive. It's actually counterproductive.
Why it happens: Leaders want to cover everything. They're afraid of missing something important.
The fix: Limit yourself to 3-5 objectives, each with 3-5 key results. If everything is a priority, nothing is.
The Rule of Three
If you could only achieve three things this quarter, what would they be? Start there.
Mistake #2: Confusing Tasks with Key Results
The problem: Key results look like to-do items: "Launch new feature," "Hire 3 engineers," "Complete security audit."
Why it happens: Tasks are easier to write than outcomes. We default to what's concrete.
The fix: Key results should measure outcomes, not activities. Ask: "What changes when we complete this?"
| ❌ Task | ✅ Outcome |
|---|---|
| Launch new feature | 20% of users adopt new feature |
| Hire 3 engineers | Engineering velocity increases by 30% |
| Complete security audit | Zero critical vulnerabilities |
Mistake #3: Setting and Forgetting
The problem: OKRs get set at the beginning of the quarter, then disappear until the end-of-quarter review.
Why it happens: Daily fires take over. OKRs feel disconnected from real work.
The fix: Review OKRs weekly. Every Monday, ask: "What are we doing this week to move our OKRs forward?"
Mistake #4: No Connection to Daily Work
The problem: Teams have OKRs, but Monday morning arrives and nobody knows what to actually work on.
Why it happens: There's a translation gap. OKRs are abstract and quarterly. Work is concrete and daily. Nobody bridges the gap.
The fix: Break down each key result into weekly milestones. Know exactly what "good" looks like each week.
This is Why We Built Loach
The translation gap is the #1 reason OKRs fail. Loach helps teams break down quarterly OKRs into weekly action plans.
Mistake #5: Using OKRs for Performance Reviews
The problem: OKRs become tied to bonuses or performance ratings. Suddenly, everyone sandbangs.
Why it happens: It seems logical—hold people accountable to their goals.
The fix: Separate OKRs from performance management. OKRs are about learning and alignment, not evaluation.
When OKRs affect compensation:
- People set easy goals they know they can hit
- Risk-taking disappears
- Gaming begins
Keep OKRs aspirational. Evaluate performance holistically.
The Bottom Line
OKRs are simple in theory, hard in practice. The framework isn't the problem—it's the execution.
Most teams fail not because they set bad OKRs, but because they can't translate quarterly goals into weekly action. That's the real challenge.
Related resources:
- The Translation Gap: Why 70% of OKRs Fail — Deep dive into execution challenges
- Weekly OKR Execution System — The system for turning OKRs into weekly action
- How to Set Effective OKRs — Templates and frameworks
Want help bridging the gap between your OKRs and weekly work? Try Loach for free.