Last week, I shared some early lessons learned from implementing OKRs. This week, I want to focus on a few common traps that teams often fall into when starting out with OKRs, and how to navigate around them for better results.

1. Not making choices a.k.a let’s do it all
2. Not assigning a person responsible a.k.a. it’s everyone’s responsibility
3. Giving up after one attempt a.k.a. not iterating

“Let’s Do It All” Syndrome

One of the most common traps is creating OKRs that try to capture everything the company is doing so everyone can contribute. It’s a pitfall I’ve seen many teams stumble into, and I’ve fallen into it myself. I call these the “not-deciding” objectives. These OKRs are often so broad that they end up either:

1. Turning into vague, all-encompassing objectives with unmeasurable key results, or
2. Becoming exhaustive lists with six or more key results per objective.

Another version of this trap is when a team ends up with 5 to 8 OKRs that cover every project and roadmap item. At the end of the session, people feel good because they’ve managed to reframe everything they’re already doing as an OKR. But these kinds of OKRs rarely drive new focus or change. Often, they’re not even achieved, offering, if nothing else, a valuable lesson by the next OKR cycle.

Lesson: Use OKRs to clarify what matters most, not to reflect everything already in motion. When setting OKRs, ask yourself, What are the few areas that will move the needle this quarter?

“It’s Everyone’s Responsibility”

While it’s true that OKRs should ideally align with the company’s overarching priorities, it’s a major error not to assign an owner. An OKR without a clear owner quickly becomes something that everyone is theoretically responsible for, and, as a result, no one actually drives it forward.

The OKR owner’s job is to make sure progress happens. This includes:

• Facilitating regular check-ins to ensure alignment
• Monitoring progress on each key result
• Raising flags if things go off-track and creating an action plan to realign

When no one owns the OKR, it becomes everyone’s responsibility—and therefore no one’s.

Lesson: Assign an OKR owner whose role is to take accountability for progress. They don’t need to accomplish it all themselves, but they’re the driver who ensures it doesn’t fall through the cracks.

Iteration is Key

If your first OKR workshop or cycle didn’t go perfectly, you’re not alone. Like anything new, your initial attempts are likely to be scrappy. Maybe you encountered the pitfalls mentioned above or in previous articles. That’s okay; the key is to keep improving.

I’ve noticed it usually takes teams at least two to three cycles to really start hitting their stride with OKRs. At my previous company, it took almost two years to find a rhythm that worked consistently across teams and levels. Each cycle is a chance to improve, adjust, and refine.

Lesson: Don’t let early challenges demotivate you. OKRs get better with practice. Commit to iterating over time, learning from each cycle, and refining your approach as you go.