Setting goals is common within companies. The challenge, most often, isn't in creating objectives, but in ensuring they are truly connected to the business strategy. It's precisely at this point that OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) stand out.
When applied well, they create a clear bridge between strategic planning and day-to-day execution. This means that each team, project, and employee begins to work with a focus on objectives that truly impact the organization's results.
However, this alignment does not happen automatically. It depends on structure, culture, and consistency in applying the methodology.
What are OKRs and how do they work in practice
The OKR methodology originated at Intel in the 1970s and gained global scale when adopted by Google. Its objective is simple but powerful: to transform strategic goals into measurable results. An OKR is composed of two main elements.
The objective, which defines what you want to achieve. It should be clear, inspiring, and guiding. Key results, which indicate how this objective will be measured. They need to be specific, measurable, and time-bound.
In practice, this means moving away from generic goals and evolving towards something concrete. For example, instead of defining “improve customer experience,” a well-structured OKR translates this into something like “increase NPS from 70 to 80 in six months.”.
This clarity completely changes how the company tracks and executes its goals.
Why OKRs Make a Difference in Strategic Management
The main advantage of OKRs It is the ability to align the entire organization around clear priorities. When well-defined, they help eliminate scattered efforts and direct energy towards what truly matters.
Furthermore, they promote transparency. Everyone knows what the company's objectives are, how they are being measured, and what the progress is. Another important point is the focus on results. Unlike models that only value activities, OKRs make it clear that what matters is the impact generated.
This creates a more performance- and concrete results-oriented culture.
The main challenges when implementing OKRs
Despite all the benefits, implementing OKRs is not without its challenges. One of the most common mistakes is turning OKRs into a tool for excessive accountability.
When this happens, the methodology loses its purpose and starts to generate unnecessary pressure, harming team engagement.
Another critical point is the imbalance between ambition and reality. OKRs should be challenging, but not impossible. Unobtainable goals can be demotivating, while goals that are too easy don't lead to progress.
It's also common to see companies that implement OKRs without a connection to their strategy. In this case, the objectives exist, but they don't significantly contribute to business growth.
How to Align OKRs with Company Strategy
The true value of OKRs emerges when there is alignment between strategy, objectives, and execution. This alignment begins at the highest level of the organization and cascades down to operational teams.
Align strategic objectives with OKRs
The first step is to ensure that OKRs are directly linked to the company's strategic priorities. If the strategy is to grow in a specific market, for example, OKRs should reflect that direction.
This prevents teams from working on disconnected goals from what really matters.
Create integration between organizational levels
OKRs work best when there is a clear cascade between levels. Leadership objectives should guide the OKRs of departments, which in turn guide team objectives.
This chain creates alignment and ensures everyone is heading in the same direction.
Work with short cycles and constant reviews
One of the strengths of OKRs is their flexibility. They are typically set in quarterly cycles, which allows for frequent reviews and quick adjustments. This is essential in dynamic environments where priorities can change rapidly.
Utilize dados para acompanhar o progresso
Key results need to be measurable. This allows for objective performance tracking and data-driven decision-making, rather than relying on perceptions.
The role of technology in OKR management
Managing OKRs with spreadsheets or disconnected tools can limit the methodology's potential. Lack of visibility, manual updates, and difficulty in tracking make the process less efficient.
With the support of a strategic management software, it's possible to centralize information, track results in real-time, and ensure alignment across all areas. Furthermore, technology facilitates communication, monitoring, and adaptation of OKRs over time.
BRF S.A x Actio Gestão Estratégica: When Objectives and Strategy Align
BRF, one of the world’s largest food companies with over 30 brands, faced significant management system challenges. Their platform was underutilized—accessed only at cycle end to check scores, with fragmented use, low frequency, and little integration into daily routines.
The issue was cultural as well as technological: the organization’s mindset wasn’t aligned with the desired management culture, tracking isolated figures without systemic insight, and the legacy system failed to meet modern demands for efficiency, agility, and user experience.
Based on this diagnosis, BRF adopted Actio Strategic Management. The dialogue for implementation allowed the solution to be established in a personalized way, considering the company's context and challenges. The platform enabled a transition from a model focused on individual goals to integrated management. Thanks to the change, managers were able to monitor over 700 indicators and projects, with over 3,000 active users.
With Actio Strategic Management, BRF can utilize OKRs and various other systems, such as PDCA, Scrum, BSC, and more. The vast possibilities for optimizing management differentiate Actio Strategic Management from other fragmented tools on the market, as it unites methodologies in a single platform, which also allows for integrated visualization with its centralized dashboards.
The right tool drives results
The gains were significant: BRF reduced goal deployment time by 65%, cut management system costs by 38%, and increased visibility and engagement in managerial routines. According to Simone Mormello, BRF's Project Management Manager, Actio Strategic Management transformed how the company monitors its performance, promoting integration, clarity, and focus on sustainable results.
"“We have been able to visualize the added value in the management carried out by the different managerial levels. We are carrying out dailies and results checks more quickly and objectively, as well as consolidating information and eliminating the time it takes to prepare materials.”"
Bet on the balance between ambition and applicability with the right tool in hand. This way, strategy-aligned OKRs result in tangible outcomes. Discover Actio Strategic Management and allow your business to become a new market success story.
OKRs are a powerful tool, but their true impact depends on how they are applied. When aligned with company strategy, they help transform objectives into concrete results, promoting focus, clarity, and engagement.
More than setting goals, the challenge lies in ensuring they make sense within the business context and that they are consistently tracked. With the support of technology and a results-oriented culture, OKRs stop being just a methodology and become a competitive differentiator.
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