Choosing OKR software: top 4 things to look out for

Since OKRs gained popularity in recent years, we’ve seen lots of new OKR software pop-up to help you manage goals at your company. So, how do you chose the right software from all the available options? Of course, there’s no perfect software out there, but we think these are the top 4 things to look for in any OKR software.

A tool that covers the basics

If you are starting with OKRs, it’s probably okay to do so with spreadsheets. However, at some point, you will need a dedicated software. Every OKR platform should have the following features available:

Ability to set, track, monitor and score OKRs at every level of organization. Reporting and analytics to understand what’s going on at the high level. 360 visibility of all OKRs, across the entire company.

Everything else is likely an extra that will cost you more and will be needed when your company reaches a certain size.

OKR software that is affordable

Often people think that the more expensive the OKR software is, the better results you are going to get. We don’t believe that’s true. It all starts with the culture of your company. Make sure to invest in metric-driven culture first before spending your budget on expensive tools. Tools are just that – tools; they help you get certain things done faster, but if you don’t know how to use them, it does not matter how good or expensive they are.

Look for a tool that engages

OKRs are set for a more extended period, usually a quarter. Once you set them, it’s easy to forget them. You should look for OKR software that engages its users to come back. You want engagement from all your team members during an OKR cycle. When people are continuously providing status updates and reporting progress, it helps everyone get a better understanding of whether the company is moving toward its goals or not.

A tool that provides value to everyone at the company

This is a tricky one, but ideally, you want a tool that is useful to everyone at the company. For example, individual contributors might want to get a better understanding of how their teamwork contributes to the company goals. Company executives will want to understand the performance of the entire company, whereas middle management might be interested in reporting capabilities to provide detailed updates to the company leadership.