The 2025 edition of the OKR Forum, organised by Computer Futures in partnership with OKR Mentors, focused on the theme of “Elevating Strategic Execution.” This event brought together experts and practitioners to explore how businesses can move beyond merely setting OKRs to truly embedding them into their daily operations. Among the distinguished speakers was our COO Aaron McKenna, a leading OKR expert and consultant, whose leadership helps others lead successful OKR initiatives. He shared valuable insights alongside one of our OKR transformation clients, Simon Barry from Numatic International.
Numatic International, renowned for their iconic Henry vacuum cleaners, embarked on an inspiring OKR journey aimed at fostering long-term growth, sustainability, and operational excellence. Like many companies, they initially set ambitious objectives and key results (OKRs), but what distinguished their approach was a commitment to embed OKRs deeply into their culture and decision-making processes, making them part of daily operations. Rather than allowing OKRs to remain aspirational targets confined to slide decks, Numatic integrated them into everyday workflows, ensuring the framework became a living, breathing part of their organisation. Numatic also worked with McKenna Agile Consultants to receive OKR coaching to support their journey, helping their teams develop the skills and clarity needed for success.
This dedication to effective OKR implementation earned Numatic a runner-up position in the OKR Award’s new implementation category. The case study highlights the importance of effective OKR rollouts and how expert guidance can drive adoption. For those interested, the full talk is available to watch, and a detailed OKR consultancy and implementation case study offers further insights into their successful journey. Structured strategy execution frameworks, such as OKRs, provide a foundation for organizational improvement and alignment. The ongoing practice of OKRs at Numatic contributed significantly to their sustained success.
The Big Takeaway: OKRs Should Be a Living, Breathing System
A central theme of the forum was the mindset shift necessary for OKRs to deliver real value. OKRs are not just a goal-setting exercise but should function as a dynamic system that continuously evolves, informs strategic decisions, and leverages frameworks that support alignment and execution. OKR consultancy helps align teams and embed best practices, fostering improved execution and organizational capability. This ongoing practice of OKRs aligns teams and drives meaningful, measurable progress.
So, how can organisations achieve this? Here are three key lessons from the session that can guide businesses on their OKR journey, whether they are just starting or aiming to improve their existing OKR practices.
1. Strategic Clarity Comes First
Before companies can harness the full power of OKRs, the leadership team must achieve strategic clarity. OKR consultancy helps leaders lead with clarity and purpose, as exemplified by Numatic dedicating time to define their “North Stars” — long-term strategic goals that provide direction and ensure OKRs are firmly anchored in broader business priorities. Without this foundational clarity, setting OKRs risks becoming a check box exercise.
A common mistake many companies make is rushing into setting OKRs without first aligning to the overall strategy. If your leadership team has not yet established a clear strategic direction, that should be the first step. This alignment creates a solid foundation for the OKR framework, enabling the organisation to focus on what truly matters and avoid distractions.
To assist organisations in assessing their strategic and OKR maturity, tools like our AI-powered strategy and OKR assessment can provide valuable insights and help identify areas for improvement.
2. Execution Beats Perfection
Another frequent pitfall in OKR adoption is getting stuck in the pursuit of perfect OKRs. Many organisations spend months crafting what they believe are flawless objectives and key results, only for progress towards these to remain unmoved.
Numatic overcame this by embedding OKRs into their leadership rhythm. Instead of treating OKRs as a quarterly checkbox, they made them an integral part of leadership meetings and team discussions. This ongoing engagement ensured OKRs stayed relevant, actionable, and aligned with real-time decision-making. OKR coaching can further support this practice by guiding teams through regular OKR reviews and execution, helping to embed outcome-focused habits and improve the overall effectiveness of OKR rollouts. By prioritising consistent execution over perfection, they maintained momentum and fostered a culture of continuous progress.
For companies struggling with OKR implementation, shifting the focus from perfecting OKRs to making them a regular part of workflows can significantly enhance adoption and impact.
3. Make OKRs Part of the Culture, Not Just a Process
For OKRs to truly take root, they must extend beyond leadership and become embedded in the organisation’s culture. Numatic’s approach involved creating cross-functional squads, establishing executive ownership, and implementing clear accountability structures. This made OKRs a shared language across teams, driving alignment and focus at every level.
When everyone in the team feels connected to the OKR process, it fosters psychological safety and encourages meaningful engagement. OKRs then evolve from being mere management tools to becoming catalysts for collaboration and impact. Embedding OKRs into the culture helps companies achieve strategic alignment and unlock their full potential by developing a strong OKR practice across the organization.
Defining OKR Readiness and Getting Started
Before embarking on a successful OKR journey, it’s essential to assess your organization’s OKR readiness. This crucial first step lays the groundwork for an effective OKR implementation and ensures your company is set up for measurable progress and meaningful results. OKR consulting services can play a pivotal role here, helping you evaluate your current culture, capabilities, and alignment with the OKR methodology. By partnering with an experienced OKR consultant or OKR coach, you gain access to expert insights and practical recommendations that strengthen your OKR foundations.
Getting started with OKRs means building a solid base of OKR skills and knowledge across your teams. Investing in OKR training—whether in person or online—empowers your organization to master the essentials of setting OKRs, understanding key performance indicators, and embedding a process of continuous improvement. For those looking to deepen their OKR expertise, OKR certifications and advanced training offer a pathway to greater confidence and strategic alignment, ensuring your teams are equipped to drive company objectives forward.
A key element of OKR readiness is the ability to align OKRs with your organization’s broader goals. OKR consultants can help you develop a tailored approach to implement OKRs, addressing your specific challenges and improving alignment across teams. By embedding the OKR framework into your company’s practices and culture, you create a structure that supports ongoing success and unlocks your organization’s full potential.
Effective OKR adoption doesn’t happen overnight—it requires ongoing support and guidance from OKR experts who bring real-world experience to the table. With the help of OKR coaches and consulting services, you can navigate the OKR process with confidence, overcome obstacles, and ensure your teams are set up for huge success. This support is especially valuable for organizations operating in diverse industries or facing unique business challenges.
Taking the first step to define your OKR readiness and begin your OKR implementation journey can transform the way your organization sets and achieves objectives. With the right OKR training, coaching, and consulting services, you can build a culture of continuous improvement, drive strategic alignment, and achieve meaningful results at your own pace.
What This Means for You
Setting OKRs is only the beginning. The real challenge lies in making them stick—transforming OKRs from static goals into a system that drives measurable progress and meaningful results. Organisations that struggle with OKR adoption or execution should consider refining their approach by focusing on strategic clarity, embedding OKRs into leadership and team practices, and cultivating a culture that supports continuous alignment and accountability. Successful OKR rollouts are crucial, as many failures stem from poor implementation rather than the framework itself. Consultancy can provide the expert support, training, and guidance needed to ensure your OKR rollout is effective and sustainable.
If your business is ready to elevate its OKR implementation and achieve huge success, our consulting services from experienced OKR experts can provide the necessary support, training, and coaching. These services offer practical resources and advanced training to build OKR skills, improve alignment, and embed the OKR framework effectively at your own pace.
Get in touch today to learn how expert OKR consultancy can help your organisation move beyond setting objectives to achieving them with confidence and clarity.
For more insights on embedding OKRs and driving change that sticks, explore related resources such as Change That Sticks – Rolling Out OKRs with ADKAR and How OKRs and AI Are Shaping the Future of Strategy Execution, as well as the expert panel discussion featuring key insights on OKR pitfalls and strategic clarity. These articles further explore how effective OKR implementation, combined with the right tools and mindset, can transform strategy execution across diverse industries.
