Not everyone needs to have OKRs all the time

When organizations adopt OKR, there’s often the assumption that everyone should participate all the time. The reality, however, is far more nuanced. OKRs are a powerful tool for aligning teams around outcomes, but their effectiveness depends on their strategic rather than blanket participation.

The key is to start with the priorities, not the people. Identify the critical Objectives for your company or team, then determine who has the right skills and resources to drive those goals forward. If you begin with making everyone participate, you risk shifting the focus from solving important business problems to simply filling slots or accommodating individual involvement.

Read on to learn more about the best practices for determining who should participate and when. 

Specific team members for specific OKRs

Some quarters will naturally require concentrated efforts on particular problems. Perhaps you’re tackling a product launch, implementing a new system, or addressing a specific market opportunity. These Objectives demand specific skill sets, knowledge, and experience.

In these cases, not everyone in the team needs to participate in the OKR process. Identify the people who can make a real impact, and focus their energy where it counts. This approach ensures your OKRs are meaningful and actionable, rather than diluted by broad, unfocused participation.

Teams focused on BAU

Certain teams are critical to keeping the day-to-day operations running smoothly — the proverbial “lights on” functions. For these teams, KPIs are often a more appropriate tool than OKRs.

If KPIs are healthy, it’s a signal that operations are running effectively, so no OKRs are needed. But if a KPI is underperforming, that’s when creating a targeted OKR can help the team regain focus and course-correct. In this way, OKRs are deployed thoughtfully, rather than being forced where they don’t add value.

Employees in the field

Organizations with field employees — factory workers, service technicians, or other non-office staff — often find that participating in OKRs is not appropriate based on the nature of their work. Their daily responsibilities are typically structured, task-oriented, and operational, making it difficult to tie their work directly to broader strategic objectives.

That said, it’s still valuable to give these employees visibility into company goals. Allowing them to see what the organization is striving for helps create alignment, reinforces purpose, and fosters a sense of connection — even if they aren’t actively creating or managing OKRs themselves.

Conclusion

The overarching principle is simple: OKRs should be about impact, not inclusivity. Strategic focus ensures that your organization is solving the right problems with the right people.

By carefully choosing who participates, you make your OKRs more effective, your teams more productive, and your outcomes more meaningful. Not everyone should always participate and that’s exactly how OKRs deliver real results.