No-BS OKRs
The Complete Starter Guide to OKRs That Actually Work
After training over 2,000 OKR coaches across 300+ organizations globally, I've learned exactly why most OKR implementations fail - and how to make them succeed.
Why Traditional OKRs Fail (And How No-BS OKRs Fix It)
Most OKR implementations turn into bureaucratic nightmares. Teams create dozens of objectives, focus on activities instead of outcomes, and leadership treats OKRs as "for everyone else."
No-BS OKRs strips away the confusion and focuses on what actually drives results: clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and psychological safety to learn from both success and failure.
Start Here: Master the Fundamentals
This series of helpful No-BS OKRs Basics resources helps you get oriented to No-BS OKRs and get a strong start on best practices for developing and impementing No-BS OKRs. Consider whether they might be a fit for your specific organization.
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Before you create your first OKR, understand the five mistakes that sink most implementations.
Learn More → Common OKR Mistakes to Avoid -
Discover the battle-tested strategies that separate high-performing organizations from those drowning in OKR overhead.
Learn More → OKR Best Practices: No-BS Strategies for Success
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One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is “bolting OKRs on,” rather than weaving them into your existing strategy practices. Learn about our integrated Connected Strategy approach and the Connected Strategic Stack.
Learn more → OKRs in Context and the Connected Strategic Stack
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Stop confusing Key Results with KPIs, activities with outcomes, and monitoring with goal-setting for performance.
Learn More → OKR vs KPI: Understanding the Key Differences
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Use the No-BS OKR Maturity Model to understand where you are and what to focus on next.
Learn More → The No-BS OKR Maturity Model
Get Started in the Way that Works For You
Option 1:
Get the Book and Complete Framework
"You Are A Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" provides the complete methodology with real examples, step-by-step exercises, and everything else you need to get started confidently with No-BS OKRs.
Buy direct, and you’ll get a copy of the No-BS OKRs Workbook PDF for free!
Option 2:
Learn by Doing
This focused, self-paced Get Started Mini Course walks you through creating your first set of No-BS OKRs in under 2 hours.
What Makes No-BS OKRs Different?
Traditional OKRs create:
Overwhelming volume (way too many OKRs)
Activity-focused "key results"
Complex, not realistic cascading structures
Performance management pressure (or incoherence)
No-BS OKRs deliver:
Ruthless focus (3-4 objectives maximum)
Outcome-based measurements
Simple, useful, localization structure
A culture of safety to learn toward improvement
The transformative effects you'll experience
When implemented authentically, No-BS OKRs create profound shifts in how organizations and individuals operate.
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Traditional planning keeps you in anxiety mode - overthinking, delaying action, and fearing judgment. No-BS OKRs encourage quick thinking cycles, fast action, and data gathering that puts you in a state of curiosity rather than anxiety.
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Most performance systems reward appearing successful over honest improvement. No-BS OKRs flip this dynamic, creating safety to share what's actually happening - including struggles - so you can focus on meaningful progress instead of maintaining appearances.
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No-BS OKRs make valuable work visible. That critical infrastructure improvement? The relationship-building that prevented a client from leaving? These contributions become measurable, trackable, and recognized.
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The most common workplace frustration is unclear expectations. No-BS OKRs create shared understanding about what success means before work begins, eliminating mind-reading and constantly moving goal posts.
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By focusing on outcomes rather than prescribing activities, No-BS OKRs give teams the freedom to determine how they'll achieve their goals, unleashing creativity and ownership.
Hear from our participants:
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Sara was excellent! The course did a great job of everything from high level explanations to answering detailed questions. OKRs can be a complex topic with a lot of room for interpretation, but Sara's approach is by far the best I've seen, and she provides excellent tools to be able to enact her way in any size organization.
Rory Hibb, Feed.fm
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My current role is more at the initiative level rather than the organizational OKR level but being able to understand how these OKRs are constructed so that I can breakdown into concrete initiatives has demystified the entire approach for me. You don't need a "C" in your title to operate like someone who does, and this course was a great introduction for me into that way of thinking.
Jim Wyatt, Pearson
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This course set forth a clear and actionable framework for setting up OKRs that can truly mean something to your team, and provide the clarity for how we proceed. Sara was intentional, listened to each person, and shared techniques relevant to each person's individual needs around setting OKRs. This course unblocked me from a process that's been a struggle trying to implement from books and online articles for the last year. And, she was lovely and made it a joy!
Megan Mahdavi, Sun Reach Consulting
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I love how it was broken down into manageable pieces. I also greatly appreciated Sara explaining the WHY behind each step of the process.
Whitney Smith, Health Rosetta Group
Are High-Impact No-BS OKRs Right for Your Organization?
Or, might another approach work better? Answer seven quick questions to reveal your path to clearer direction, better alignment, and real results.
Get Started Today
Option 1:
Get the Book and Complete Framework
"You Are A Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" provides the complete methodology with real examples, step-by-step exercises, and everything else you need to get started confidently with No-BS OKRs.
Option 2:
Learn by Doing
This focused, self-paced Get Started Mini Course walks you through creating your first set of No-BS OKRs in under 2 hours.