This Note is a two-part series. Read part 1 here.
In brief:
- There are 10 reasons why OKRs can fail in your organization; the tools at MAKE PROGRESS are designed to avoid them.
- Fosterteam alignment by creating spaces for constructive dialogues and using tools such as the Growth Machine to eliminate silos and internal conflicts.
- Strengthensempowerment and confidence with clear leadership and practical tools that empower teams and stimulate authentic motivation.
- Establish an effective organizational rhythm with the Drumbeat, punctuating regular check-ins to maintain focus and agility in achieving goals.
- Adopt transparent communicationthat clearly links strategy and execution, breaking down silos and fostering collaboration.
- Use appropriate tools such as Quantive and the KPI Book to simplify OKR management and turn operational complexity into strategic value.
In this second part of my strategy note on OKRs, you will find an in-depth analysis of the dynamics that can undermine the implementation of strategic goals and, most importantly, concrete steps to prevent your OKR project from failing. These notes are the fruit of more than a year of field implementations with MAKE PROGRESS, enriched by feedback from professional coaches who are using our certified method to manage business strategy in teams of all sizes.
Did you know that every Thursday MAKE PROGRESS practitioners gather to compare notes, evolve the method and share practical cases? This unique community is a tremendous opportunity for anyone who wants to perfect strategic management by objectives. If you want to participate, you can already sign up for the waiting list for the 2025 cohort and join a network of leaders who are revolutionizing the way strategy is done.
In this second part we focus on the more operational aspects and practical tools that can make the difference between an OKR project that works and one destined to fail. Each point you will read is designed to give you useful and immediately applicable insights for building a solid execution system, from the team to the tools.
Happy reading!
10 business dysfunctions that make every OKR program fail
MAKE PROGRESS is designed to work on 10 key elements to have a deep adoption of goal-based strategy management:
In Part 1
- Leadership Involvement
- Shared and adaptive strategy
- Clear strategic priorities
- Accessible metrics
- Alignment of key competencies
In this part 2
- Team alignment
- Empowerment and trust
- Organizational rhythm
- Transparent communication
- Tools and platforms
Let’s look at them in detail, find out what happens when one or more is missing, and get the tools to get you back on-track.
6 – Team Alignment
Alignment does not mean always agreeing. On the contrary, genuine alignment emerges when there are spaces for constructive conversations and plurality of views. If differing opinions never emerge in an organization, it can be a troubling sign: teams may be more interested in pleasing the leader to avoid conflict, or they may lack the skills needed to challenge strategic decisions. In an organization that wants to grow, it is critical to create an environment where challenges and opportunities are addressed through diverse perspectives and open conversations.
Alignment is not conformity-it means that everyone invests resources and energy in supporting what really matters for business growth. It implies that each team is focused on clear and measurable priorities, keeping the focus on strategic goals. It is this clarity that enables teams to actively contribute to the success of the organization, rather than dissipating into irrelevant activities.
Dysfunction: work in silos and strategy-execution disconnect
When true alignment is lacking, teams work in silos, investing resources on initiatives disconnected from business strategy. This leads to duplication of effort, inefficiencies and internal conflicts. Without alignment, priorities are not shared, metrics are inconsistent, and the organization fails to maintain the focus needed to meet market challenges.
From the toolkit of MAKE PROGRESS®
The Growth Machine is MAKE PROGRESS®’s key tool for achieving authentic and sustainable alignment. By adopting it, organizations can:
- Clarify strategic goals and priorities.
- Simplify complex activities.
- Strengthen the focus and alignment of teams.
- Identify accurate metrics to monitor progress.
- Develop OKRs 10 times faster and with greater transformative power.
Only when teams fully understand the mechanics of business growth does “magic” happen: there is no longer a need to force alignment. Teams become able to self-align because they can “see” how their work connects to strategy and contributes to growth. In addition, MAKE PROGRESS® offers Project Alignment, a tool designed to restore teams’ autonomy, impact and agility, enabling them to self-prioritize the use of their resources.
7 -Empowerment and trust
Giving autonomy does not mean leaving teams to their own devices. Too often, leaders abdicate their role, confusing autonomy with a kind of “toxic niceness” influenced by the growing narrative of simplified leadership, the textbook “for dummies” kind. This approach breeds disorientation and insecurity, replacing leadership with anxiety masquerading as permissiveness. Genuine autonomy comes from the leader’s ability to communicate clear and unambiguous direction so that teams can follow it even in the leader’s absence. This requires decisiveness, crystal-clear decisions, and a leadership model that inspires confidence.
Empowerment means going one step further: not just delegating complex tasks, but building a shared path for people to feel empowered, capable, and centered. Empowerment is not achieved with motivational phrases, but by offering practical tools and ongoing support so that each individual feels secure in his or her role and growth. When a leader is dedicated to empowering his or her team, he or she creates trust, not hope. Trust is an operational concept, based on the quality of tools provided and the clarity of guidance.
When teams feel authentically empowered, their sense of ownership, motivation and commitment increases. Empowerment becomes the engine that fuels not only results, but also the personal and professional progress of team members.
Dysfunction: unmotivated teams
The absence of empowerment and trust results in an environment where control and micromanagement dominate. Teams simply carry out instructions, losing the motivation to take initiative or come up with new ideas. This leads to slower decision-making, decreased productivity, and a stagnant corporate culture where no one takes risks or responsibility.
Or conversely, increasingly common in “remote” work environments, they may feel left behind. Without the perception of personal progress and adequate tools, team members lose motivation and confidence, reducing the impact of their actions and increasing the sense of alienation.
From the toolkit of MAKE PROGRESS®
The presence of theHR Lead is crucial to ensure that teams are supported and empowered. In addition, coaches at STRTGY offer support in goal negotiation techniques and deep work on the concept of accountability, which in MAKE PROGRESS® is not “assigned” but “accepted.” This approach increases the sense of authentic accountability in teams. Learn more about the concept of accountability and responsibility by following this link: Who is accountable here?.
8 – Organizational rhythm
Organizational rhythm is the heartbeat of a growing company. It is the time structure that ensures that goals and progress are monitored and updated regularly, keeping teams focused and aligned. An effective rhythm does more than scan periodic meetings-it is a well-designed system of check-ins, moments of reflection and reprioritization. This rhythm creates a balance between review and action, preventing projects from falling into oblivion or losing focus.
An obvious sign of the absence of rhythm is the difficulty in engaging people in strategic meetings. When you have to “pull participants by the jacket,” it is clear that the schedule is not perceived as relevant. In contrast, a well-structured rhythm with relevant appointments for everyone leads people to participate spontaneously, a sign of real engagement. HR should monitor participation and spontaneous contribution as an indicator of engagement, rather than relying on emoji-based happiness surveys, which often do not reflect the true state of teams.
A good organizational rhythm allows teams to adapt quickly to new inputs, course correct when necessary, and maintain a constant connection to strategic goals. Without a rhythmic system, organizational energy dissipates, focus is lost, and action becomes reactive rather than proactive. Rhythm organizes, connects and guides teams toward achieving OKRs, nurturing a culture of accountability and steady progress.
Dysfunction: stagnation
When an organizational rhythm is lacking, teams risk stagnating. Important projects are forgotten, OKRs lose relevance, and the feeling of progress stalls. The lack of regular rhythms creates a vacuum in which priorities become confused and problems are not addressed in a timely manner. The result is a slow-moving organization unable to adapt to changes and maintain focus on long-term goals. Stagnation undermines team motivation and slows down the entire growth process.
From the toolkit of MAKE PROGRESS®
At MAKE PROGRESS®, the organizational rhythm is called Drumbeat and is designed to keep teams aligned and focused through a series of structured rituals. The certified method includes detailed agendas for properly implementing daily, weekly and monthly meetings, each of which helps teams work on strategy from different angles. In addition, we provide a robust process for Strategy Refresh, which takes place at the end of each cycle to gather learnings, update strategy, and prepare for the next one.
9 – Transparent communication
A key aspect of transparency is vulnerability. Leaders who communicate authentically are not afraid to share challenges, doubts, or mistakes. This approach humanizes leadership and inspires trust, showing that making mistakes is part of the journey and that everyone is committed to finding solutions. Vulnerability in transparent communication is not synonymous with weakness, but with strength: it creates a safe environment in which people feel free to express opinions, propose ideas, and contribute without fear of being judged.
Lack of information breeds anxiety and insecurity. When teams do not have access to a clear and shared vision, doubts and fears emerge that slow down decision making and undermine mutual trust. Transparency means leaving no room for unnecessary uncertainty, instead providing teams with the right information to feel safe in making decisions and acting with confidence.
In a transparent organization, OKRs are visible to all and linked to strategic goals. Leaders explain not only the “what” but also the “why” of each decision, fostering trust and alignment. This approach helps prevent misunderstandings, break down silos, and create a sense of ownership. Transparency, then, is not only a value, but an operational tool that guides the entire organization toward shared goals.
Dysfunction: stifled collaboration
When transparent communication is lacking, collaboration between teams becomes difficult and, in some cases, impossible. Organizational silos grow stronger, fueled by a lack of clarity about common goals and the impact of each team’s work. Fear of open expression grows, conversations become fragmented, and cooperation is stifled. Under these conditions, strategic progress also slows as people fail to understand how their work connects to broader business goals.
From the toolkit of MAKE PROGRESS®
To create transparent communication and avoid stifled collaboration, MAKE PROGRESS® recommends active leadership participation in strategic check-ins. Leaders should not only chair these meetings, but be the first to share progress on their OKRs. This act of vulnerability and openness creates a positive model for the entire organization, inspiring trust and incentivizing participation.
In addition, we invite everyone to comment on their progress in a structured form that is the same for everyone. This approach ensures not only consistency in communication and quick reading of strategic progress, but also provides space for introverts to express themselves and mitigates the risk of someone sweetening the situation to their own advantage.
10 – Tools and platforms
Managing OKRs with a spreadsheet may seem like a simple solution, but it quickly proves inefficient. As complexity increases, documenting check-ins, connecting different parts of the strategy, and monitoring progress becomes extremely complicated. Boredom in using these tools, coupled with the technical difficulty of managing them, is often a major cause of abandoning OKRs. A poorly designed system can undermine even the best strategy, turning a growth tool into an additional burden for teams.
To avoid these pitfalls, it is crucial to invest in robust and flexible platforms. We have tested numerous solutions and the platform Quantive has proven to be the best overall, as well as perfectly aligned with the MAKE PROGRESS® approach. We are not affiliated, but we recommend this solution for its ability to simplify OKR management, making check-in work smoother and improving alignment between strategy and execution.
Another alternative is Notion, which allows strategic and executive elements to be connected in a single application. Although very promising, Notion has a steep learning curve that requires a significant initial commitment.
Another critical aspect is the ability of teams to access and manipulate data independently. There is a need to reduce an often underestimated metric, that of measurement cost, i.e., the cost of acquiring and using data versus the benefits derived from it. For this reason, we advise against initiating complex cross-platform integration projects in the initial stages of OKR implementation. It is more effective to allocate that budget to coaching or process review activities, which have an immediate and significant impact on the success of the strategy.
Dysfunction: unnecessary complexity
Without proper tools, OKR management becomes cumbersome and daunting. Teams find themselves overwhelmed with operational details and lacking a system to help them connect strategy and execution. Increasing complexity often leads to the abandonment of OKRs, turning them into a theoretical exercise with no real impact. This dysfunction undermines team motivation and slows down the entire growth process.
From the toolkit of MAKE PROGRESS®
To facilitate the adoption of effective tools, we recommend that you open a free account on Quantive and explore its potential to improve the management of your OKRs. This platform offers an integrated solution that simplifies work on check-ins and encourages continuous alignment. Also, to manage metrics in a clear and structured way, use the KPI Book as a centralized repository. Return to Step 4, Accessible Metrics, to elaborate on the concept and ensure that data management is always efficient and sustainable.
In conclusion
These 10 points represent a map of the most common challenges encountered in implementing OKRs and, more importantly, practical solutions to address them. I invite you to reflect on each point by reading both parts of this strategy note to get a complete and in-depth view of what can make the difference between an OKR project that works and one that is likely to fail.
If you have found these insights useful, please share this note with your colleagues or anyone who is facing difficulties in managing strategy by objectives.
I would love to hear your point of view! Write to me to tell me about your implementation experiences, challenges you have encountered or solutions you have adopted. Each story is an opportunity to learn and evolve the method MAKE PROGRESS, making it increasingly effective and applicable.
ALWAYS MAKE PROGRESS ⤴
