Building and tracking key results

Key results enable product teams to drive toward common, measurable goals. They streamline quarterly and annual planning by attaching easy-to-track metrics to objectives that make it easy for leaders to monitor progress.

In this article:

• Creating key results
• Tracking key results
• Recommendations
• See also

Creating key results

There are two ways to create key results. You can create them directly from the details sidebar of an objective, or add them to an objective hierarchy grid.

From an objective's details sidebar

To add a key result as a child item directly to an objective:

1. Click an objective from anywhere in Productboard to open its details sidebar.
2. Scroll down to the Key results section and click the plus button.
3. Type in the name of your new key result and press Enter/Return.
   
   

From an objective hierarchy grid

You can manage your key results from a wider perspective using a grid board configured to display your objective hierarchy. Here's how:

1. Navigate to your objective hierarchy board, or create a new one.
2. Add key results to your objective hierarchy board by clicking Board controls > Add items > Key results and then clicking Apply.
   
   
   
   
3. Hover over an objective in the item list and click the  Add under button, then select Key result. Type in a name for your KR and press Enter/Return on your keyboard to finalize it.
   
   

Editing and tracking key results

There are a number of useful data fields you can use to make your key results more impactful.

1. Click on a key result to open its details sidebar, which contains its description, owner, and other pertinent details.
   
   
   
   

2. (Optional) In the Fields section, assign an owner or a team to establish who has responsibility for achieving or monitoring this key result.
   
   
   
   

3. In the Progress and health section, set the start, current, and target values for this key result. These will depend on your organization and situation. 
   
   
   
   

4. (Optional) If this key result is already underway, you may wish to adjust its status to broadly reflect how far along it is.
   
   
   
   

5. (Optional) If you want to provide additional details about the key result's status, consider providing a health update in the Progress and Health section. See Provide health updates for your features for details. 
   
   

6. (Optional) Post messages in the Comments section to collaborate with relevant stakeholders.
   
   

Recommendations

• Establish a Clear Planning Cadence. Define a regular schedule for OKR (Objectives and Key Results) planning and tracking, such as annually for the business and quarterly for departments and teams.
• Maintain Focus. Limit each team to a maximum of three objectives, each with one to three associated key results to ensure clarity and focus.
• Regular Updates. Encourage teams to frequently update and report on the progress of key results to foster accountability and transparency.

See also

• Organize your objectives into their own hierarchy
• The New Productboard experience: FAQ
• Advanced filters on New boards