What to Do If Your Team Hates OKRs: Turning Resistance into Results
Introduction
You’ve done your research, picked the perfect OKR framework, and maybe even rolled out a sleek platform like Profit.co. You’re excited. This is the moment your team finally gains clarity, alignment, and focus.
Except… They hate it.
They say OKRs feel like busywork. They’re confused, annoyed, disengaged. Progress updates go ignored. Strategy meetings feel forced. You’re wondering if this whole thing was a mistake.
First of all: you’re not alone.
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a powerful framework — but only if your team believes in them. If they don’t, no amount of software or leadership pressure will create results. But here’s the good news: resistance to OKRs is usually a symptom, not a failure. And with the right approach, you can turn skepticism into engagement and build a high-performance OKR culture.
Let’s unpack why teams push back against OKRs — and what to do about it.
Common Reasons Teams Hate OKRs
1. They Don’t Understand the “Why”
Many teams are introduced to OKRs through a PowerPoint deck or a one-hour training session — and that’s it. Without understanding the purpose, they see OKRs as just another corporate trend or layer of bureaucracy.
Fix: Lead with context. Share stories of how OKRs helped companies like Google or Netflix scale. But more importantly, explain how OKRs will solve your team’s pain points: lack of clarity, wasted effort, misaligned goals, unclear priorities. Make the case personal and relevant.
“OKRs aren’t about more work. They’re about making sure the work we do actually matters.”
2. They Confuse OKRs with Performance Reviews
If people think OKRs will be used to evaluate or punish them, they’ll game the system — or check out entirely. Fear kills ambition.
Fix: Separate OKRs from compensation and performance reviews (at least initially). Reinforce that OKRs are meant to be aspirational, not perfect. In fact, aiming for 70–80% achievement is often the mark of healthy stretch goals.
Make it safe to fail — and safe to be ambitious.
3. The OKRs Are Top-Down and Irrelevant
If leadership sets OKRs in a vacuum and hands them down without input, teams will feel disconnected. Worse, they may nod along and ignore them completely.
Fix: Invite collaboration. Let teams and individuals co-create OKRs that align with company goals but reflect their day-to-day reality. Use tools like Profit.co to visually show alignment across teams and levels.
People commit to what they help create.
4. It Feels Like Extra Work
When OKRs live in isolated docs or are managed in clunky spreadsheets, they become one more “thing to update.” The team already has meetings, tasks, dashboards, deadlines — adding OKRs feels like overload.
Fix: Integrate OKRs into existing workflows. Use an intuitive platform like Profit.co, where OKRs, KPIs, tasks, and weekly check-ins live in one place. You can even link key results to Jira issues, Salesforce reports, or marketing metrics.
The more OKRs feel connected to actual work, the more they’ll be embraced.
5. OKRs Are Poorly Written or Too Vague
Sometimes the problem isn’t OKRs — it’s bad OKRs. Goals like “Improve marketing” or “Be better at collaboration” aren’t specific or measurable, so they end up being ignored.
Fix: Coach teams on how to write strong OKRs. Clear, outcome-based Key Results make a world of difference. You can even use templates in Profit.co to guide first-timers.
Bad Objective: Improve customer support
Better Objective: Deliver faster, higher-quality support to our customers
- KR1: Reduce first response time from 8h to 2h
- KR2: Achieve CSAT of 90%+
- KR3: Launch chatbot for common Tier 1 issues by Q3
How to Turn Things Around: A 5-Step Plan
Step 1: Pause and Listen
Before you “fix” OKRs, talk to your team. Run a retro or short survey:
- What do you like/dislike about the OKR process?
- What’s confusing?
- What feels valuable vs. wasteful?
- What would help you feel more ownership?
Don’t defend the process — just listen. Resistance is often a signal that something is broken.
Step 2: Reset the Narrative
Once you’ve gathered feedback, communicate a clear reset:
- Acknowledge missteps or confusion
- Reframe OKRs as a tool for the team, not on the team
- Clarify purpose: to create focus, visibility, and impact — not pressure
- Commit to making OKRs easier and more meaningful
Sometimes, you need a “v2 rollout” that feels fresh — not just a continuation of the old system.
Step 3: Start Small and Win Quick
Instead of rolling out OKRs company-wide again, pilot them with one team or department that’s open to experimenting. Set clear goals, track progress, and share success stories.
When one team starts saying, “Hey, this actually helped us cut waste and hit our targets,” others will get curious.
Step 4: Use the Right Tools
If your team is wrestling with spreadsheets or disconnected docs, you’re already at a disadvantage. Tools like Profit.co make the OKR process simpler, smoother, and more visible — which boosts adoption.
- Use built-in OKR templates to get started fast
- Enable weekly check-ins so progress stays visible
- Use alignment maps to show how goals connect
- Integrate with existing tools like Slack, Jira, or Asana
Profit.co was designed with user adoption in mind — so the platform helps reinforce good OKR habits without requiring a complete process overhaul.
Step 5: Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection
The first few quarters of OKRs are bumpy for everyone. Set expectations:
- It’s okay to “miss” ambitious KRs — as long as we learn
- Done is better than perfect
- Celebrate milestones and learning moments
Build a culture where OKRs are a tool for growth, not judgment. When people feel safe and empowered, OKRs become energizing — not exhausting.
Real Story: A Marketing Team That Hated OKRs — Until They Didn’t
A global B2B company rolled out OKRs across departments, including marketing. The team felt overwhelmed. They thought OKRs were micromanagement disguised as strategy.
So leadership paused. They held a feedback session. They scrapped the confusing goals and let the marketing team co-create just one clear Objective: “Improve campaign performance with better targeting.”
With measurable KRs (like reducing CPL and increasing MQL conversion), they saw results in 6 weeks. Tasks were better prioritized, reviews became data-driven, and team morale went up.
That same team now leads OKR training for new hires.
Conclusion: Resistance Is an Invitation
If your team hates OKRs, don’t panic — and definitely don’t force it. Instead, treat resistance as an invitation to lead better, clarify strategy, and simplify execution.
When done right — with empathy, flexibility, and the right tools — OKRs transform from a burden into a competitive advantage.