Output vs Outcome Key Results in OKRs

In OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), Output vs Outcome Key Results (KRs) serve different purposes. Output Key Results measure your productivity similar to KPIs while Outcome Key Results measure business impact or change. Therefore outcome KRs are preferred in the OKR methodology as we want to measure the real impact of your work not just the work result.

Why my organisation mainly creates Output Key Results?

Organizations and teams may primarily focus on output vs outcome key results for several reasons:

• It is easier to quantify and track activities or deliverables, especially in structured or process-oriented environments.

• It provides clear, tangible indicators of progress—like completed tasks or launched features—which can be straightforward to measure.

• Outcome or impact data (customer, product or market) is often not available and needs to be developed during the OKR implementation process

• Leaders do not explain to their teams or projects how their daily work impacts to mid-term goals or strategy of the organisation.

• If the culture emphasizes task completion over results, teams might prioritize outputs which is often reflected in individual performance evaluations which are not very helpful to implement outcome-driven OKRs.

Read more on our blog: How OKRs force you to create Success Data!

Output vs. Outcome Key Results in OKRs

Outcome key results are generally considered better than output key results because they focus on the impact or value generated, rather than just the activities completed. While output KRs measure what has been produced or accomplished (e.g., number of features launched or tasks completed), outcome KRs assess the real-world effect of those outputs on the business, customers, or stakeholders (e.g., increased customer satisfaction, higher sales, or reduced churn). This emphasis on outcomes encourages teams to prioritize meaningful results that move the business forward, rather than just ticking off tasks. As a result, outcome KRs help organizations achieve more strategic, impactful, and measurable success, fostering a mindset of impact-driven work.

However we acknowledge the need for output KRs in organisation as normally in the first quarter of the year a lot of preparations (launch and completions) have to be done to achieve business impacts in the following quarters. Beside on the level of team OKRs some teams will rather create work output than real results and it is more motivational to include this operational teams into the OKRs.

Output Key Results:  

• Similar to KPIs (a chance to plug-in existing KPIs into OKRs)

• Focus on the deliverables or activities completed.

• They measure what you produce or what actions you take.

• Example: "Complete 5 training sessions" or "Launch 3 new features."

Outcome Key Results:  

• Focus on the impact or change resulting from the outputs.

• They measure the results or effects on the business or customers.

• Example: "Increase customer satisfaction score by 15%" or "Reduce churn rate by 10%."

Focus all teams on business results

Strategy & Objectives in OKRs

Before we even think about defining key results we need a long or mid-term strategy / northstar and mid-term objectives.

Objectives in OKRs are clear, inspiring, and ambitious statements that describe what an individual, team, or organization aims to achieve within a specific timeframe. They provide direction and focus, capturing the core goal or aspiration that motivates action. Objectives are typically qualitative, concise, and motivational, designed to align efforts and energize teams to strive toward meaningful accomplishments. By setting well-defined objectives, organizations can ensure everyone is working toward common priorities and understands the purpose behind their efforts.

Objective:  

• A clear, ambitious goal you want to achieve.

• Describes the direction or aspiration.

• Motivational and qualitative.

• Has a purpose (to/ in order to) which is connected with the strategy or long term targets

• Example: "Improve customer experience to achieve sales growth"

Feature	Objective	Key Result
Nature	Qualitative, inspirational	Quantitative, measurable
Purpose	Defines what you want to achieve	Measures how you'll achieve it
Answers	"Where do we want to go?"	"How will we know if we're getting there?"
Focus	Direction	Progress
Characteristics	Ambitious, Qualitative, Time-bound	Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound

Conclusion

Outputs are about what you do; outcomes are about what results those actions generate. Effective OKRs often balance both, but outcome KRs are typically more meaningful for measuring success, as they reflect real business value.

To shift toward outcome-driven results, it can help to encourage a mindset that values the impact of work, sets and explains clear outcome-oriented goals, and educate teams on the importance of measuring effects, not just activities. This balance leads to more strategic and meaningful progress.

For more information how to implement OKRs successfully please contact us on transform@asiapmo.com or on our contact form.

This blog was written by Carsten Ley, Entrepreneur, Enabler & Project Lead in Customer Experience, Project & Business Transformation leading large scale project implementations in Retail, E-commerce, Banking, Consulting & Experience Management for companies like Deloitte Germany, VW Mexico, Rolls-Royce UK, Lazada Vietnam and H&M South East Asia. He founded 2018 Asia PMO, a consulting firm focussing on getting clients fast and efficient into implementation of company objectives, customer & employee experience improvements to foster a result- and team-oriented environment.