okr-definition

What this skill does

# OKR Definition

You create Objectives and Key Results at company, team, and individual levels. You research industry OKR patterns and best practices yourself -- do not ask the user for data they would need to look up. Only ask the user for decisions and confirmations.

This skill complements `vision-crafting` (which defines mission, vision, and strategic priorities) by translating strategic intent into **measurable objectives and key results**. It also feeds into `theme-roadmapping` (which organizes execution into themes and initiatives).

## Metadata

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| **Name** | okr-definition |
| **Version** | 1.0.0 |
| **Primary category** | planning |
| **Secondary category** | assessment |
| **Output mode** | human_readable |
| **Mixins** | diagram-rendering, autonomous-research |

## When to use

- Defining OKRs for a company, team, or individual
- Cascading OKRs across organizational levels
- Assessing and improving existing OKRs
- Translating a vision or strategy into measurable goals
- Setting up a CFR (Conversations, Feedback, Recognition) companion framework

## When not to use

- Defining project tasks or work breakdown structures (use task-planning skills)
- Creating KPIs without the OKR framework (use metrics/dashboard skills)
- Strategic planning without measurable outcomes (use vision-crafting)
- Performance reviews or individual evaluations

## Required input

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Organization/team/product context** | What entity the OKRs are for |

## Optional input

| Field | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| **Vision/strategy document** | Path to vision-crafting output or strategy doc | Will identify strategic context itself |
| **OKR level** | Company, team, or individual | Company |
| **Cadence** | Annual or quarterly | Quarterly |
| **Existing OKRs** | Current OKRs to assess or build upon | None |

## Input schema

```
context:
  type: string
  required: true
  description: Organization, team, or product name and context

vision_input:
  type: file_path | string
  required: false
  description: Vision-crafting output or strategy document

okr_level:
  type: string
  enum: [company, team, individual]
  default: company

cadence:
  type: string
  enum: [annual, quarterly]
  default: quarterly

existing_okrs:
  type: file_path | string
  required: false
  description: Current OKRs to assess or extend

render_mode:
  type: string
  enum: [code, image]
  default: code
  dependency_if_image: "@mermaid-js/mermaid-cli (mmdc)"
```

## Processing rules

### Phase 1 -- Setup

#### Input handling

Follow shared foundation SS7 -- interview mode. When input is missing or insufficient, interview to gather at minimum:

| Dimension | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|
| **Organization/team/product context** | Yes | -- |
| **OKR level** | No | Company |
| **Cadence** | No | Quarterly |
| **Vision/strategy input** | No | Will research context itself |

**Exit interview when**: Context is clear enough to define objectives and key results.

#### 1. Collect input

Accept one of:
- A company, team, or product name with context
- A file path to a vision-crafting report or strategy document
- Pasted strategic content (vision, mission, priorities)
- No input or vague input -> enter interview mode

#### 2. Detect scope

From the input (or interview results), identify:
- **Entity**: What organization/team/product the OKRs serve
- **Level**: Company, team, or individual
- **Cadence**: Annual or quarterly
- **Import source**: Vision-crafting output, strategy doc, or none

#### 3. Confirm scope

```
**Entity**: [name]
**OKR level**: [company/team/individual]
**Cadence**: [annual/quarterly]
**Strategic input**: [imported from vision-crafting / will research]
```

Ask the user to confirm or adjust. Ask diagram render mode and output path per the `diagram-rendering` and `autonomous-research` mixins.

### Phase 2 -- Research

Use WebSearch and WebFetch per the `autonomous-research` mixin.

#### 2a. Industry OKR patterns

Research OKR patterns for this domain/industry:
- Common objectives for similar organizations
- Typical key result metrics and benchmarks
- Industry-specific measurement approaches

#### 2b. Best practices

Research OKR best practices relevant to the context:
- Scoring calibration norms (what 0.7 means for committed vs aspirational)
- Common pitfalls in this industry/domain
- Cadence and review rhythm recommendations

### Phase 3 -- Strategic Context

#### If vision/strategy input is provided

Import strategic context:
- Read the vision-crafting output or strategy document
- Extract: mission, vision, strategic priorities, values
- Identify current challenges and opportunities
- Map strategic priorities to potential objective areas

#### If no strategic input

Identify through research:
- Organization's stated mission and vision (from website, public sources)
- Industry context and competitive landscape
- Likely strategic priorities based on domain
- Current market challenges and opportunities

Present strategic context summary for user confirmation.

### Phase 4 -- Objective Definition

Define 3-5 objectives per level.

#### Objective quality criteria

Each objective must be:
- **Qualitative**: Describes a desired future state, not a metric
- **Inspirational**: Motivates action and ambition
- **Action-oriented**: Starts with a verb or implies clear direction
- **Time-bound**: Fits the declared cadence (annual/quarterly)

#### Objective classification

| Type | Description | Expected score |
|---|---|---|
| **Committed** | Must achieve -- failure indicates planning or execution problems | 1.0 expected |
| **Aspirational** | Stretch goals -- reaching 0.7 is strong performance | 0.7 expected |
| **Learning** | Experimental -- success means validated learning | 0.7 expected, pivot acceptable |

#### Objective table

| # | Objective | Type | Strategic priority link | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O1 | [qualitative, inspirational statement] | Committed | [priority] | Company |
| O2 | [qualitative, inspirational statement] | Aspirational | [priority] | Company |

Present objectives for user confirmation before proceeding to key results.

### Phase 5 -- Key Result Definition

Define 2-5 key results per objective.

#### Key result quality criteria

Each key result must be:
- **Quantitative**: Has a number or measurable outcome
- **Measurable**: Can be objectively verified
- **Time-bound**: Has a deadline within the cadence
- **Has baseline**: Current state is documented
- **Has target**: Desired end state is specific

#### Scoring criteria

Each key result uses a 0-1.0 scale:
- **0.0**: No progress
- **0.3**: Minimal progress
- **0.5**: Halfway / some meaningful progress
- **0.7**: Strong progress (aspirational target)
- **1.0**: Full achievement (committed target)

#### Key result table

| Objective | KR # | Key Result | Baseline | Target | Scoring method | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O1 | KR1.1 | [quantitative statement] | [current] | [target] | [method] | [threshold] | [threshold] | [threshold] | [threshold] |

### Phase 6 -- Alignment Check

#### Cascade validation

For multi-level OKRs:
- Every team OKR must trace to at least one company OKR
- Every individual OKR must trace to at least one team OKR
- No orphan OKRs at any level

#### Conflict detection

- No two objectives at the same level should conflict (e.g., "reduce costs" vs "increase hiring")
- Key results across teams should not compete for the same resource without acknowledgment
- Flag potential tensions and suggest resolution

#### Alignment map

| Team/Individual OKR | Traces to Company OKR | Alignment strength |
|---|---|---|
| [team objective] | O1: [company objective] | Strong / Moderate / Weak |

### Phase 7 -- Quality Validation

Score overall OKR quality (0-100) by checking against 20 common OKR mistakes:

| # | Mistake | Detection | Severity | Points deducted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Output no