Tability is a cheatcode for goal-driven teams. Set perfect OKRs with AI, stay focused on the work that matters.
What are Software Engineering Team OKRs?
The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.
Creating impactful OKRs can be a daunting task, especially for newcomers. Shifting your focus from projects to outcomes is key to successful planning.
We have curated a selection of OKR examples specifically for Software Engineering Team to assist you. Feel free to explore the templates below for inspiration in setting your own goals.
If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read our OKR guide online.
The best tools for writing perfect Software Engineering Team OKRs
Here are 2 tools that can help you draft your OKRs in no time.
Tability AI: to generate OKRs based on a prompt
Tability AI allows you to describe your goals in a prompt, and generate a fully editable OKR template in seconds.
- 1. Create a Tability account
- 2. Click on the Generate goals using AI
- 3. Describe your goals in a prompt
- 4. Get your fully editable OKR template
- 5. Publish to start tracking progress and get automated OKR dashboards
Watch the video below to see it in action 👇
Tability Feedback: to improve existing OKRs
You can use Tability's AI feedback to improve your OKRs if you already have existing goals.
- 1. Create your Tability account
- 2. Add your existing OKRs (you can import them from a spreadsheet)
- 3. Click on Generate analysis
- 4. Review the suggestions and decide to accept or dismiss them
- 5. Publish to start tracking progress and get automated OKR dashboards
Tability will scan your OKRs and offer different suggestions to improve them. This can range from a small rewrite of a statement to make it clearer to a complete rewrite of the entire OKR.
Software Engineering Team OKRs examples
We've added many examples of Software Engineering Team Objectives and Key Results, but we did not stop there. Understanding the difference between OKRs and projects is important, so we also added examples of strategic initiatives that relate to the OKRs.
Hope you'll find this helpful!
OKRs to enhance accuracy in story estimation by software engineering team
ObjectiveEnhance accuracy in story estimation by software engineering team
KRAchieve 90% team satisfaction rate with the improved estimation process
Implement weekly training sessions for the new estimation process- Consistently communicate the benefits of the new process
- Collect feedback and make necessary improvements
- KRReduce average estimation error to less than 10% in next 100 tasks
- Implement more accurate estimation tools and techniques
- Review and adjust estimations after each task
- Train team on precision estimation strategies
- KRTrain 100% of the team on advanced estimation techniques and methods
- Follow up on training outcomes and comprehension
- Schedule team members for training sessions
- Identify appropriate advanced estimation training course
OKRs to improve software system design and logging framework expertise
- ObjectiveImprove software system design and logging framework expertise
- KRCollaborate with senior engineers on at least two software design reviews and provide valuable insights
- Prepare for software design reviews by doing research and gathering relevant information
- Actively participate in software design reviews by asking questions and offering suggestions
- Schedule meetings with senior engineers to discuss software design reviews
- Document and share valuable insights and suggestions with senior engineers after the reviews
- KRConduct research on best practices and emerging trends in software system design
- Engage in discussions with industry experts and peers to gather insights on software system design best practices
- Review industry publications and online resources for current best practices in software system design
- Attend relevant conferences and webinars to stay updated on emerging trends in software system design
- Set up alerts and notifications for research papers and articles on software system design
- KRImplement logging framework in one project and analyze its effectiveness
- Define and implement the desired log messages and their respective levels
- Integrate the chosen logging framework into the project's codebase
- Research and choose a suitable logging framework for the project
- Analyze and measure the impact of the logging framework on project performance and debugging processes
- KRSuccessfully complete online course on software system design with a passing grade
OKRs to improve software engineering skills through effective time management
- ObjectiveImprove software engineering skills through effective time management
- KRIncrease the number of completed coding tasks by 20% each week
- Identify and address any obstacles or challenges that may hinder coding task completion
- Enhance collaboration and communication among team members for efficient task completion
- Provide regular feedback and support to assist in completing coding tasks
- Set clear and achievable coding task goals for each team member
- KRImprove adherence to project deadlines by delivering work on time in 90% of cases
- Implement effective communication strategies to address obstacles and ensure timely completion
- Set clear and realistic deadlines for each project task
- Prioritize tasks and create a detailed schedule to ensure timely delivery
- Regularly track progress and provide updates to stakeholders to maintain accountability
- KRReduce time spent on non-essential activities by 15% during work hours
- Set specific time limits for non-essential tasks to ensure efficient completion
- Prioritize and eliminate non-essential activities based on their impact and importance
- Identify non-essential activities taking up significant time during work hours
- Regularly assess and adjust the allocation of time to non-essential activities as needed
- KRAttend and actively participate in at least 2 time management workshops or webinars
- Research and identify 2 time management workshops or webinars
- Apply the learned time management techniques in daily activities for improved efficiency
- Take thorough notes during the workshops or webinars for future reference
- Register for the selected workshops or webinars to secure a spot
OKRs to enhance data engineering capabilities to drive software innovation
- ObjectiveEnhance data engineering capabilities to drive software innovation
- KRImprove data quality by implementing automated data validation and monitoring processes
- Implement chosen data validation tool
- Research various automated data validation tools
- Regularly monitor and assess data quality
- KREnhance software scalability by optimizing data storage and retrieval mechanisms for large datasets
- Optimize SQL queries for faster data retrieval
- Adopt a scalable distributed storage system
- Implement a more efficient database indexing system
- KRIncrease data processing efficiency by optimizing data ingestion pipelines and reducing processing time
- Develop optimization strategies for lagging pipelines
- Implement solutions to reduce data processing time
- Analyze current data ingestion pipelines for efficiency gaps
Software Engineering Team OKR best practices
Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.
Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇
Tip #1: Limit the number of key results
Having too many OKRs is the #1 mistake that teams make when adopting the framework. The problem with tracking too many competing goals is that it will be hard for your team to know what really matters.
We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.
Tip #2: Commit to weekly OKR check-ins
Setting good goals can be challenging, but without regular check-ins, your team will struggle to make progress. We recommend that you track your OKRs weekly to get the full benefits from the framework.
Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.
Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row
Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples above). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.
As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.
Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.
Save hours with automated OKR dashboards
Quarterly OKRs should have weekly updates to get all the benefits from the framework. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:
- It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
- It will highlight poorly set OKRs
- It will surface execution risks
- It improves transparency and accountability
Spreadsheets are enough to get started. Then, once you need to scale you can use Tability to save time with automated OKR dashboards, data connectors, and actionable insights.
How to get Tability dashboards:
- 1. Create a Tability account
- 2. Use the importers to add your OKRs (works with any spreadsheet or doc)
- 3. Publish your OKR plan
That's it! Tability will instantly get access to 10+ dashboards to monitor progress, visualise trends, and identify risks early.
More Software Engineering Team OKR templates
We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.
- OKRs to establish a dedicated grant research volunteer team
- OKRs to enhance strategic planning and cut costs in category and product management
- OKRs to establish a robust “People & Network Engagement” team
- OKRs to boost annual sales figures by 15%
- OKRs to improve accuracy of financial statement reporting
- OKRs to enhance app performance for a smoother user experience