Why you should roll out OKRs gradually

Key takeaway: Introduce OKRs gradually. Begin with leadership and middle management, allowing these key players to gain experience and tailor the approach before involving the entire organization. This phased rollout reduces friction, educates by example, and fosters grassroots adoption, leading to a more sustainable and successful OKR program.

There’s one key to successful OKR implementations that no one is talking about:

‍Gradual roll-outs.

That is: Start with leadership and (middle) management.

When implementing OKRs, most organizations rush to get everyone involved from day one. Especially when they want to introduce OKR in the new year. 

While this approach might seem logical — after all, OKR is meant to align the entire organization — it often leads to confusion, frustration, and failure.

Remember Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare?

How to do it right

OKR is a strategy execution tool. Leadership owns the strategy, and middle management drives execution. You want to bring those two groups together, so make them active participants from the start.

By focusing on leadership and management first, you give these key players the time and space to gain experience with OKR. They can experiment, learn what works, and tailor the approach to their needs. They also build confidence before introducing it to their teams.

For the rest of your organization, view-only access is sufficient. Let your wider organization observe what’s happening and understand the value OKRs bring—without the pressure of immediate participation.

This approach accomplishes several things:

1. Reduce friction: Employees won’t feel like they’re being asked to adopt yet another “new system” before they understand its purpose.
2. Educate by example: Leadership and management will set a clear example of how OKRs are used effectively, creating a strong foundation for others to follow.
3. Build trust: Employees will see that OKRs are more than just a trendy tool — they are a meaningful way to align and execute strategy.

The grassroots effect

As your organization begins to see the benefits of OKRs, something powerful happens: grassroots adoption.

Some people will naturally get excited about OKR. They’ll start to see how OKRs can help them focus, align with the broader strategy, and achieve meaningful results. These “early adopters” often proactively request to play an active role in your OKR program.

This grassroots effect is invaluable. These “early adopters” become champions of OKRs within the organization. Their enthusiasm and success stories will make the next phases of your roll-out smoother and more successful.

Not everyone needs full access

While you do want everyone to have view-only access, not everyone should be required to actively participate. 

When new to OKR, it’s hard to know upfront who should and shouldn’t be involved. A phased approach gives you the opportunity to figure this out over time, rather than committing to a company-wide roll-out. When using OKR software, this will also reduce the upfront costs.

Expand organically

When implemented gradually, OKRs have the time to grow naturally within your organization. You build momentum step by step, ensuring that your OKR program is not only sustainable but also impactful.

So start small. Focus on what matters most: alignment and execution at the leadership and management levels. Build momentum. Then, when the timing is right, roll out OKRs more broadly across the organization.

With this approach, you’ll set your OKR program up for long-term success—and avoid the pitfalls of doing too much, too soon.

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P.S. Why don't you hear much about this? Because quick, company-wide implementations help OKR software companies sell more licenses. Coming from the CEO of Perdoo (an OKR software) who’s promoting gradual rollouts, you should take my word for it 😄