Getting Started with Objectives and Key Results in Customer Success

What are Objectives and Key Results?

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are a goal-setting framework that helps teams and individuals define measurable goals and track their outcomes

The ‘Objective’ is what you want to achieve — a clear, inspiring goal. The ‘Key Results’ are how you will measure progress toward that objective — specific, quantifiable milestones that indicate whether you’re on the right track.

OKRs were first popularized at Intel and later adopted by companies like Google, where they became a core part of how teams align their efforts and measure success. Over time, OKRs have become a widely used framework across many industries, including Customer Success.

In Customer Success, OKRs help teams focus on what truly matters: delivering real outcomes for customers while supporting the broader business goals. 

Instead of getting stuck in a cycle of endless tasks and reactive work, OKRs encourage Customer Success Managers (CSMs) to step back, prioritize strategically, and measure their impact in clear, tangible ways.

In this blog, we'll walk through what OKRs are, why they matter in Customer Success, how to set them effectively, and common mistakes to avoid — with practical examples to help you get started.

Understanding objectives and key results (OKRs)

Before we get into why OKRs are important for Customer Success, it’s helpful to take a closer look at what they actually are. 

A lot of people hear the term and immediately think of long checklists or complicated performance reviews, but OKRs are meant to do the opposite — they simplify focus. They help teams get clear about what they want to achieve and how they’ll know if they’re making real progress.

Let’s break down the two parts of OKRs: objectives and key results.

Breaking down objectives

Objectives describe what you want to achieve. They are qualitative, meaning they don’t need to be tied to a number, but they should be specific enough to inspire action. A good objective should feel clear, motivating, and slightly ambitious — something you want the team to rally around.

For example:
Objective 1: "Increase customer satisfaction across our enterprise clients"
Objective 2: “Improve responsiveness in customer communication”
Objective 3: “Resolve issues more efficiently for high-value accounts”

Notice that the objective doesn’t explain how it will happen or how progress will be measured yet. It's just setting the direction.

Breaking down key results

Key results describe how you’ll measure progress toward your objective. They are quantitative and specific — meaning they use numbers or milestones that show clearly whether you’re getting closer to achieving your goal.

For example:
Key result 1: Achieve a customer satisfaction score of 90% or higher.
Key result 2: Reduce average first-response time to under 2 hours.
Key result 3: Resolve 95% of customer issues within the first interaction.

If the objective is the destination, the key results are the checkpoints along the way that tell you whether you’re getting there. Without key results, it’s easy to mistake being busy for being effective.

Now that you have a solid understanding of what OKRs are, let’s talk about why they matter so much in Customer Success — and how they help CSMs not just stay busy, but stay aligned with customer and company outcomes.

Why OKRs matter for Customer Success

Now that we’ve covered what OKRs are, let’s look at why they matter in Customer Success. Without a clear structure, CS teams can easily stay busy without driving real outcomes. OKRs help teams stay focused, align customer goals with business results, and measure success in a meaningful way.

Here’s how OKRs can make a real difference for Customer Success teams.

Align customer goals with business outcomes

Customer Success isn’t just about answering tickets or scheduling check-ins — it’s about driving outcomes that matter to customers and your business. OKRs help CSMs move beyond activity tracking and focus on real value delivery. 

By setting objectives that connect customer goals (like faster onboarding or increased product adoption) with business metrics (like retention or expansion), teams can show clear, measurable impact on both sides. This alignment makes Customer Success a strategic partner rather than just a support function.

Increase team focus and accountability

Customer Success teams often face a long list of potential tasks, but not every task contributes equally to customer outcomes. OKRs provide a way to prioritize. 

By choosing a few key objectives and defining clear results, teams can stay focused on what matters most instead of spreading themselves too thin. It also builds a culture of accountability — success isn’t just about being busy, it’s about making measurable progress toward the right goals.

Drive proactive Customer Success strategies

Without clear objectives, a lot of Customer Success work ends up being reactive. Teams spend more time responding to issues than building stronger customer relationships.

OKRs encourage CSMs to think ahead — to focus on retention before churn becomes a problem, drive adoption before product usage drops, and spot expansion opportunities early. This proactive approach helps create better customer experiences and stronger long-term partnerships.

Having OKRs in place is a big step toward a more strategic Customer Success function — but writing good OKRs takes practice. In the next section, we’ll walk through some best practices for setting effective OKRs, especially if you’re new to using them in a CS context.

Best practices for setting OKRs in Customer Success

Setting OKRs isn’t just about picking a few good-sounding goals. Poorly written OKRs can create more confusion than clarity. 

The best OKRs are clear, measurable, motivating, and focused on what matters most to customers and the company. For Customer Success teams new to OKRs, building the right habits early makes a big difference.

Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when setting OKRs.

Make objectives aspirational but achievable

Objectives should be ambitious enough to inspire the team, but not so unrealistic that they feel out of reach. If goals are consistently missed by a wide margin, they lose credibility. 

Stretch goals can be motivating, but they need to stay connected to reality. When setting objectives, ask yourself: Is this challenging enough to drive effort, but realistic enough that success feels possible?

Keep key results measurable and time-bound

Key results should always be tied to numbers, milestones, or other clear indicators of progress. Avoid vague phrases like “improve adoption” or “strengthen relationships.” Instead, define what success looks like and when it should happen. 

For example, "Increase weekly active users by 20% within three months" gives a clear target and timeframe to work toward.

Align team and individual OKRs

Team OKRs and individual CSM OKRs should work together. A departmental objective like "Improve gross retention rate" might translate into individual objectives focused on customer renewals or adoption growth. When everyone's goals are connected, it creates stronger alignment and makes it easier to see how individual contributions impact broader business results.

Revisit and refine OKRs regularly

OKRs shouldn’t be set and forgotten. Customer priorities can shift quickly — especially as new needs emerge or market conditions change. 

Building a habit of reviewing OKRs every quarter helps teams stay flexible, adjust to new information, and keep their goals relevant. Even small refinements can help keep OKRs useful and actionable over time.

Key takeaways

• OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a simple framework that helps Customer Success teams define clear goals and measure real progress.
  
  
• Objectives describe what you want to achieve; Key Results define how you will measure success.
  
  
• In Customer Success, OKRs connect customer goals with business outcomes, helping teams stay focused on impact rather than just activities.
  
  
• Effective OKRs increase team accountability, improve prioritization, and drive proactive strategies like retention, adoption, and expansion.
  
  

Good OKRs are aspirational but achievable, measurable, time-bound, and regularly reviewed to stay relevant.