6 Best OKR Courses for 2024: Achieve Objectives with Key Results
Discover the art of setting clear Objectives and Key Results, boost team alignment, and achieve audacious goals with the best free and paid online courses from our guide.
When I worked in a credit union (similar to a bank), we were expected to meet or exceed quarterly Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to keep increasing business. Here at Class Central, we have recently adopted quarterly Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) which, while similar, are not exactly the same as KPIs. What Matters describes OKRs as “KPIs with soul.” Unlike standalone KPI metrics, OKRs add context, painting a clearer picture of the direction we need to head.
In this Best Courses Guide, I present the 6 best online courses to teach you about OKRs. These courses are created by venture capitalist John Doerr, executive coach Axel Rittershaus, and Head of Learning & Development at Udemy Shelley Osborne, among others.
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Here are our top picks
| Course Highlight | Workload |
| Best General OKR Course (What Matters) | 24 hours |
| Best Mid-Length OKR Course (Udemy) | 3-4 hours |
| Best Free Short Course on OKRs (Udemy) | <1 hour |
| Also Great Short Overview of OKRs (LinkedIn Learning) | <1 hour |
| Best Free Text-Based OKR Course (Microsoft Learn) | 1 hour |
| Best OKR Course in Portuguese (Udemy) | 2-3 hours |
What are OKRs?
OKRs, or Objectives and Key Results, is a goal-setting framework that helps organizations and teams define and track objectives, as well as measure progress toward achieving those objectives. OKRs consist of two main components:
- Objectives: clear, qualitative goals that define what an organization or team aims to achieve. They provide direction and a sense of purpose.
- Key Results: specific, measurable, and time-bound outcomes that indicate progress toward achieving the objectives. They serve as quantifiable benchmarks.
The primary purpose of OKRs is to align teams and individuals with organizational goals, foster transparency, and drive measurable results. OKRs are typically set on a quarterly basis, but the timeframe can vary.
When implementing OKRs, it’s important to customize the framework to fit the specific needs and context of the organization or team. Regular reviews and adjustments are key to maximizing the effectiveness of OKRs.
OKRs were not invented by a single individual but were popularized and introduced by Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel. The concept of OKRs was formalized during Grove’s tenure at Intel in the 1970s. But it’s important to note that the idea of setting objectives and key results has roots in goal-setting and performance management practices that predate Intel’s adoption of OKRs.
The term “OKR” itself is attributed to John Doerr, a venture capitalist who learned about the framework while working at Intel. John Doerr played a crucial role in spreading the use of OKRs at Google, and the company’s success with the framework contributed significantly to its widespread adoption in various organizations.
Stats
- 3 courses are free or free-to-audit and 3 are paid
- 4 courses offer a certificate of completion
- The most featured provider is Udemy with 3 courses.
Best General OKR Course (What Matters)
OKR Certification: Leadership and Goal Setting, led by John Doerr, chairman of Kleiner Perkins, and technical advisor Ryan Panchadsaram, is ideal for anyone looking to master the art of setting and achieving ambitious goals within an organization.
Drawing from Doerr’s New York Times best-selling book, “Measure What Matters,” and his extensive experience with OKRs, this course plunges deep into the Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) framework. It’s designed to help organizations of any size thrive by setting meaningful, ambitious goals. You will discover how to clearly define and communicate priorities, align goals across all levels of an organization, ensure a commitment to excellence, track and measure progress transparently, and stretch for amazing achievements.
The course is filled with real-world examples, including how OKRs have driven success in some of the world’s most innovative companies since their inception at Intel in the 1970s.
If you’re looking to implement a robust OKR practice within your organization or refine your goal-setting skills, this course offers invaluable insights from one of the most respected figures in venture capital and goal-setting.
You can read my review of this inspiring course.
In this course, you will gain:
- Mastery in defining, communicating, and aligning organizational goals using the OKR framework
- Skills to ensure organizational commitment to excellence and transparent accountability
- Techniques for stretching goals to achieve ambitious outcomes
- Knowledge on implementing and refining OKR practices within any organization
- Insights from real-world examples and the history of OKRs in leading innovative businesses.
Also see the concise What Matters YouTube course: OKRs 101: How to Set and Achieve Audacious Goals or if you prefer text-based information, What Matters has published Google’s OKR playbook. Or you can buy John Doerr’s book, titled Measure What Matters from your preferred supplier.
“Exceptionally well-designed and delivered course. This course covers the nuances of adopting and adapting OKRs in an organization.” – S.N., Coursera learner.
| Provider | Coursera |
| Institution | What Matters |
| Instructors | John Doerr, Jordan McArthur, Ryan Panchadsaram and Lisa Shufro |
| Time Commitment | 24 hours |
| Enrollment | 24K |
| Rating | 4.9 (370) |
| Cost | Free audit |
| Certificate | Paid |
Best Mid-Length OKR Course (Udemy)
This comprehensive course, OKR Goal Setting 101 – Achieve more goals than ever! Faster! is designed to transform the way you set and achieve goals using the OKR framework. This course is perfect for those looking to lead their teams or companies towards achieving more ambitious goals as well as team members working towards individual targets.
With no prior goal-setting experience required, learners will benefit from the expertise of Axel Rittershaus, an Executive Coach with a global footprint in coaching individuals and organizations on effective goal setting. You’ll see best practices of OKRs, learn to avoid common mistakes, and use real-world examples to apply OKRs in various contexts.
The course includes a 41-page workbook, making it a practical guide for immediate implementation. Do you want to align your team, enhance productivity, or achieve personal and professional goals that seemed impossible before? This course equips you with the tools and knowledge to become an OKR pro.
What you’ll learn:
- How to confidently set and achieve ambitious goals using OKRs, with a 41-page workbook for guidance
- Best practices for communicating and cascading OKR-based goals throughout an organization
- Strategies to avoid the 10 most common mistakes in goal setting and achievement
- Techniques for writing strong, metric-driven, and motivating OKRs for managing yourself and your team
- How to align remote, virtual, or hybrid teams perfectly using OKRs
- Leadership principles using Google’s success framework to achieve organizational goals
- Mastery of the OKR framework to become a role model in utilizing Objectives and Key Results.
| Provider | Udemy |
| Instructor | Axel Rittershaus |
| Time Commitment | 3-4 hours |
| Enrollment | 31K |
| Rating | 4.6 (9,016) |
| Cost | Paid |
| Certificate | Paid |
Best Free Short Course on OKRs (Udemy)
Goal Crushing: Use OKRs to achieve business results is a short, free course designed for individuals at all levels within an organization, from individual contributors to managers.
Through the guidance of Shelley Osborne, Head of Learning & Development at Udemy, learners will gain insights into the OKR framework, a proven method used by leading companies including Google and GE, to help participants articulate their objectives and measure their outcomes with precision.
By the end of this course, participants will be equipped with the skills to write value-based OKRs that demonstrate their impact on the business, ensuring their goals are not only set but crushed.
In this course:
- Learn the fundamentals of the OKR framework and its significance in goal setting
- Master the art of writing strong, metric-driven OKRs to communicate the value of your work
- Practice cascading goals within an organization to ensure alignment across teams
- Develop skills in writing value-based key results using various types of metrics
- Gain expertise in documenting goals and writing your own value-based OKRs.
“What a great course on OKRs. Easy to understand and most importantly short and to-the-point videos with a valuable assignment to help cement the content delivered.” – Liz L., Udemy learner.
| Provider | Udemy |
| Institution | Udemy Learning Team |
| Instructor | Shelley Osborne |
| Time Commitment | <1 hour |
| Enrollment | 20K |
| Class Central Rating | 4.5 (5,331) |
| Cost | Free |
| Certificate | Not available |
Also Great Short Overview of OKRs (LinkedIn Learning)
Are you interested in OKRs but don’t have the time to take a comprehensive course or read a book?
Enter Goal Setting: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), a concise guide designed for companies, teams, and individuals aiming to achieve outcome-based success through strategic goal setting.
LinkedIn Learning’s most popular course of 2022 is presented by Jessie Withers, an OKR expert who works in people development at Google. With a background in organizational development and a passion for empowering teams, Jessie’s all about helping you achieve audacious goals.
You will learn:
- Understanding of the OKR framework and its importance in strategic goal setting
- Skills to design impactful objectives and key results for both individual and group settings
- Strategies for implementing OKRs throughout an organization and measuring their success
- Insights into creating a culture of accountability to support the achievement of strategic goals.
| Provider | LinkedIn Learning |
| Instructor | Jessie Withers |
| Time Commitment | <1 hour |
| Enrollment | 227K |
| Rating | 4.7 (4,540) |
| Cost | Paid |
| Certificate | Paid |
Best Free Text-Based OKR Course (Microsoft Learn)
This free course, offered by Microsoft, is a concise yet comprehensive guide designed to help you master OKRs using Microsoft Viva Goals. Mostly text-based (with a few short videos), Get started with Microsoft Viva Goals is ideal for individuals in various roles looking to enhance their goal-setting and tracking capabilities.
Over three modules, you’ll learn the fundamentals of OKRs, including their key components and framework, how to write compelling OKRs, and finally, how to effectively work with OKRs within Viva Goals. By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to leverage OKR superpowers, avoid common pitfalls, and apply best practices in your organization.
What you will learn:
- Understanding of OKR components, framework, and their benefits across various roles
- Skills to define, write, and edit Objectives, Key Results, and Key Initiatives/Projects
- Proficiency in navigating Microsoft Viva Goals, creating OKRs, tracking progress, and closing OKRs effectively
- Knowledge on integrating Viva Goals with third-party systems for enhanced functionality.
| Provider | Microsoft Learn |
| Time Commitment | 1 hour |
| Cost | Free |
| Certificate | Not available |
Best OKR Course in Portuguese (Udemy)
OKR: Metodologia e Aplicação (COMPLETO) (OKR: Methodology and Application (COMPLETE)) is designed to teach Portuguese speakers the OKR methodology, the leading business management strategy used by top Silicon Valley tech companies.
Ideal for aspiring agile leaders, those responsible for cultural transformation in their companies, and managers aiming to lead high-performance teams, this course covers the basics of OKRs to their application in real-world scenarios. Through 13 video lessons divided into three sections, you’ll learn how to set effective objectives, define key results that add value to the business, and use OKRs and KPIs efficiently. The course also covers shared OKRs, strategic vs. tactical OKRs, and linking OKRs to financial incentives. Real examples from technology companies are used throughout to illustrate key points.
By the end of this course, you’ll have the knowledge to implement the OKR cycle, promote a culture of innovation, and keep employees engaged, with the opportunity to test your understanding through a comprehensive quiz.
Originally an engineer, Mauricio Boesche is an OKR expert who has trained more than ten thousand professionals and advised dozens of companies in the methodology.
In this course you’ll learn:
- The fundamentals of the OKR methodology and its application in technology companies
- How to set objectives that guide team initiatives and define key results that translate to business value
- The efficient use of KRs and KPIs within the OKR methodology, including the distinction between performance and value KRs
- Strategies for defining goals aligned with business strategy and reality, avoiding perverse incentives, and promoting a culture of innovation
- The implementation of the OKR cycle, including its phases and ceremonies, and how to link OKRs to financial incentives through performance.
“…O instrutor possui domínio do conteúdo e excelente ensino aliado a boa qualidade de vídeo e áudio, entregando uma ótima experiência.” (…The instructor has mastery of the content and excellent teaching combined with good video and audio quality, delivering a great experience.) – João Paulo S., Udemy learner.
| Provider | Udemy |
| Instructor | Mauricio Boesche |
| Time Commitment | 2-3 hours |
| Enrollment | 12K |
| Rating | 4.7 (5,104) |
| Cost | Paid |
| Certificate | Paid |
Why You Should Trust Us
Class Central, a Tripadvisor for online education, has helped 60 million learners find their next course. We’ve been combing through online education for more than a decade to aggregate a catalog of 200,000 online courses and 200,000 reviews written by our users. And we’re online learners ourselves: combined, the Class Central team has completed over 400 online courses, including online degrees. I’ve personally completed over 150 online courses in a variety of topics including OKRs.
How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them
Trying to find “the best” can be daunting, even for those of us who live and breathe online courses. Here’s how I approached this task.
First, I combed through Class Central’s Catalog and the internet to find a variety of free and paid open courses on OKRs, some with certificates.
When choosing courses, I considered the following factors:
- Instructor experience: I sought instructors with extensive experience in OKRs and engaging presentation styles
- Popularity: I checked numbers of enrollments and views to find popular courses
- Course content: I examined courses that covered a range of topics and presentation styles, including the basics and more advanced material. I watched some course videos to sample courses I hadn’t already taken
- Learner reviews: I read learner reviews (when available) to get a sense of the quality of each course, leveraging the Class Central database with its thousands of course ratings and reviews written by our users as well as available course provider reviews.
Then, I defined the scope for these recommendations, looking for a range of courses.
Ultimately, I used a combination of data and my own judgment to make these picks. I’m confident these recommendations will be a reliable way to learn about OKRs.
