A working OKR program needs five roles: an executive sponsor, an OKR program lead, team leads, OKR champions in each team, and an owner for every Key Result. Clear roles keep OKRs from fading after the first planning session.
1. Executive sponsor
Usually the CEO or another senior leader. The sponsor ties the program to company strategy and shows that it matters.
- Sets the company OKRs with the leadership team (3 to 5 Objectives)
- Uses OKRs visibly in leadership meetings and communication
- Backs the program lead and removes obstacles
2. OKR program lead
The person who owns the process. In smaller companies this is often a founder or senior leader. In growing companies it is a dedicated program lead, often in operations, strategy or people and culture. Large enterprises usually need a small central OKR office plus local champions.
- Designs the cadence: planning, check-ins and reviews
- Runs training and facilitates planning workshops
- Checks OKR quality and alignment across teams
- Reports on adoption and impact to leadership
Good program leads combine strategic thinking, clear communication, influence without authority and operational discipline.
3. Team leads
Department heads and managers who are accountable for their team's OKRs.
- Lead the team in localizing company OKRs into team OKRs
- Make sure the team's OKRs support company priorities
- Run the weekly team check-in
4. OKR champions
One person per team who coaches the process day to day, often not the team lead. Champions keep the rhythm going, challenge vague Key Results and connect the team to the program lead.
5. Key Result owners
Every Key Result has one owner. The owner does not do all the work. They track progress, update the Key Result every week, flag risks and coordinate the actions. A Key Result shared between teams still needs one lead owner.
Who sets and updates OKRs?
- Company OKRs: set by the leadership team and updated by the executive owners
- Team OKRs: written by each team, agreed with the team lead, and updated weekly by the Key Result owners
- Individuals: do not get their own OKRs. They own actions under their team's Key Results.
Optional: OKR steering committee
In large or complex organizations, a cross-functional committee can review OKRs for consistency, resolve conflicts between teams and decide on changes to the process.
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