OKR Cycles
Audience: Strategy Manager, CEO, Team Leads
Page Type: How-To Guide
Phase: Phase 4 — Execution
Duration: 15–30 minutes
What is an OKR Cycle?
An OKR Cycle is the time-bound container for a set of Objectives and Key Results. While a Strategic Cycle covers the full planning period (e.g., a year), OKR Cycles typically run at quarterly or semi-annual frequency within it.
Strategic Cycle: 2025 Annual Strategy (Jan–Dec)
├── OKR Cycle: Q1 2025 (Jan–Mar)
├── OKR Cycle: Q2 2025 (Apr–Jun)
├── OKR Cycle: Q3 2025 (Jul–Sep)
└── OKR Cycle: Q4 2025 (Oct–Dec)
Each OKR Cycle has its own set of Objectives and Key Results, and its own scoring/closing workflow.
Creating an OKR Cycle
- Go to Execution → OKR Cycles
- Click + New OKR Cycle
- Fill in:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Descriptive label | "Q1 2025 – Sales Team" |
| Strategic Cycle | Parent strategic cycle | 2025 Annual Strategy |
| Start Date | Cycle start | January 1, 2025 |
| End Date | Cycle end | March 31, 2025 |
| Unit | Organizational unit | Sales Dept. |
| OKR Approval Required | Whether OKRs in this cycle need approval | Yes / No |
- Click Create
OKR Cycle Status Flow
Draft → Active → Scoring → Closed → Archived
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being set up — OKRs can be added but the cycle isn't "started" |
| Active | Running — OKR check-ins and KPI updates are live |
| Scoring | Cycle end reached — scores are being entered |
| Closed | All OKRs scored and signed off |
| Archived | Historical record |
Opening (Activating) a Cycle
- Open the cycle
- Click Activate
- The cycle is now Active — team members can start entering check-ins
Closing a Cycle
See OKR Scoring & Quarterly Close for the full end-of-cycle workflow.
Managing OKRs in a Cycle
From the OKR Cycles page, you can:
- View all OKRs for the cycle in one place
- Filter by unit to see different departments' OKRs
- Filter by status (On Track / At Risk / Off Track / Not Started)
- Export OKR summary as PDF or CSV
OKR Status Overview
The cycle page shows a health summary:
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 🟢 On Track | Progress ≥ expected pace |
| 🟡 At Risk | Progress slightly behind — needs attention |
| 🔴 Off Track | Progress significantly behind — escalation needed |
| ⚪ Not Started | No check-in data yet |
Cycle-Level Targets and Review
At the start of each cycle, it's good practice to:
- Align on the cycle-level priority — which 3–5 OKRs are most critical this quarter?
- Schedule the Quarterly Review (QBR) at cycle start — see Reviews & Cadence Meetings
Multiple Active Cycles
You can run multiple OKR cycles simultaneously (e.g., one for each department). The My OKR view shows each user's personal OKRs across all active cycles.