Free OKR PowerPoint Template

OKRs: From Framework to Presentation

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) have become the standard goal-setting framework for high-growth companies. But the framework's value disappears if you can't present it clearly. An OKR slide for a 50-person startup all-hands looks nothing like one for an enterprise quarterly business review.

This template pack includes three formats optimized for different audiences: cascade trees for alignment, dashboards for QBRs, and executive summaries for boards. The format you choose should match your presentation context.

The OKR Structure

Objective: A qualitative, aspirational goal. It describes what you want to achieve in memorable terms. Objectives should be:

• Inspiring and ambitious
• Qualitative (not a number)
• Time-bound (usually quarterly)
• Achievable but stretchy

Key Results: Measurable outcomes that prove the Objective is achieved. Each Objective should have 2-4 Key Results that are:

• Quantitative and specific
• Outcome-based (not output-based)
• Within the team's control to influence
• Ambitious but achievable

The critical principle: Objectives and Key Results are parent-child, not peers. Every OKR slide must make this hierarchy unmistakably clear through indentation, size, weight, or spatial grouping.

Three OKR Slide Formats

Format 1: Cascade Tree (Alignment Presentations)

Shows how company-level OKRs flow into team-level OKRs. Use this for all-hands meetings, planning kickoffs, and alignment workshops.

Build a tree structure with the company Objective at top in dark fill, team Objectives branching below in medium shade, and Key Results at the bottom in light fill. The visual weight decreases at each level—darkest and largest at top, lightest and smallest at bottom.

Format 2: Progress Dashboard (QBRs and Status Updates)

Shows a single team's OKRs with detailed progress. Structure as a table with columns for Objective/KR, Owner, Target, Actual, and Status.

Objective rows span full width with shaded background and bold text. Key Result rows sit indented beneath with regular weight text. Use progress bars or RAG circles in the Status column.

Format 3: Executive Summary (Board Decks)

Compresses all company OKRs onto a single slide. Divide into 3-4 columns, one per company Objective. Each column contains the Objective title, 2-3 Key Results with RAG circles, and overall status.

Boards see the full picture in 10 seconds. Each Objective has a backup slide for drill-down if questions arise.

Writing Outcomes, Not Outputs

The most common OKR mistake is writing outputs (activities) instead of outcomes (results):

Output (wrong): "Launch redesigned onboarding flow" Outcome (right): "Reduce time-to-first-value from 14 days to 5 days"

Output (wrong): "Ship inventory forecasting module" Outcome (right): "Achieve 85% forecast accuracy for top 50 SKUs"

Outputs describe what you'll do. Outcomes describe what will change if you succeed. Every Key Result should answer: "If we accomplished this, would we be measurably closer to the Objective?"

Progress Indicators

Three common methods for showing OKR progress:

Harvey balls: Four or five-state circles (empty, quarter, half, three-quarter, full). Best for quick visual scanning in cascade trees.

Progress bars: Show percentage completion with precision. Best for QBR dashboards where exact numbers matter.

RAG status: Red/Amber/Green circles. Best for executive summaries where binary "on track or not" is sufficient.

Defining RAG criteria:

• Green: On track to hit target
• Amber: 10-25% behind, remediation plan in place
• Red: More than 25% behind or at risk of missing entirely

Define these criteria explicitly so status colors mean the same thing across every team.

Limiting OKRs for Focus

The power of OKRs is forcing prioritization. More OKRs = less focus = worse outcomes.

Standard limits:

• 3-5 Objectives per team per quarter
• 2-4 Key Results per Objective
• Maximum ~15 total Key Results per team

If your OKR slide requires scrolling or 8pt font, you have too many OKRs. The slide should reinforce this discipline, not accommodate bloat.

Visual Hierarchy Principles

Objectives and Key Results must be visually distinct:

• Size: Objectives larger than Key Results
• Weight: Objectives bold, Key Results regular
• Indentation: Key Results indented under their Objective
• Color: Objectives in brand color, Key Results in neutral

The audience should immediately understand the parent-child relationship without having to think about it.

Measurability Test

If you can't put a number in the Target column and a number in the Actual column, the Key Result isn't measurable.

Not measurable: "Improve customer satisfaction" Measurable: "Increase NPS from 32 to 45"

Not measurable: "Strengthen engineering culture" Measurable: "Achieve 90% score on quarterly developer experience survey"

Unmeasurable Key Results turn QBRs into subjective debates. Define measurement upfront.

For related templates, see our KPI dashboard template, project plan template, and executive summary template. For more on structuring presentations, explore our Strategic Frameworks Guide.