Aligning OKRs

Alignment is one of the great superpowers of OKRs.

I usually recommend starting simply by drafting OKRs with a single team before you scale up.

Once OKRs are working well in that team, you’re ready to start scaling up and out – creating and delivering OKRs across multiple teams and levels to ensure the whole organisation is pulling in the same direction.

To make this work, you need a simple, reliable, inclusive method to negotiate, align, and refine your OKRs across different audiences.

My favourite ways of doing this are informal chats and more structured facilitated sessions like the OKR gallery walk and the OKR festival.

In every case, teams are listening to feedback, negotiating with their peers, and creating OKRs which are measurable, achievable, and laser-focused on the outcomes that matter most.

Informal chats

Never underestimate the power of simply approaching your peers and asking about their OKRs. Casual conversations often reveal things that would never surface in a formal meeting.

A quick, candid one-on-one conversation can uncover hidden concerns, build psychological safety, and create richer dialogue and alignment in less time and with less scheduling effort than a formal session.

The gallery walk

The OKR gallery walk, fun, elegant technique recreates the relaxed atmosphere of visiting an art opening with friends and unleashing your inner critic.

It keeps the focus on the words in the OKRs themselves and allows OKR-owners to rapidly get feedback from many sources.

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The festival

While not quite Burning Man, the multi-team, multi-level OKR festival event allows you to gather feedback from many teams via many simultaneous conversations. Each team has an opportunity to share their OKRs and “headliners” (e.g. critical integration teams and senior leadership) may have multiple slots to gather feedback.

It can easily be run in person or online.

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No shortcuts

Alignment doesn’t happen by accident—it happens through deliberate, repeated conversations in different formats. Whether it’s a spontaneous chat, a structured gallery walk, or a lively festival, each method provides a way to surface different perspectives and ensure everyone is working toward the same outcomes.

The best approach is usually a mix: keep the energy and honesty of informal chats, then reinforce them with structured sessions to lock in decisions. Done well, OKR alignment creates not only clarity, but also momentum—helping your teams move together with focus and purpose.

If you’re looking for a place to start, check out the OKR gallery walk and let me know what you think!