The OKR Maturity Model
Most teams sense their OKRs could do more. This shows what more looks like.
Five levels of OKR maturity, from Ad Hoc to Adaptive, across nineteen components and six lenses. Read across to see what good looks like, read down to see what a level feels like, and find where you stand today.
The model
What good looks like, level by level
We read strategy-execution maturity through six lenses: Design (how the OKRs are built), Implementation (how they are run), Measurement (the data and evidence), Experience (what it is like to use them), Operating Model (how the business is wired to deliver outcomes) and Value & Impact (what the system actually produces). Each component moves through the same five levels.
How to use it
Find yourself on the map
Read down each component and pick the level that honestly describes you. You will rarely sit at one level across the board, and that is the point: the spread shows you where the value is.
Most organisations a few cycles in recognise themselves around Emerging. OKRs are giving people direction, which genuinely works, but you cannot yet see whether the work is moving the strategy, and reviews feel like status updates. The step up is rarely about rewriting the OKRs. It is about the operating rhythm and trusting the evidence.
A self-estimate is a useful start. For an evidenced picture across all nineteen components, the Clarity Diagnostic scores you against this model using interviews, a review of your OKRs and a baseline of what you measure today.
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OKR maturity, answered
What is the OKR maturity model?
It is a strategy-execution maturity model for organisations that run OKRs. The OKR Hub model uses five levels, from Ad Hoc to Adaptive, assessed across nineteen components grouped under six lenses: Design (how the OKRs are built), Implementation (how they are run), Measurement (the data and evidence), Experience (what it is like to use them), Operating Model (how the business is wired to deliver outcomes) and Value & Impact (what the system actually produces). It gives a shared, honest picture of where you stand rather than a single pass-or-fail score.
What are the five levels of OKR maturity?
Level 1 is Ad Hoc: it exists only where individuals force it, so you have little honest read on execution. Level 2 is Emerging: in place and used for direction, but not yet trusted or driving decisions. Level 3 is Established: defined and reliably done, though it still needs the programme or leaders to hold it in place. Level 4 is Embedded: the default way of working, owned by teams, holding without chasing. Level 5 is Adaptive: the system reconfigures and improves itself around outcomes and evidence.
How do I assess our OKR maturity?
Read across the model and pick the level that honestly describes you on each component. Most organisations a few cycles in sit around Emerging, using OKRs to give direction but not yet seeing whether the work is moving the strategy. For an evidenced score rather than a self-estimate, the OKR Hub Clarity Diagnostic assesses every component using confidential interviews, a review of your OKRs and a baseline of what you measure today.
Why does the model include the operating model, not just the OKRs?
Because you cannot out-OKR a project operating model. However well OKRs are written and run, the team structure, funding and decision rights around them set the ceiling on what they can achieve. The Operating Model and Value & Impact lenses are what make this a strategy-execution model rather than a check on whether your OKRs are tidy.
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OKR Clarity Diagnostic
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See how we work →OKR Maturity Assessment
A free, 8-minute diagnostic that scores your organisation and returns a personalised next step.
Take the assessment →OKR Focus Flow Guide
Our four-stage implementation methodology — Diagnose, Design, Deploy, Deepen — in a single PDF.
Download free →OKR Rollout Blueprint
The full five-stage, six-month plan for rolling out OKRs across a mid-size organisation.
Read the blueprint →