Over the past month, while working with a global client to define their OKRs, we encountered an interesting challenge. Some of the goals they wanted to set—especially those focused on internal transformation—were difficult to measure. These goals aimed to track shifts in attitudes, decision-making, and collaboration within their teams. The inevitable question arose:
“If we can’t measure these changes, should we still set OKRs for them?”
Great question. Let’s dive in.
(Almost) Everything is Measurable
While absolutes are rarely useful, I firmly believe that nearly everything is measurable. If an outcome itself isn’t directly measurable—such as an attitude—it will inevitably lead to observable behaviors that can be measured. The real challenge often isn’t the measurability of the goal but rather the limitations of our existing tools and systems to track these behaviors effectively. In many organizations, particularly when assessing internal team dynamics, the necessary instrumentation simply isn’t in place to capture specific behavioral changes.
A closer examination reveals that many of the changes we aim for are attitudinal in nature. We want our teams to be more creative, innovative, and collaborative. We want them to feel empowered and to work in environments with high psychological safety. These are ambitious and worthwhile objectives. The real question then becomes:
“How will we know when we’ve achieved these goals?”
The answer is within reach—but it requires new tools, targeted observations, and meaningful conversations with your teams.
Surveys: A Go-To Solution and a Common Crutch
Many organizations default to staff surveys to assess team sentiment and identify trends in performance. While surveys can provide useful data at scale, they are not without limitations. Writing effective survey questions is a challenge. Response rates can be low, often skewed by the most vocal individuals in an organization, leaving quieter voices unheard. Even with open-ended questions, realistically, how many responses can be thoroughly analyzed when there are hundreds or thousands of replies? While AI-powered analysis tools are improving our ability to process qualitative data, self-reported insights still have inherent biases.
Attitudes Drive Behavior
When measuring cultural and behavioral changes, remember that shifts in attitude drive changes in behavior. The key is identifying and tracking these behavioral indicators. Consider the following examples:
- If psychological safety improves, what will employees start doing differently? You might observe an increase in questions asked at town hall meetings or more employees contributing ideas to leadership.
- If teams feel more connected to customers, how will their approach to work change? You may see a rise in initiatives that begin with a clearly defined customer problem.
- If you want to foster a culture of collaboration and creativity, what measurable behaviors would signal success? You might track the diversity of cross-functional teams formed to tackle projects, an increase in the volume of ideas generated in brainstorming sessions, or higher success rates of innovative initiatives.
These are all measurable, tangible outcomes—meaningful shifts in human behavior that drive business results.
If It’s Important, You Can Measure It
A common pitfall in OKR implementation is settling for the low-hanging fruit—metrics that are easy to track but don’t reflect the transformation you truly seek. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with tracking straightforward metrics, avoiding harder-to-measure objectives because they seem intangible means missing out on what really matters.
The qualitative and attitudinal shifts we seek in our teams always manifest in behavioral changes. Finding ways to observe and measure these shifts may require new approaches and greater effort, but the data is there. We just have to work smarter to capture it—and then use it to set meaningful OKRs that drive real impact.
If it’s critical to your organization’s success, you can measure it.
