Turn OKR Grading into a Growth-Mindset Dialogue

When I first used OKRs at Intel, I dutifully calculated my percentage scores—six out of ten milestones done equals 0.6, a yellow. But sometimes the number didn’t feel right. A 90% completion on easy tasks felt like a B–, and a 60% on thorny challenges sometimes felt like an A. That’s when I learned to trust the power of self-grading.

One quarter, as a young product manager, I set five KRs to launch a major feature, call on ten key clients, recruit a key hire, spin up training materials, and draft sales decks. I completed only three of the five, a raw 0.6. I felt sore about the missed hires and client calls, but my demo environment launched flawlessly and the decks were top notch. So I nudged my self-grade to 0.8, because the wins were essential and expensive to redo.

When I explained my 0.8 score to my manager, we had a strong discussion: Should I have asked for a recruiter sooner? Or scaled down my design goals? I then used that insight to set smarter KRs next quarter—faster hiring steps and a client check-in halfway through.

Psychologists call this “self-reflection,” a crucial part of transformational learning. By pairing raw metrics with candid self-assessment, you capture not just what you did, but how and why you did it. Over time, this habit accelerates your ability to set higher-value goals and calibrate effort and stretch.

Give yourself permission to self-grade: Where the raw numbers don’t capture the full story, adjust your score to reflect your true performance—and then use the insight to write stronger OKRs next cycle.

Once a quarter, average your KR percentages for a raw OKR score. Then take a moment to self-grade: Was your effort and impact stronger or weaker than the numbers suggest? Jot down one lesson on your wins and one on your misses, and use those insights to refine your next objectives and key results. This self-grading ritual transforms numbers into meaningful growth triggers. Try it for your current cycle.