# OKR Priority Scoresheet

> **Formats:** Markdown (documentation) | CSV (working scoresheet)
> **Updated:** 2026-03-22
> **License:** CC BY 4.0 -- Kate Makrigiannis / k8mak.com

A scoring template for prioritizing which OKRs to pursue when you have more potential objectives than capacity. Evaluates each candidate OKR on strategic alignment, measurability, team control, and effort.

## When to use this

You've brainstormed 8-12 potential OKRs for the quarter and need to narrow to 3-5. This scoresheet gives you a structured way to compare candidates and make the cut. Use it during quarterly planning when the team has more ambition than bandwidth.

---

## Scoring guide

### Strategic Alignment

How well does this OKR connect to the company's top-level goals?

| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 3 | Directly supports a company-level objective |
| 2 | Supports a team-level or department-level goal |
| 1 | Loosely connected to strategy |
| 0 | No clear strategic connection |

### Measurability

Can you actually measure progress on the Key Results?

| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 3 | Data exists today -- you can pull a baseline this week |
| 2 | Data is available but requires setup (new dashboard, query, tracking) |
| 1 | Data requires new instrumentation or a manual collection process |
| 0 | No clear way to measure -- Key Results are aspirational, not quantifiable |

### Team Control

How much influence does your team have over the outcome?

| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 3 | Fully within team's control -- your team does the work and owns the result |
| 2 | Mostly within control -- depends on 1-2 known collaborators |
| 1 | Partially within control -- requires significant cross-team effort or external factors |
| 0 | Outside team's control -- outcome depends on market, leadership decisions, or other teams |

### Effort to Achieve

How much work will the Key Results require?

| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 3 | Low effort -- achievable with current team and capacity |
| 2 | Medium effort -- requires focused work but fits within the quarter |
| 1 | High effort -- stretches the team; may require tradeoffs |
| 0 | Unrealistic -- cannot be achieved this quarter with available resources |

### Priority Score formula

```
Priority Score = Strategic Alignment + Measurability + Team Control + Effort to Achieve
```

Maximum score: 12. OKRs scoring 9+ are strong candidates. OKRs scoring below 6 should be deferred or rewritten.

---

## CSV column reference

The companion CSV file (`okr-priority-scoresheet.csv`) has these columns:

| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Text | The objective statement |
| Key Results | Text | Comma-separated Key Results |
| Strategic Alignment | Number | 0-3 |
| Measurability | Number | 0-3 |
| Team Control | Number | 0-3 |
| Effort to Achieve | Number | 0-3 |
| Priority Score | Formula | Sum of all four dimensions (max 12) |
| Decision | Text | Pursue / Defer / Rewrite |
| Notes | Text | Rationale, dependencies, baseline status |

---

## Tips

- **Measurability is the most undervalued dimension.** An OKR with a Priority Score of 10 but a Measurability score of 0 will haunt you at quarter-end. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.
- **Low Team Control doesn't mean bad OKR.** It means you need alignment with the teams or factors you depend on. If you pursue a low-control OKR, plan the coordination work upfront.
- **Score as a team, not individually.** Different team members have different visibility into strategic alignment, measurability, and effort. Divergent scores are conversation starters.
- **"Defer" is a valid decision.** Not every good OKR belongs in this quarter. Deferred OKRs go on the backlog for next quarter's prioritization.
- **"Rewrite" means the intent is right but the framing is wrong.** An OKR with strong alignment but low measurability needs better Key Results, not abandonment.

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*Part of the [k8 Agent Toolkit](https://k8mak.com/agent-toolkit). Download other formats at k8mak.com/resources.*