How-ToAug 14, 20268 min read

How to Track OKRs in Asana (2026 Guide)

Asana has a dedicated Goals feature that maps naturally to the OKR framework. Objectives become Asana Goals, and Key Results become sub-goals or milestones within those goals. Progress can be tracked manually or automatically based on connected project completion.

This guide covers how to set up a complete OKR system in Asana using its built-in Goals feature.

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Create company-level objectives

Navigate to Goals in the sidebar. Create a company-level goal for each objective. Set the time period (quarterly), owner, and description. Examples: "Improve customer activation rate," "Expand into enterprise segment." These are your top-level Objectives.

Step 2: Add key results as sub-goals

Under each objective, create sub-goals for key results. Each key result gets a metric type: Number (e.g., "NPS from 40 to 60"), Percentage (e.g., "Activation rate from 30% to 50%"), or Currency (e.g., "ARR from $1M to $2M"). Set a starting value and target value.

Step 3: Connect goals to projects

Link each key result to the Asana projects that contribute to it. When tasks in those projects are completed, the goal progress can auto-update. Navigate to the goal and click "Connect a project or portfolio" to establish the link.

Step 4: Create team-level OKRs

Create goals owned by each team that cascade from company-level objectives. Use the "Parent goal" feature to nest team goals under company goals. This creates a visible alignment: company objective > team objective > team key results > projects > tasks.

Step 5: Set up progress updates

Configure each goal to require weekly status updates. Goal owners post updates with: On Track / At Risk / Off Track status, a brief written commentary, and updated key result values. These updates appear in the Goals timeline and are emailed to followers.

Step 6: Run quarterly OKR reviews

At quarter end, review all goals in the Goals dashboard. Use the "My Company Goals" view to see all objectives with their progress. Score each OKR (0.0-1.0 scale). Archive completed goals and create new ones for the next quarter.

Common mistakes

Goals not connected to projects

OKRs that exist as standalone goals without connected projects are aspirational statements, not tracked objectives. Always connect key results to the projects and tasks that will deliver them.

Too many OKRs per team

Teams with 5 objectives and 5 key results each are tracking 25 metrics. Focus drives results. Aim for 2-3 objectives with 2-3 key results each per team per quarter.

Setting key results that are activities, not outcomes

"Ship 3 features" is an activity. "Reduce support tickets by 30%" is an outcome. Key results should measure the impact of your work, not the output.

Tips

  • Use Asana's Portfolio view to see all projects contributing to a specific OKR
  • Set up a recurring Asana task for weekly OKR status updates
  • Use color-coded status (green/yellow/red) for at-a-glance OKR health

How Vantage helps

OKRs define what to achieve. Vantage helps you execute. When you create a project in Vantage, reference your Asana OKRs as context. The AI grounds the PRD in your strategic goals, and cross-project conflict detection flags when two projects target conflicting objectives.

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