Is it possible to attribute weights to different (sub)goals?

[Tiago Cardoso]

Assume one wants to use Atlas for OKR.

There are parent Goals (Company-level Objectives) with sub goals (Company-level KRs) with sub goals (department KRs, so that the parent Company-level KR becomes the Objective for the department).

One of the key aspects about OKRs is to have a common understanding about how each goal (department KR) collaborates to the parent goal (company-wide KR).

Assume a scenario where a company has a KR of achieving 5000 MAU. The market department believes can increase 1000 MAU. Ops believes they can increase another 1000 MAU. Product can increase other 3000. Then, this could be explicitly mentioned by weighting how each department collaborates to the parent KR.

At the moment, this is only possible by having each area setting their own KR with explicit numbers, which may or may not tie up to the total amount the company expects to increase. 

Is there any other smarter way to overcome this problem?

[Ste Wright · Accepted solution]

Hi @Tiago Cardoso 

It's not possible natively at this point I'm afraid (aside from through custom fields, but they won't necessarily ladder up to the objective).

It'd be good feedback to send to Atlassian though!

Ste

[Renata_Getint]

Yes, it’s possible to attribute weights to different (sub)goals in a structured way, but this depends on how you utilize the capabilities of Atlas and any accompanying tools or integrations. The goal here is to ensure transparency and alignment across all levels of OKRs while maintaining a clear connection to the overall objectives.

Solution Options:

1. Explicit Allocation Through Custom Fields in Atlas
   While Atlas does not natively offer a "weighting" feature, you can use custom fields or annotations to define the contribution of each subgoal. For instance, each department KR can have a field specifying its percentage contribution or numeric weight toward the parent KR. This ensures that everyone understands how their work ladders up to the company-wide goals.

2. Structured OKR Framework via Integrated Tools
   Tools like Jira Align or third-party OKR platforms that integrate with Atlas (e.g., WorkBoard or Ally.io) allow you to establish weighted contributions more dynamically. These platforms often offer a built-in way to assign percentages or numerical values to subgoals, making aggregation and tracking seamless.

3. Custom Integration or Reporting
   If weighting is critical and Atlas alone doesn’t meet the requirement, you can leverage integration solutions (like Getint!) to connect Atlas with other platforms like Jira, Monday.com, or Confluence. By creating a centralized reporting mechanism, you can calculate weighted progress automatically based on predefined allocations, pulling data from multiple tools.

4. Manual Calculation and Communication Workflow
   If you prefer to work within Atlas alone, each department KR can explicitly specify its contribution (e.g., "Marketing to achieve 1000 MAU, representing 20% of the parent KR"). This method requires alignment during OKR planning to ensure that contributions add up to the parent KR's goal.

A Smarter Way

Using Atlas in combination with integrations like those provided by Getint could streamline this process. With an automated system, you could:

• Map department KRs to parent KRs with explicit contributions.
• Visualize the weight or percentage of progress from each department in real time.
• Ensure alignment through automated validation to confirm that department contributions match the total expected company-wide increase.

This approach enhances transparency, reduces manual overhead, and keeps everyone aligned toward the same overarching objectives.

If you'd like more guidance or want to explore how Getint can help set this up, feel free to reach out!