Today, companies are under more pressure than ever to turn their big-picture goals into real results. From fast-moving markets and global competition to tech-first product cycles and changing work cultures, alignment and measurability of results can take a lot of effort. Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are designed to help teams by providing a clear direction and measurable targets.
However, here’s what happens: Most teams set OKRs at the start of the quarter and then leave them sitting in a document no one really revisits. Meanwhile, the actual work happens inside project management tools like MeisterTask, Asana, Jira, Trello, or Monday.com.
The problem starts when OKRs are forgotten simply because they weren’t part of the same space where work gets done. This could mean derailed progress, misaligned priorities, and weak strategy execution.
If only there was a way to ensure your strategic objectives co-existed peacefully alongside your daily tasks. It would be easier to track progress, stay aligned, and achieve the desired results.
What if we told you there is? In this article, we’ll offer a few practical ways to connect your OKRs directly to your project management tools so while you are optimizing your workflows, you’ll never lose sight of the main goals.
OKR versus project management: Why blend both?
OKRs and project management tools are often treated as two separate concepts. And while both are helpful tools in their own right, they become even more powerful when combined. Let’s find out how.
An OKR tool is more focused on the results of your work. It’s all about answering the question, “What are we working towards?”. Also, it helps users formulate the right strategy, define their success, and measure the outcomes.
Project management tools on the other hand, focus on execution. They answer the “hows” and the “whens” of the project’s implementation. This is exactly where crucial tasks live, deadlines are managed, and day-to-day progress is tracked.
When you integrate your OKRs into the very system used to manage your tasks, every task is assigned a measurable goal. So, you won’t just be completing tasks; you’ll be making apparent progress towards business-critical outcomes.
This fusion can also make teams more agile. When the objectives to be achieved can easily be viewed alongside their task list, teams will become more aware of the bigger picture. If priorities shift overnight or unexpected changes occur — like a new client request, updated deadline, or market shift — teams can spot them sooner and adapt quickly.
Based on that, they can tweak their strategy and rearrange tasks without compromising on the results. The outcome? Clarified priorities, quicker decision-making, and a higher likelihood of achieving targets.
It can be easy to lose focus in the absence of this kind of integration. You might be able to deliver a lot of work, but still move nowhere closer to your real goals. Merging OKRs with your project management tool can keep strategy and execution in tandem, so each task has a purpose and a plan for optimal delivery.
Choosing the right integration approach
There are two main ways to combine OKRs with project management.
Built-in OKR features
Some tools offer native OKR tracking to keep everything in one place. Examples include Monday.com or Jira (with add-ons). This can work well for small to mid-sized teams that prioritize simplicity and ease of use. The downside, however, is that built-in features can limit customization or lack several important reporting features.
External OKR software linked to your project management tool
On the other hand, you also have OKR platforms like Perdoo, Weekdone, or Quantive, that can connect with tools such as MeisterTask, Asana, Trello, or Jira. A combination of their unique capabilities provides you with more detailed reporting, goal hierarchy, and automation. The flipside: your teams will need to learn to use one more tool.
Your final choice should depend on the following factors:
The team’s size: Smaller teams can benefit from using one integrated platform, while larger teams may need a dedicated OKRs tool along with its various features.
Your specific goals: If your OKRs tend to be layered and cross-functional, you will likely need specialized software that can support all your functions.
Reporting needs: If you prefer deep analytics or custom dashboards, external tools might be more flexible and efficient than the limited internal options.
Automation: Your OKR tool should also allow you to automate updates from your project software. Go for one that helps you avoid wasting time and resources on manual data entry.
Needless to say, the right choice is the one that makes OKRs easy to update and amplifies visibility.
Quick implementation playbook
So, you get the importance of blending the tools, but don’t know where to start? Here are the key steps to combine OKRs with your project management tool the right way.
1. Define your OKRs clearly
Before you even start researching any tool, sit yourself down and make a list of your objectives and Key Results. The more specific and measurable they are, the better decisions you can make. In some cases, a mind map can help make connections clear. Here’s a MindMeister OKR template you can use for your team.
2. Create a mapping structure in your project management tool
Next, you’ll need to figure out how you want the OKRs to appear inside your tool. If you have a tool that offers a Kanban setup, like MeisterTask or Trello, you can create sections for each phase of the work. Then, add tags for the relevant KR. For example the columns, “To Do” or “In Progress” could contain tasks tagged KR1 or KR2, amply clarifying which outcome each task supports.
3. Train the team on daily use and automation
You’ll also need to teach your teams about applying OKR tags or filling custom fields when creating or updating a task. Emphasize that this is a great way for the team to prove that their work is producing real results.
If your teams often repeat tasks, set up automations where possible and tell them about it. For example, you could use an automation to cut down on manually assigning tags. This way, OKRs become a part of the workflow without additional manual effort.
4. Set up a reporting cadence
Last but not least, decide on how often you’ll review progress (weekly or bi-weekly works for most teams). Use built-in reporting solutions or export to other tools to check KR progress and adjust priorities according to your findings.
7 steps to combine OKRs and project management tools
When your goal is clearly visible, it serves as a constant reminder for teams. A scope change or a blocker becomes a prioritization decision against the Key Result (KR). Features such as tags, custom fields, reports, and even simple automations enable quick feedback, faster course corrections, and fewer status update meetings.
With this in mind, here are seven steps you can take to effectively combine your OKRs and project management tools.
1. Map key results to project milestones
It’s always a good idea to start with the measurable outcomes you want to achieve, i.e., your KRs. Then, create project milestones that match them. For instance, if your KR is “increase customer satisfaction score to 90%,” your milestone could be “Launch new support chat feature”.
In MeisterTask, you can tag each milestone task with the KR it supports, so you can easily filter and see all the work related to that outcome. This way, milestones can precisely indicate that you are, in fact, moving the KR forward.
2. Embed OKRs into your tool’s dashboard
It helps to keep OKRs where the team works every day rather than in a separate document. MeisterTask allows you to add custom fields that can be applied on every task, emphasizing the connection to goals.
You can also pin all tasks linked to a specific OKR with the Focus feature. This will make it easy to track your contributions without using five different tools.
3. Create task templates linked to OKRs
If you run the same type of project often, we recommend creating a template that already has the appropriate KR tags, custom fields, and a checklist of standard steps.
For example, if you launch marketing campaigns frequently, you could use a template that includes the KR it supports, a predefined list of deliverables, and the applicable deadlines.
MeisterTask offers reusable templates for often-repeated tasks (or even projects), so every new effort is automatically linked to the right OKR.
4. Set weekly check-ins inside the tool
There’s no need to hold multiple OKR meetings for every development in the project. Simply create a recurring/weekly “KR update” task in your project tool. You can then use it to update the metric value, track progress, and identify roadblocks.
MeisterTask can automate parts of this. For example, when you move a particular task to “Done,” the tool triggers a tag update or sends a notification to the person who would take over the task from that point. This keeps updates quick, consistent, and in the same place where work is performed.
5. Automate reporting to your OKR tracker
You can also try pulling data from your project tool straight into your OKR tracker so metrics stay up to date. MeisterTask’s Reports feature provides users with data-driven insights into project performance by analyzing task completion, time tracking, and other relevant metrics.
You can filter by KR tags and export the results to a spreadsheet or an OKR platform. This way, the data is always at your fingertips.
6. Use tags or labels for OKR alignment
Tags quickly link tasks to their respective OKRs. Even simple tags like “KR1,” “KR2,” or “Objective 1,” and “Objective 2” can help you organize your work better and improve the flow.
MeisterTask comes with tags that allow you to quickly filter and view all the work related to a specific goal. You can even set automations to add tags when a task enters a certain section. This makes it easy to check if your time is assigned to the right priorities.
7. Review retrospectives against OKRs
At the end of a project or quarter, managers often look back and ponder over which tasks actually moved a KR forward. MeisterTask can help here as well. You can easily filter completed work by KR tags and check reports to see patterns, like whether certain types of tasks had more impact than others, or if specific bottlenecks slowed progress.
Even if you find that a KR didn’t improve, you’ll know how to change your approach or adjust your metric. This turns retros into a focused learning session, not just a list of things that went well.
Top 3 OKR tools that play well with project management
Here are the top three tools that you can combine with project management platforms like MeisterTask, Asana, Trello, and others.
1. OKRs Tool
How it works
OKRs Tool is a simple, startup-friendly platform that helps teams set clear objectives and key results quickly, often using AI to draft meaningful goals with no jargon. You connect your initiatives, actual work items, and check in via Slack or the tool itself. It's fast, intuitive, and built around a weekly rhythm that enables progress without meetings.
How it enhances project management
Instead of goals sitting in docs, everything links directly to real work. Since it lives where work happens (and auto-prompts you), teams stay aligned with strategic outcomes. Fewer meetings, more focus, fewer goals that go stale.
2. Perdoo
How it works
Perdoo gives you a visual strategy map that connects high-level vision to OKRs, KPIs, and initiatives. It works in layers: define your strategy, break it into measurable goals, link supporting projects, and check in weekly. Dashboards are built to keep everyone clear on what matters and why.
How it enhances project management
By bridging strategy and execution, Perdoo lets teams see how their work fits into the bigger picture. You get live goal tracking and deeper reporting, even from tools you already use like Slack, Teams, or Jira.
3. Weekdone
How it works
Weekdone blends OKRs with weekly planning. You set quarterly goals, then use a weekly PPP check-in format—Plans, Progress, Problems—to show what you’re doing, what’s moving, and what’s stuck. There are dashboards, OKR trees, newsfeeds, feedback tools, and custom reporting baked right in.
How it enhances project management
It puts goals front and center by linking daily plans to strategic results. Managers and teams can track progress in real-time, cut down pointless meetings, keep tabs on alignment, and share praise, all within the same tool. Great for transparency and staying on course
The bottom line: Blending OKRs and projects does work
As you can see, keeping strategy and execution in the same space is really a matter of combining OKRs with your project management tool. Doing so can mean a much better focus simply because all team members know what matters most. You also get stronger alignment because every task has a shared goal and measurable progress.
Whether you use MeisterTask, Asana, or Trello, it is important to make OKRs visible in the same place where daily work takes place. When goals and tasks sit side by side, teams can stay on track, adapt faster, and meet their targets more often.
