Key Result Types: Metric, Binary & Milestone

💡 There are three main types of Key Results: metric, binary and milestone.

Metric

The type Metric lets you quantify your progress on the Key Result with a start value (value at the beginning of the quarter), a current value (usually the same as the start value) and a target value (the value the Key Result should have at the end of the quarter).

Metric Key Results can be tracked with one of the following:

1. Numeric:
   1. Exemplary Key Result: "Launch 7 rockets."
   2. Start Value: 0
   3. Current Value: 0
   4. Target Value: 7
2. Percental
   1. Exemplary Key Result: "Increase landing page conversion to 3.2%"
   2. Start Value: 2.5%
   3. Current Value: 2.5%
   4. Target Value: 3.2%
3. Currency
   1. Exemplary Key Result: "Increase revenue in EMEA by EUR 2.500.000"
   2. Start Value: EUR 0
   3. Current Value: EUR 0
   4. Target Value: EUR 2.500.000

You can choose between EUR, USD, GBP, JPY, CHF, NOK and CNY. EUR will be set by default, but you can easily change the currency via the drop-down menu when creating or editing the Key Result. Learn how to change the default currency here and how to select a currency for a KPI here.

Binary

Sometimes, a Key Result might be about to hit a certain milestone, like nailing that one important client presentation. Although you could use a percental Key Result from 0% to 100% (and let everyone know, how well the preparation for that client presentation is going), you could also use a binary Key Result. This type has just one value, either 0 or 1. It's like a check-box that you can check once you've nailed that client presentation.

Exemplary Key Result: "Get ISO 9001:2015 certified"

Milestone

If you can split binary Key Results into multiple, smaller steps, then Milestones are the way to best track your progress:

Exemplary Key Result: "Launch new website" with the milestones

• Create Branding and Content for Website
• Designed mockups for the Website
• Implemented the designs
• Received Approval from the Marketing deparmten

💡 In general, we recommend to try to use Metric Key Results whenever possible, since both Binary and Milestone Key Result all too often just become task lists. Key Results should rather focus on the desired outcome, than on the tasks necessary to get there.