Change without authority requires influence, persistence, and strategic framing. Since Scrum Masters or Agile practitioners are often without direct authority, they must operate as change agents by leveraging their unique position as facilitators, coaches, and connectors. Here are a few ideas for driving OKR adaptation using influence:
- Start with the Agile Team – Make OKRs a Natural Extension of Scrum
Leverage existing Agile ceremonies to introduce OKRs in a way that feels additive, not disruptive. Here are two examples and the questions you might ask:
During Refinement or Sprint Planning:
- “How does this Sprint Goal connect to a larger objective?”
- “What measurable outcome (Key Result) would make this Sprint truly impactful?”
During Retrospectives:
- “Are we working on the right things, or just busy delivering backlog items?”
- “Would having a clearer goal establishing that ‘right thing’ help?”
- If the team agrees, establish the goal (Objective) and one or two success indicators (Key Results).
Action: Introduce OKRs as a “North Star” for Sprint Goals, helping teams shift their attention from output (story points) to outcomes (business impact).
- Influence Upward – Connect OKRs to Leadership Pain Points
Scrum Masters often interact with Product Owners, middle managers, and even executives during backlog discussions or while conveying scaling challenges. During these conversations, consider framing OKRs as a solution to existing frustrations, such as:
Frustration: “Teams are busy but not moving the needle.”
OKR Solution: “OKRs align teams to outcomes, not just activity.”
Frustration: “We keep pivoting without clear priorities.”
OKR Solution: “OKRs create focus by clearly defining goals that can be adjusted in a controlled manner.”
Frustration: “Silos are killing collaboration.”
OKR Solution: “Cross-functional OKRs create a natural platform for collaborative teamwork.”
Action: To point out the benefit of OKRs, use data from retrospectives or metrics (e.g., low ROI on features), then propose a lightweight OKR pilot.
- Build a Grassroots Coalition – Partner with Influencers
Identify and collaborate with allies such as:
- Product Owners (who care about value delivery)
- Engineering Leads (who want clearer priorities)
- Other Scrum Masters (who share the same challenges)
Action:
- Host a lunch-and-learn to demo how OKRs solved a problem in another org (leverage existing case studies).
- Create an OKR pilot with one willing team and use their success as proof.
- Shepherd the pilot carefully, and promote success stories and lessons learned.
- Start Small – The “Trojan Horse” Approach
Here’s another way of leveraging a pilot OKR experiment. Embed OKRs where they’ll have immediate impact. Here are two examples.
Team-Level: Help one team define a Sprint OKR.
Objective: Improve CI/CD pipeline stability [Objective]
KR: Reduce failed deployments by 50%
Program-Level: During a Scrum of Scrums or similar sync-up event, ask…
Objective: “What’s one shared goal all teams can contribute to this quarter?”
KR: “How will we know they’ve reached that goal?”
Action: After the goal is established, use visualization (e.g., a physical OKR board next to the Scrum board) to make progress tangible.
- Use Agile Principles to Sell OKRs
Frame OKRs as “Agile at the strategic level” by highlighting natural synergies:
| Agile Value or Principle | OKR Connection |
|---|---|
| Working software over comprehensive documentation | Outcomes over outputs |
| Responding to change over following a plan | Quarterly adaption of OKRs |
| Business & development work together daily | Cross-functional OKR across silos |
Action: During coaching sessions, ask: “If we value adapting to change, shouldn’t our goals likewise be adaptable?”
- Address Common Objections Preemptively
Here is a simple map of OKR resistance and their corresponding OKR responses.
OKR Resistance: “This is just more paperwork.”
OKR Response: “OKRs replace noisy or unclear priorities with 3-5 clear goals.”
OKR Resistance: “We already have KPIs.”
OKR Response: “OKRs are the ‘why’ behind KPIs—they inspire, not just measure.”
OKR Resistance: “Leadership won’t buy in.”
OKR Response: “Start with one team and let results speak.”
Key Takeaways
Scrum Masters and Agile champions don’t need authority—they need leverage. By:
- Tying OKRs to Agile rituals (so they feel familiar).
- Solving immediate team or strategic pains (e.g., focus, alignment).
- Building coalitions with influencers.
This approach creates organic demand for OKRs from the ground up.
Final Challenge:
Plant the seed that OKRs aren’t an add-on; they’re how Agile teams deliver real impact.
Ask: “If our team could achieve just one game-changing outcome this quarter, what would it be?”
Action: Invite the to create one OKR that will help make that happen.
