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Key Results Areas (KRAs)

Updated

Why KRAs Matter and How to Build Them

Key Results Areas (KRAs) spell out exactly what results every team member is responsible for and define what winning looks like in their roles. KRAs also make sure there’s no confusion about who’s doing what and how it all fits together. Here’s what to cover when you’re introducing KRAs to your leaders.

 

1. Why are Key Results Areas important?

KRAs are the road map for success in every role. They make it clear what’s expected, eliminate overlap and confusion, and help us all pull in the same direction. They’re also a tool to celebrate wins—because when everyone knows the target, it’s a lot easier to recognize when you hit it.

 

2. How do you build a KRA?

Each KRA has a simple, structured format.

  • Name and title: who this KRA is for
  • Summary sentence: a one-liner describing what the role does
  • Two to four Key Result Areas: the major responsibilities or focus areas of the role
  • Winning statement: a sentence after each Key Result Area that explains what success looks like
  • Three to five bullet points: specific actions or outcomes that make each Key Result Area successful

 

3. Resources

You don’t have to figure out KRAs alone. Check out these helpful resources:

 

4. Timeline Expectations

KRAs take some up-front effort to build, but once they’re in place, they’re game changers for clarity, focus and results. Here’s how you can communicate the timeline to your team members:

  • We’ll go over KRAs during your first one-on-one so we’re on the same page.
  • You’ll complete your first KRA draft after the meeting, then we’ll refine it together. This takes a few weeks.
  • Plan for a few conversations and a bit of back-and-forth during one-on-ones and over email to complete the KRAs.
  • From start to finish, we’ll aim to have final KRAs ready in about one month.
  • About once a quarter, we’ll check on your KRA and make any adjustments we need to make.