OKR Update Presentation Template: Get Leadership Decisions in 10 Minutes

The best OKR update presentation template uses exactly 7 slides: Executive Summary, OKR Scorecard, Top 3 Wins, Top 3 Risks, Resource Needs, Next Quarter Preview, and Decision Request. This structure takes leadership from “where are we?” to “here’s what I need from you” in under 10 minutes. Most OKR (Objectives and Key Results) updates fail because they report data instead of driving decisions. The template below fixes that.

If you want this as a ready-to-use slide deck you can reuse every quarter, the Executive Slide System includes these layouts—just add your content and present.

Three years ago, I watched a Head of Product at a fintech company present their Q3 OKR update to the executive committee. She had 34 slides. Every objective. Every key result. Every percentage point of progress.

The CFO checked his phone at slide 6. The CEO interrupted at slide 11 to ask, “What do you actually need from us?”

She didn’t have an answer ready.

After the meeting, she asked me to help rebuild her OKR update presentation template from scratch. We stripped it down to 7 slides. The next quarter, she got her headcount request approved in 8 minutes. The CEO said it was “the clearest update I’ve seen all year.”

That’s not because she had less to say. It’s because she structured what she said around what leadership needed to decide—not what she needed to report.

Here’s the exact OKR update presentation template I’ve refined across hundreds of executive updates.

Why Most OKR Updates Waste Leadership’s Time

The typical OKR update treats executives like a tracking system. Here’s every objective. Here’s the percentage. Here’s the colour code.

But executives aren’t tracking systems. They’re decision-makers with 47 other things competing for their attention.

When you present OKRs as data, you force leadership to do the mental work of figuring out what matters. Most won’t. They’ll nod, check their phones, and forget everything by the next meeting.

The shift that changes everything: present OKRs as decisions, not data.

Every slide should answer one of three questions:

• What do you need leadership to know?
• What do you need leadership to decide?
• What do you need leadership to do?

If a slide doesn’t answer one of those questions, cut it.

This is the same principle behind effective QBR presentations—the format changes, but the executive expectation stays the same: tell me what matters and what you need.

The 7-Slide OKR Update Structure

Here’s the exact slide order for an OKR update presentation template that executives actually want to see:

Slide	Purpose	Time
1. Executive Summary	Overall status + the one thing they must know	60 sec
2. OKR Scorecard	RAG status for all objectives (one view)	90 sec
3. Top 3 Wins	What’s working + why it matters	90 sec
4. Top 3 Risks	What’s at risk + your mitigation plan	2 min
5. Resource Needs	What you need to stay on track	90 sec
6. Next Quarter Preview	Where you’re heading + key milestones	60 sec
7. Decision Request	The specific ask with clear options	60 sec

Total: 7 slides. Under 10 minutes. Room for questions.

Notice what’s missing: no deep dives into individual key results, no historical trend charts, no appendix slides you “probably won’t need.” If leadership wants detail, they’ll ask. Your job is to give them the clearest possible view of status and decisions.

Slide-by-Slide Breakdown: What Goes Where

Slide 1: Executive Summary

This is the only slide that matters if leadership has 60 seconds. Structure it as:

• Headline: One sentence status (e.g., “Q4 OKRs: On Track with One Risk Requiring Decision”)
• Overall RAG: Green, Amber, or Red with one-line explanation
• The One Thing: The single most important item leadership must know or decide today

The executive summary slide format I teach follows the same principle: lead with the answer, not the journey.

Slide 2: OKR Scorecard

One slide. All objectives. RAG status visible at a glance.

• Objective name (short)
• Progress percentage or status indicator
• RAG colour (Green/Amber/Red)
• One-word trend arrow (↑ improving, → stable, ↓ declining)

Do not explain every item. Let leadership scan and ask about what concerns them.

Slide 3: Top 3 Wins

Three accomplishments. Each one gets:

• What happened (one sentence)
• Why it matters to the business (one sentence)
• Who contributed (optional, builds team credibility)

Wins aren’t bragging—they’re proof that your team delivers. Executives need this context when allocating resources.

Slide 4: Top 3 Risks

This is where credibility lives. Executives distrust updates that are all green.

• Risk: What might go wrong
• Impact: What happens if it does
• Mitigation: What you’re doing about it
• Ask: What you need from leadership (if anything)

If you’re presenting OKR updates and feeling nervous about surfacing risks, that anxiety is worth addressing. The strategies for managing presentation anxiety before big meetings can help you show up with confidence—even when delivering difficult news.

Slide 5: Resource Needs

Be specific. “We need more support” means nothing. Instead:

• “We need 1 additional engineer for 6 weeks to hit the Q1 launch”
• “We need £15K additional budget for the customer research study”
• “We need a decision on vendor selection by February 1”

Tie every resource ask to a specific OKR outcome. Executives approve resources when they see clear ROI.

Slide 6: Next Quarter Preview

Show leadership you’re thinking ahead:

• Top 3 priorities for next quarter
• Key milestones and dates
• Dependencies on other teams or decisions

Keep this forward-looking, not defensive. You’re demonstrating strategic thinking.

Slide 7: Decision Request

End with clarity. What specific decision do you need?

• State the decision in one sentence
• Provide 2-3 options if relevant
• Include your recommendation
• Specify the deadline for the decision

If you don’t need a decision this quarter, say so: “No decisions required—update only.” That clarity is equally valuable.

Writing the OKR Executive Summary That Hooks Leadership

The executive summary slide determines whether leadership pays attention or mentally checks out.

Here’s the formula I’ve refined across hundreds of OKR updates:

Headline: [Quarter] OKRs: [Overall Status] + [One Key Insight]

• “Q4 OKRs: On Track, Revenue Objective Exceeding Target by 12%”
• “Q4 OKRs: Amber Status, Engineering Capacity Risk Requires Decision”
• “Q4 OKRs: Strong Progress with One Dependency Escalation”

The headline tells leadership exactly what to expect. No suspense. No “let me walk you through this.” Answer first, context second.

Below the headline, include:

• Overall RAG with explanation: “Amber: 4 of 5 objectives on track, 1 at risk due to vendor delay”
• Key number: One metric that captures progress (e.g., “78% of key results on track vs 65% last quarter”)
• The ask: What you need from this meeting (decision, awareness, or support)

Executives should be able to read this slide, understand your status, and know what’s coming—all in under 30 seconds.

For a deeper dive into structuring executive updates beyond OKRs, see the complete executive presentations guide.

People Also Ask

How long should an OKR update presentation be?

Keep OKR update presentations to 7-10 slides and under 15 minutes including questions. Executives have limited time and attention. A focused 10-minute update that drives a decision is more valuable than a 45-minute data review that gets forgotten.

What should I include in an OKR executive summary?

Include three elements: overall RAG status with a one-line explanation, the single most important insight or risk, and what you need from leadership (decision, awareness, or resources). The executive summary should answer “how are we doing and what do you need to know” in 30 seconds.

How do I present OKRs that are off track?

Lead with transparency—executives respect honesty over spin. State the status clearly, explain the root cause in one sentence, present your mitigation plan, and specify what support you need. Hiding bad news destroys credibility; owning it and showing a path forward builds trust.

3 Mistakes That Kill OKR Credibility

Mistake 1: Presenting Data Without Decisions

An OKR update that’s all status and no asks wastes everyone’s time. Even if you don’t need approval for anything, tell leadership what you need them to know and why it matters for upcoming decisions.

Mistake 2: Hiding Bad News in Appendix Slides

Executives notice when risks are buried. Surface problems early, own them, and show your plan. The leaders I’ve worked with at JPMorgan, PwC, and Commerzbank all said the same thing: they trust people who bring them problems with solutions, not people who pretend problems don’t exist.

Mistake 3: Using OKR Software Screenshots as Slides

Screenshots from Lattice, Culture Amp, or Asana look lazy. They’re designed for tracking, not presenting. Rebuild key information into clean slides with consistent formatting. It takes 20 minutes and signals that you respect leadership’s time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Next Step

You now have the exact OKR update presentation template that executives want: 7 slides, under 10 minutes, focused on decisions instead of data.

The structure is simple. Executive Summary → Scorecard → Wins → Risks → Resources → Next Quarter → Decision Request.

Your next OKR update doesn’t have to be another data dump that gets forgotten. Make it the one that gets decisions.