You’ve probably heard the term OKRs floating around leadership circles, especially in conversations about agile, high performing teams. Popularized by Silicon Valley giants like Google, Intel and LinkedIn, they’re now being embraced far beyond tech. But what about in visitor attractions such as museums, galleries, zoos, aquariums, science centers, theme parks?

It turns out, OKRs can offer a refreshing (and surprisingly practical) way to turn big vision into meaningful action — even in institutions steeped in tradition, public service, or creative programming.

Here, we break down what OKRs are, how they work and where they fit in a visitor attraction’s strategy toolkit.

What Are OKRs?

At their simplest:

• Objectives are what you want to achieve — bold, inspiring, and qualitative.
• Key Results are how you’ll measure progress — specific, time-bound, and ideally data-driven.

They’re designed to stretch teams. Not just “hit targets,” but push boundaries. And unlike long, wordy strategy docs that gather dust, OKRs are typically short, sharp,  refreshed quarterly or annually.

OKRs in a visitor attraction: an example

Let’s say you’re a mid size museum aiming to grow local engagement.

• Objective: Grow visitation from local audiences.
• Key Results:
  • Increase visits from local postcodes by 25% year on year
  • Launch 2 new community co-curated exhibitions by end of Q3
  • Achieve >4.5 visitor sentiment from local audiences

Simple. Measurable. Actionable.

And with a data platform like Dexibit, those ‘KRs’ (that’s Key Results, not Kid Rock) aren’t just guesswork — they’re grounded in real time insights, from zip code level attendance segmentation to voice of the visitor analytics.

Why some teams love OKRs (and others… don’t)

Pros on the OKR front:

✅ Sharpens focus — cuts through noise to what really matters.

✅ Builds alignment — everyone’s pulling in the same direction.

✅ Drives accountability — tied to outcomes, not busywork.

And of course we love them for being data first, perfect when you have a platform like Dexibit!

Cons:

❌ Can feel rigid — especially in creative or fluid environments.

❌ Needs discipline — you can’t “set and forget” them.

❌ Culture matters — not every org is ready for that level of transparency.

The truth? OKRs aren’t magic. They won’t fix a broken culture or replace strategic thinking. But when used well, they make the invisible visible, helping leadership and teams alike stay grounded in what matters most.

OKRs vs strategy vs KPIs: how it all fits together

OKRs don’t replace strategy – they bring it to life. Here’s how the layers stack up:

• Vision: Your big “why.” Long term aspiration.
• Strategy: Your high level choices. Where to play, how to win.
• OKRs: Your near term focus. What you’re prioritizing now.
• Initiatives: The projects and work you’re doing.
• KPIs: The metrics you track regularly.

Think of OKRs as a bridge between strategy and execution. And when you’re using tools like Dexibit to track performance, you can monitor KRs in real time, not just at the end of the quarter.

At Dexibit, we’re not dogmatic. We don’t think every team must adopt OKRs. But for attractions navigating change, complexity, or competition — they offer a valuable, structured way to connect the big picture to everyday work.

When paired with quality data and powered by insight, they become a powerful tool for aligning leadership, tracking what matters and making bold moves with confidence.