Bidirectional OKR-project alignment means the link between a project and the OKRs it supports is visible from both sides, and the project's progress rolls up into the OKRs it drives.
Table of Contents
- What is Bidirectional OKR-Project Alignment?
- Why Does Bidirectional OKR-Project Alignment Matter?
- How Do I View Bidirectional OKR-Project Alignment?
- What Happens When You Align a Project to OKRs?
- What Are the Best Practices for OKR-Project Alignment?
- Related Articles
- What Are Some Frequently Asked Questions About OKR-Project Alignment?
What is Bidirectional OKR-Project Alignment?
OKR-project alignment connects a project to the objectives and key results it supports. It is bidirectional: from a project's Strategic Alignment tab you see the OKRs it drives, and from the OKR you see the project driving it. The project's progress rolls up into the linked OKR automatically.
Inside the project's Strategic Alignment tab you can switch between Tree and List views, and each linked OKR carries a colour-coded status.
| Status colour | What it means |
|---|---|
| Green | On track or completed. |
| Orange | At risk. |
| Red | In trouble. |
| Grey | Not started. |
Why Does Bidirectional OKR-Project Alignment Matter?
Without a shared view, executives track OKRs in one place and teams track projects in another, so no one can prove which work moves which goal. Alignment closes that gap: project managers see which strategic goals their work impacts, and executives see which projects drive each outcome.
Because progress rolls up automatically, there are no manual status check-ins to keep the OKR current. When the project advances, the linked key result advances with it.
How Do I View Bidirectional OKR-Project Alignment?
Step 1
- In a project, open the Strategic Alignment tab in the Governance section.
- Toggle between Tree view and List view to match how you want to read the alignment.
- Open the OKR selection panel, which shows all OKRs across departments.
- Search or filter by department with the All dropdown; each OKR shows its name, department, period, and progress.
- Select the OKRs and click Update.
- In the project, read the linked OKRs with their colour-coded status in the Strategic Alignment tab.
- From the OKR, see the linked project shown as the work supporting it.
What Happens When You Align a Project to OKRs?
| Scenario | What Happens |
|---|---|
| You select OKRs in the alignment panel and click Update. | Profit.co shows those OKRs in the project's Strategic Alignment tab and shows the project on each OKR as supporting work. |
| You make progress on the aligned project. | Profit.co rolls that progress up into the linked OKR automatically, with no manual check-in. |
| You open the Strategic Alignment tab. | Profit.co shows each linked OKR with a colour-coded status of green, orange, red, or grey. |
| You align or unalign a portfolio, or a project-tracked key result updates. | Profit.co sends an alignment change notification. |
What Are the Best Practices for OKR-Project Alignment?
- Align each project to the specific key results it actually moves, not just a broad objective, so the roll-up reflects real contribution.
- Use the department filter in the selection panel to find cross-team OKRs your project supports, rather than only your own team's goals.
- Check the colour-coded status in the Strategic Alignment tab during reviews, so an at-risk or in-trouble linked OKR is caught early.
- Rely on the automatic roll-up instead of manual check-ins, because the project's progress already updates the OKR.
- Switch between Tree and List views depending on whether you need the OKR hierarchy or a flat list to scan.
Related Articles
What Are Some Frequently Asked Questions About OKR-Project Alignment?
Yes. The selection panel searches across all departments, so you can link objectives beyond your own team.
Yes. You can select multiple OKRs in the alignment panel, and each appears in the project's Strategic Alignment tab.
Green is on track or completed, orange is at risk, red is in trouble, and grey is not started.
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