Objectives dashboard & reports – 15Five Help Center

Objectives reporting in 15Five gives account administrators and managers valuable insights into the progress of all objectives they have visibility into. It provides higher-level data such as who owns objectives, how many objectives they own, and how well those objectives align with company goals.

In this article, you will learn...

How to access Objectives reporting 🧑‍💻
Objectives dashboard reporting 🎯
Status reporting 📊
Ownership reporting 👥
Alignment reporting 🔗
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ❓

Access and availability

⛔️ Required access to Objectives.
👥 This article is relevant to Account admins and Managers.
📦 This feature is available in the Perform, Legacy Focus, and Total Platform pricing packages.

How to access Objectives reporting 🧑‍💻

Click Outcomes Dashboard or Dashboard in 15Five's main, left-hand navigation. The option you see in your navigation will differ based on your 15Five pricing plan and access level.
Open the "Platform Reports" tab using the top navigation.
Click 🔍 Explore in the Objectives box.
You will land on the "Objectives dashboard" tab of Objective reporting.
- The Objectives dashboard tab provides a snapshot of all objectives you have permission to view.
- The Status tab provides a quick look into how all objectives are tracking based on today's date and their latest status.
- The Ownership tab shows the number of people with or without objectives + key results.
- The Alignment tab gives you insight into the percentage of objectives that are aligned vs not aligned.
Continue reading for a deeper look into how to use each of these tabs to report on objectives.

Objectives dashboard reporting 🎯

The Objectives dashboard provides a snapshot of data for objectives you have permission to view. This tab contains filters and three high-level graphs: Objectives status, Objectives and Key Results ownership, and Objectives alignment. You can dig deeper into the data contained in these graphs using the Status, Ownership, and Alignment tabs in the top navigation.

Filters

Use the filters at the top of the page to alter what objective data appears in the graphs below. Available filters are Owner, Objective type, Start date, End date, and Objective state.

Objectives status graph

The "Objectives status" graph on the dashboard give you a look into the current statuses of objectives.

Context: Objective owners are required to set set a status for all objectives they own in each Check-in. Objective owners can also change their objective status manually on the objective page. The "Objective status" graph is a visual representation of the most recently-set status of all objectives.

Each bar of the chart represents a timeframe, and objectives statuses are represented in colors: green for "on track," orange for "behind," red for "at risk," and grey for "no status." Hover over a specific color to see what percentage of objectives had the corresponding status during a given timeframe.

Below the bar graph you'll find the status report: a high-level report that shows you what percentage of objectives currently fall into each possible status. Click View next to a status to see a full report of all objectives that fall into that status. You can also click See status report to open the 'Status' tab.

Objectives and Key Results ownership graph

The Objectives and Key Results ownership table shows you what percentage of employees do and do not have objectives and key results assigned to them.

Objectives alignment graph

Review the Objectives alignment graph for insight into the percentage of objectives that are aligned vs not aligned.

Status reporting 📊

The Status tab in 15Five’s Objectives report offers a quick view of how objectives are progressing over time. It allows you to see trends and statuses—whether objectives are on track, behind, or at risk—giving you the ability to intervene early when necessary. By tracking objectives over time and filtering by key categories like owner, type, or alignment, the Status tab provides a clear picture of how well objectives are progressing and where action may be needed.

From the Objective dashboard, open Status reporting using the top navigation.

Or, click See status report at the bottom of the Objectives status graph.
Apply filters to customize which objectives appear in the status report.
The objectives summary table will contain all objectives you have permission to view. In the header, you can see the number of objectives have on track, behind, at risk, or no statuses.

You can also navigate between viewing aligned objectives in nested, flat, or chart view using the icons in the top, right-hand corner of the table.

Nested view

When viewing the report in Nested view, all top-level parent objectives will appear in the table.

To see which objectives are aligned with a parent objective, click the + to its left.

Flat view

When viewing the report in Flat view, all objectives will appear in the table in alphabetical order.

Chart view

When viewing the report in Chart view, all top-level parent objectives will appear on the left-hand side of your screen. The progress bar for each objective reflects its status.

To see which objectives are aligned with a parent objective, click the # to its right.
Open an objective from the report by clicking on its name. The progress bar also reflects the status of the objective: green is on track, yellow is behind, red is at risk, and gray is no status.
You can also download the status report as a CSV or XLSX using the Download button in the top, right-hand corner of the page.

Use cases for Status reporting

Monitor the Progress of Team or Department Goals

Use the filters in the Status report to focus on specific teams, such as Sales or Marketing, to see how their objectives are progressing. For example, by filtering by the Sales group in the 'Objective owners' filter, you can quickly determine if the team is on track or if any objectives need attention. The status breakdown (on track, behind, at risk) provides a snapshot that helps you identify where intervention may be needed.

Evaluate Individual Development Objectives

Want to check on personal development progress? Use the 'Objective type' filter to select Individual and Self-development objectives, allowing you to view whether employees are staying on track with their growth goals. This is particularly useful for HR teams monitoring individual performance and personal development plans across the company.

Identify At-Risk Objectives for Company-Wide Initiatives

Looking to assess which company-wide objectives may be falling behind? Apply the 'Objective status' filter and select At Risk to zoom in on objectives that need immediate attention. This helps leadership and managers intervene early to course-correct or allocate additional resources to get these high-priority goals back on track.

Export Status Data for Deeper Analysis

For more detailed analysis, download the status report as a CSV or XLSX file. This allows you to sort objectives by owner, department, status, or alignment and uncover patterns in objective performance that may not be obvious in the dashboard. It’s particularly useful for large organizations where teams or individuals are managing a high volume of objectives.

Unarchive Objectives that are still relevant

Archiving an objective holds the last known status, including the overall completion percentage and key result progress, and prevents any updates from being made. As you view this report, you can use the "Objective state" filter to view Archived objectives. If any of them are relevant at this point in time, you click click Unarchive to reinstate it.

Ownership reporting 👥

The Ownership tab helps you quickly see who has objectives and key results assigned, and who doesn’t. It’s super useful for admins and managers to ensure everyone is on track.

From the Objective dashboard, open Ownership reporting using the top navigation.

Or, click See ownership report at the bottom of the Objectives and Key Results ownership graph.
Apply filters to customize which individuals appear in the ownership report.
Use the "View by" dropdown menu in the top, right-hand corner of the table to view ownership by individual or group type.
When viewing individual ownership, the reporting table contains the following columns:
- Owner
- Total objectives
- Private objectives
- Current objectives
- Past due objectives
- Closed objectives
- Key Results (only available if the "Include key results" option is selected in filtering)
- Last seen
When viewing group type ownership, the reporting table contains the following columns:
- # of people
- Total objectives
- Open objectives
- Past due objectives
- Closed objectives
Sometimes objective owners need a nudge or support to stay on progress. To contact an individual or group from the reporting table, check the box to the left of their name. A Contact button will appear at the top of the table, which you can use to send a custom message.
You can also download the ownership report as a CSV or XLSX using the Download button in the top, right-hand corner of the page.

Use cases for Ownership reporting

Track Objective Coverage Across Teams

The Ownership report makes it easy to see which teams or individuals have objectives assigned and which don’t. This is especially useful for ensuring every employee has at least one goal, particularly if your organization mandates that all employees participate in the OKR process. Use this report to confirm that objectives are distributed evenly across departments or identify areas where teams may need more direction.

Assess Workload Balance

Use the Ownership report to identify whether specific teams or individuals are overloaded with objectives. For example, if the Sales team has a disproportionately high number of objectives compared to other departments, it could be a sign that their workload is too heavy. This insight allows you to take action, either by redistributing objectives or offering additional resources to overloaded teams.

Cross-Reference with Performance Data

You can correlate the data from the Ownership report with performance reviews or engagement surveys to get a fuller picture of team and individual performance. For example, if Engagement survey results show low satisfaction in development opportunities and the Ownership report shows a lack of personal development objectives, you can target this issue by creating and assigning more relevant goals.

Monitor Key Leadership Responsibilities

For leadership teams, the Ownership report helps you track how many key results each leader is responsible for. This can provide a clear view of whether your leadership team is appropriately aligned with the company’s strategic goals. If certain leaders have few or no key results, it may signal a need for alignment or additional responsibility.

Identify Gaps in Goal Setting

Spotting employees or teams without objectives is crucial for People Ops and HR teams. If your organization emphasizes the importance of goal setting, this report helps identify who may need assistance in formulating and aligning objectives to company goals.

Prepare for Performance Reviews

Going into performance reviews, the Ownership report can serve as a pre-review tool to see what objectives and key results individuals have been working on. This allows managers to have more informed conversations and set future goals with their teams.

Alignment reporting 🔗

With Aligned Objectives, 15Five users can align their objectives with a larger department or company objective, creating a parent-child relationship. Using alignment reporting, you can see how many objectives are aligned with company or department goals. Ideally, you want to encourage your organization to align their objectives around shared goals to ensure employees are working on the right things to move the business forward. Learn more about OKR Methdology.

From the Objective dashboard, open Alignment reporting using the top navigation.

Or, click See alignment report at the bottom of the Objectives alignment graph.
Apply filters to customize which objectives appear in the alignment report.
The summary at the top of the report shows what number of objectives have on track, behind, or at risk statuses.

You can also navigate between viewing aligned objectives in nested, flat, or chart view using the icons in the top, right-hand corner of the table.

Nested view

When viewing the report in Nested view, all top-level parent objectives will appear in the table.

To see which objectives are aligned with a parent objective, click the + to its left.

Flat view

When viewing the report in Flat view, all objectives will appear in the table in alphabetical order.

Chart view

When viewing the report in Chart view, all top-level parent objectives will appear on the left-hand side of your screen.

To see which objectives are aligned with a parent objective, click the # to its right.
Open an objective from the report by clicking on its name. You can also see the objective type (company-wide, group type, individual, or self-development) under the name.
You can download the alignment report as a CSV or XLSX using the Download button in the top, right-hand corner of the page.

Use cases for Alignment reporting

Ensure Strategic Alignment

The Alignment report helps confirm that individual, team, and company-wide objectives are aligned with overall business goals. This ensures that everyone is working toward the same outcomes, providing a clear view of how well objectives across the organization support strategic priorities. Self-development and some individual objectives may not need to be aligned, but it is recommended that the majority of department and company-wide objectives be aligned.

Identify and Correct Misaligned Objectives

Spotting unaligned objectives allows you to quickly address discrepancies between team goals and company strategy. By identifying these gaps, you can take action to re-align efforts and ensure all objectives contribute to the broader mission.

Evaluate Departmental Goal Focus

Analyze how different departments align their objectives with company goals. This insight helps you ensure that every department’s objectives contribute meaningfully to the organization's success, preventing departments from working in silos.

Support Leadership Decision-Making

Leadership teams can use the report to make data-driven decisions regarding resource allocation. If a department has a high number of aligned objectives but is struggling to execute, leaders may decide to provide additional support to help achieve those aligned goals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ❓

What are objective start and end dates?

Start date only selected- includes objectives whose start date is on or after the selected start date.

End date only selected- includes objectives whose end date is on or before the selected end date.

Start date and end date selected- includes objectives whose start date is on or before the selected start date and whose end date is on or before the selected end date as long as the end date is not before the selected start date filter.

What is the difference between the 'People' filter and the 'Objective type' filter?

The 'People' filter is all about objective owners. If you search for a group in the 'People' filter, 15Five will return all objectives that are owned by members of that group. If you search for a group in the 'Objective type' filter, 15Five will return all objectives that are set as "group" objectives during objective creation. 'People' filter returns objective owner. 'Objective type' filter returns group/department/team/etc objectives.

What are objective states?

A: Current- objectives whose start date has passed and whose end date has not.

Open- objectives that are not closed whose dates overlap with the selected time period

Past due- objectives whose end date is in the past

Closed- objectives that have been closed, typically as a result of the end date being in the past

Archived- objectives that have been archived, typically as a result of the objective being irrelevant or where progress stopped before it really got started

Future- objectives whose start date is in the future

What status is pulled into the status graph?

The last status provided, whether via Check-in or on the objective's details page.

Why would an objective have no status?

Objectives with "no status" haven’t been updated with the green, yellow, red indication. Objectives that fall under ‘No status’ may not be top of mind for the objective owner. Or maybe the objective owner has not yet submitted a 15Five Check-in. Regardless of why, this is a risky category. Business we know moves fast, and we can easily lose sight of our objectives if they are not regularly visited. That’s one key benefit of the 15Five Check-in—it puts objectives front and center every time, while giving reporters the opportunity to raise issues blocking them from reaching their objectives. This way employees can receive coaching in real time from their managers which gives everyone a better chance at achieving their objectives.

How do you encourage individuals to use OKRs for their personal development so we can track their growth from a management perspective as well without causing too much headache of updating?

I would have a 1-on-1 conversation with the individual. Speak to your investment in their growth and also let them know that tracking their self-development objectives in 15Five is light and easy. It takes less than one minute to update the status. As they are making progress on their self-development objectives (or any objective), they will benefit from the progress principle: Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work.

Do you find that all companies typically make self-development objectives public? Sometimes, for example, they might be sensitive subjects needing improvement and potentially not something we want to publicly share.

Visibility is going to vary from objective type to objectives type and from company to company. For example, we strongly recommend company-wide and department objectives be public. Individual and/or self-development objectives may have visibility of 15Five permissions or Specific-people. We pretty much have full transparency here at 15Five and all individual objectives + most self-development objectives are public, but we do understand that not everyone has that same approach. For self-development objectives, it is important that at least your manager have visibility into your objective, this is the ‘Specific-people’ visibility option, for accountability’s sake.
One other thing to consider as you think about visibility is alignment. If an objective is aligned to a parent objective, it is encouraged that their visibilities match. Furthermore, if the child objective impacts the progress of the parent objective, the visibility is forced to match.

How many company-level OKRs should a company have?

According to John Doerr and the team at What Matters: Simplicity is always key. To capture the ambitions of your organization, you should only have a maximum of 5-7 objectives with 3-5 key results. These should all fit on one or two pages. FYI: John Doerr helped tech giants from Intel to Google achieve explosive growth by using OKRs.

How many objectives should an individual own?

Individuals should own 3-5 objectives with approximately 3 key results per objective. This is the sweet spot for OKRs. Here are some resources: Annual vs Quarterly OKRs, The Art of the OKR, How Google Sets OKRs, 5 Ways to Improve Employee Development at your Company

We would really love to be able to have people share the same key result, but haven’t found a way to do that?

We recommend creating another key result that is an exact copy of the other for a couple reasons. 1- Accountability. Knowing who owns a specific key result is essential in its success. 2- Adding another key result owner (or objective owner) would mean overhauling our current Objectives functionality, reporting, and filters. We did submit your idea to our Product Team as a feature request in order to get it documented.
I actually have 3 people helping me with an objective right now and they all have the same key result, one for each of them. It makes it easy for me to know who to go to with questions about progress and it also helps our manager understand where each of us are at.