Blocker

A Blocker is anything that prevents progress toward a Key Result or initiative: a missing resource, a dependency waiting on another team, a technical challenge that needs solving, a lack of budget, unclear requirements, or a external market factor. Blockers are identified during check-ins and retrospectives.

The power of regular check-ins is that blockers get surfaced quickly. When a blocker is identified, the team can take immediate action: escalate to leadership, request help from another team, adjust the approach, or reallocate resources. The worst-case scenario is a blocker that nobody knows about until the end of the quarter when it's too late to solve.

In well-run OKR systems, blocker identification is celebrated, not punished. Teams that proactively surface blockers get help fast. Teams that hide blockers until the end of the cycle suffer the consequences. Building a culture where identifying blockers is safe and expected is crucial for OKR success.