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Check-ins

Check-ins are the heartbeat of your OKR process. They keep progress visible, surface blockers early, and create a rhythm of accountability across your organization.

What Are Check-ins?

A check-in is a structured progress update on a key result. Rather than waiting until the end of a quarter to see whether a goal was met, check-ins create a continuous feedback loop that lets teams course-correct in real time.

Track Progress

Record current values so Leemu can automatically calculate progress toward targets.

Share Context

Document achievements, blockers, and next steps so stakeholders stay informed.

Signal Confidence

Rate your confidence (1-10) so leadership can spot at-risk key results early.

Creating a Check-in

Follow these steps to submit a check-in:

  1. 1

    Navigate to the key result

    Open the objective, then click on the key result you want to update.

  2. 2

    Click "Check In"

    You'll find the button at the top-right of the key result detail page.

  3. 3

    Fill in the check-in form

    Enter your current value, achievements, blockers, next steps, and confidence level (see fields below).

  4. 4

    Submit

    Click Submit to save. Leemu automatically recalculates progress and updates the objective's overall progress bar.

Check-in Fields

FieldDescriptionRequired
Progress PercentageYour overall confidence in how far along this key result is (0-100%). This is automatically calculated from the current value but can be manually overridden.Yes
Current ValueThe actual measured value right now. For a Number KR targeting 500 customers, you might enter 230. For a Boolean KR, toggle it to Done or Not Done.Yes
AchievementsA list of notable wins since the last check-in. You can add multiple items. Example: "Closed 12 enterprise deals" or "Shipped v2.0 of the onboarding flow."Optional
BlockersAnything preventing progress. Be specific so your team or manager can help unblock you. Example: "Waiting on legal review of the partner agreement."Optional
Next StepsWhat you plan to do before the next check-in. Example: "Schedule 5 customer discovery calls" or "Run A/B test on pricing page."Optional
Confidence LevelA 1-10 scale rating how confident you are about hitting the target by the deadline. 1 = very unlikely, 10 = certain. This powers the at-risk indicators on dashboards.Yes

How Check-ins Update Progress

When you submit a check-in, Leemu automatically recalculates progress at multiple levels:

  1. 1Key Result progress is calculated from the current value relative to the initial and target values, factoring in the direction (Increase, Decrease, or Maintain).
  2. 2Objective progress is the weighted average of all its key results' progress percentages.
  3. 3Strategic Goal progress is aggregated from all linked objectives' progress.

Example

If a key result targets 500 new customers (initial: 0, direction: Increase) and you check in with a current value of 250, Leemu automatically calculates 50% progress. If the key result has a weight of 40 within its objective, it contributes 20% (50% x 40%) to the objective's overall progress.

Check-in History

Every check-in is saved and displayed as a timeline on the key result detail page. The history includes:

  • Date and time of each check-in
  • Who submitted the check-in
  • Value change (e.g. 150 → 230) and progress percentage delta
  • Achievements, blockers, and next steps
  • Confidence level trend over time

This history creates a narrative of progress that is invaluable during retrospectives and performance reviews.

Comments & Discussion

Each check-in has its own comment thread. Team members, managers, and stakeholders can:

  • Ask clarifying questions about reported blockers.
  • Offer suggestions or resources to help unblock progress.
  • Acknowledge wins and celebrate achievements.
  • Tag other team members using @mentions to bring them into the conversation.

Comment notifications are sent via email and in-app notifications so the conversation stays active even when people are not actively viewing the page.

Check-in Frequency

Leemu supports three check-in interval settings on each objective:

WeeklyRecommended

Best for fast-moving teams. Keeps momentum high and surfaces issues before they compound.

Biweekly

Good for key results that change more slowly, like quarterly revenue targets.

Monthly

Suitable for long-horizon strategic goals, but risks losing visibility into blockers.

Reminders & Notifications

Leemu automatically sends check-in reminders based on the interval configured for each objective. Notifications are delivered through:

  • In-app notification — a badge appears in the notification bell.
  • Email — a summary email with a direct link to the check-in form.
  • Slack / Teams — if your workspace has integrations enabled, reminders are sent to your connected channel.

Key result owners also receive a notification when someone comments on their check-in, and objective owners receive a summary when all key results have been checked in for a given period.

Tips for Effective Check-ins

DO
  • Check in on the same day each week to build a consistent habit.
  • Be honest with your confidence level — early warnings prevent last-minute surprises.
  • Include specific numbers, not vague statements like "making progress."
  • List blockers even if they seem minor — patterns become visible over time.
  • Use next steps to hold yourself accountable for the coming week.
  • Celebrate achievements to keep morale high.
DON'T
  • Skip check-ins — even a quick "no change" update is better than silence.
  • Inflate progress to look good — it hurts the team when reality catches up.
  • Write novels — keep each field concise and scannable.
  • Forget to update the current value — the progress calculation depends on it.
  • Ignore comments from teammates — check-ins are a two-way conversation.
  • Wait until the end of the quarter to check in for the first time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Checking in without updating the current value

Always enter the actual measured value. The progress bar relies on it. A check-in with only a note and no value update provides context but does not move the needle.

Setting confidence to 10 every week

Be realistic. If there are any unknowns, drop the confidence to 7 or 8. A consistent 10 means either the target was too easy or the confidence is not being used honestly.

Batching all check-ins at the end of the month

Check in weekly so blockers are surfaced in time. Batching defeats the purpose of continuous feedback.

Only reporting blockers to your manager in 1:1s

Record blockers in the check-in itself. This makes them visible to everyone who can help and creates a written record.

Leaving the Achievements field empty

Even small wins matter. Documenting achievements builds momentum and provides a record for performance reviews.