Create a Session

A Session gives Goals/OKRs a time boundary

Create a Session when your team starts a new planning period. A Session keeps the current cycle separate from old cycles so people can review active Objectives, Key Results, Initiatives, and Check-ins without mixing them with archived work.

Common Sessions include quarters, semesters, launch cycles, strategic planning periods, campaigns, and department planning windows.

For the full model, read Understand Goals/OKRs. For deeper planning guidance, read Manage Session cadence.

Availability and permissions

Where to create a Session

Open the Goals/OKRs area from your workspace navigation. If Sessions are shown, use the new Session action. If your workspace opens directly into an active Session, look for Session controls or ask an admin where Sessions are managed.

If the Goals/OKRs menu is not visible, check the active workspace first. Then ask a workspace admin whether Goals/OKRs is enabled for your workspace and role. Use Troubleshoot OKR permissions if the menu or controls are missing.

Before you create a Session

Create the Session

1. Open Goals/OKRs.
2. Choose New session or the action to create a Session.
3. Give the Session a clear name, such as 2026 Q3 Product Goals, Fall Semester Learning Goals, or Enterprise Launch Readiness.
4. Set the Timeframe.
5. Choose a Parent Session if this Session belongs under a larger planning period.
6. Choose the Check-in cadence and cadence day.
7. Pick the Session color or theme where your workspace shows that option.
8. Save the Session.
9. Add the first Objective or invite the right collaborators to help build the Session.

After saving, confirm the Session appears in the active Goals/OKRs context. If it does not, clear filters and check whether it was archived or created in another workspace.

Set Timeframe and cadence

The Timeframe controls the start and end of the planning period. The Check-in cadence controls how often Key Results should be updated inside that period.

Weekly cadence works well for active delivery cycles, launches, and high-risk work. The Every two weeks cadence works well for sprint-based teams. Monthly cadence works better for longer-running strategy work where progress data changes slowly.

Choose the cadence day with the review calendar in mind. If owners review Goals/OKRs every Monday, a Friday update rhythm gives people time to write useful Check-ins before the meeting. If those review sessions should sit beside project dates and Google events, check Workspace Calendar.

Cadence does not replace ownership. Someone still needs to update each Key Result with a value, status, and note when progress changes.

Use Parent Session without confusing it with Objective hierarchy

Parent Session organizes planning containers. For example, a department Session can sit under a company Session, or a launch-readiness Session can sit under a quarterly Session.

Parent Session is different from Objective hierarchy. Objective hierarchy lives inside a Session and is easier to review in Tree view. Use Parent Session for planning periods. Use Tree view for cascading Objectives and Key Results.

If an older parent Session is archived, active child Sessions may appear as top-level rows in active lists. That keeps current work visible instead of hiding it under historical planning.

Session examples

Use a quarterly Session for company or department OKRs, such as 2026 Q3 Company Goals.

Use a launch Session for cross-functional work, such as Mobile App Launch Readiness.

Use a class or cohort Session for education workflows, such as Grade 8 Design Project Cycle.

Use a customer program Session for a long-running engagement, such as Acme Onboarding Objectives.

Use a parent-child Session structure when the relationship helps review. For example, 2026 Q3 Company Goals can be the parent for 2026 Q3 Product Goals and 2026 Q3 Support Goals.

Active and archived Sessions

Active Sessions are the ones your team is currently using. Goals/OKRs home may also show filters such as Sessions in progress, current Timeframe, completed work, or archived work depending on the workspace.

Archived Sessions should not clutter the active planning list. If a Session disappears from the active list, check whether it was archived before assuming it was deleted.

Archived Sessions can still matter for retrospectives and Snapshots. If you need historical progress, look for Snapshots, archived Session views, or activity history instead of recreating the old Session.

Permission and visibility notes

Creating a Session does not automatically give every member edit access to every Objective, Key Result, or Initiative. Goals/OKRs access and canvas permissions can still apply.

If an Initiative later opens its connected canvas, that canvas may have its own permissions. A person who can see the Session may still need access to the canvas.

If you are a workspace admin but cannot see Goals/OKRs controls, the feature may not be enabled or exposed in that workspace. Check workspace settings or plan availability.

Common mistakes

Do not put the whole strategy into the Session name. The Session name identifies the period. Objectives hold the direction.

Do not keep old Sessions active forever. Old cycles make current progress harder to review.

Do not create duplicate Sessions for every team if a shared Session with team-specific Objectives would be clearer.

Do not create a new Session only because the current one is filtered out. Clear filters, check Sessions in progress, and check archived Sessions first.

Recover when Session setup goes wrong

If you created the Session in the wrong workspace, do not keep building it there. Confirm whether it can be deleted, archived, or recreated in the correct workspace according to your team’s policy.

If the Session is missing, check active workspace, filters, and archive state. Then ask someone with Goals/OKRs admin access to confirm it still exists.

If you cannot create a Session, check whether you have edit or management permission for Goals/OKRs. A member may be able to view Goals/OKRs without creating Sessions.

If a Session link fails, confirm the signed-in account and workspace membership. If the person was deactivated, workspace access must be recovered first.

If Check-ins feel late or inconsistent after setup, review the Check-in cadence, cadence day, and the team’s meeting rhythm before changing the Goals/OKRs structure.