Introduction
Rhythms uses a role-based access control system to help your organization securely manage access, control OKR creation, and foster collaboration while aligning teams to strategic goals. This guide outlines the available roles and their permissions, plus how to configure who can create OKRs at different levels of your organization.
Roles in Rhythms
Rhythms includes several roles to support your OKR program. The table below summarizes each role and its purpose:
Role | Description |
Rhythms Platform Administrator | Manages the Rhythms workspace setup for the organization, including user accounts, integrations (SSO, SCIM), and organization-wide OKR settings. |
OKR Administrator | Oversees the OKR program, typically an executive or OKR champion. Creates and manages teams, configures OKR creation permissions, and has access to all OKRs across the organization. |
Team Owner | Manages a specific team, typically a team lead. Adds members to their team, creates team-level OKRs, and configures team settings like check-in rhythms. |
Member | Default role for most users participating in the OKR process. Creates individual OKRs and may create team or organization-level OKRs if permitted. |
Guest | Can view OKRs and related data but cannot create, edit, or check in. Ideal for stakeholders needing visibility without direct contribution. Learn more about Guest users here. |
Delegate | Assigned by an OKR owner to act on their behalf for specific OKRs. Can edit, check in, view, and align those OKRs. Learn more about Delegates here. |
Configuring OKR Creation Permissions
Both Rhythms Platform Administrators and OKR Administrators can control who creates OKRs at different levels. Access these settings at: Settings > OKRs > Permissions
Organization-level OKRs
Control who can create OKRs that apply to your entire organization.
Options:
OKR Admins Only - Only Rhythms Platform Administrators and OKR Administrators (recommended for enterprise organizations)
Team Owners and OKR Admins - All Team Owners, Rhythms Platform Administrators, and OKR Administrators
Everyone - All standard users
Team-level OKRs (Sets default for All Teams)
Control who can create OKRs for teams. This setting applies organization-wide.
Options:
OKR Admins Only - Only Rhythms Platform Administrators and OKR Administrators (recommended for enterprise organizations)
Team Owners and OKR Admins - All Team Owners, Rhythms Platform Administrators, and OKR Administrators
Team Members - Administrators and all members of that team
Everyone - All standard users can create for any team
Individual OKRs
Everyone - All users with standard licenses (recommended default)
Permissions Matrix
The table below shows what each role can do:
Action | Rhythms Platform Administrator | OKR Administrator | Team Owner | Member |
Create Organization OKRs | Yes, can configure who else can create | Yes, can configure who else can create | No* | No* |
Create Team OKRs | Yes, can configure who else can create | Yes, can configure who else can create | Yes* | No* |
Create Individual OKRs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
View OKRs | Yes (All in organization regardless of Visibility settings) | Yes (All in organization regardless of Visibility settings) | Yes (OKRs they have access to based on Visibility settings) | Yes (OKRs they have access to based on Visibility settings) |
Edit OKRs | Yes (all OKRs) | Yes (all OKRs) | Yes (OKRs with their Team or child Teams; Must have access based on Visibility settings) | Yes (OKRs they own or are assigned to as a Delegate) |
Align OKRs | Yes | Yes | Yes (Must have access based on Visibility settings) | Yes (OKRs they own or are assigned to as a Delegate) |
Perform Check-Ins | Yes | Yes (for OKRs they can edit) | Yes (for OKRs they can edit based on Visibility settings) | Yes (for OKRs they can edit) |
Add Users to Organization | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Add Users to Team | Yes | Yes | Yes (to their team) | No |
Create Teams | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Deactivate Users | Yes | No | No | No |
Configure Integrations (e.g., SSO, SCIM) | Yes | No | No | No |
*Action can be performed only if permitted by organization-wide settings configured by administrators.
Note on Visibility: For OKRs with "Limited" visibility, users need explicit visibility grants to view or edit them, even if their role would normally allow editing (e.g., Team Owners for their team's OKRs). Visibility is automatically granted to OKR Owners and Delegates. Public OKRs are visible to all roles except where explicitly restricted. Learn more at about visibility here.
Additional Role Permissions:
Guest: Can view OKRs based on visibility settings but cannot create, edit, align, or check in
Delegate: Can edit, view, align, and check in on delegated OKRs as if they were the owner
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between creating an OKR and being assigned as an owner?
When you create an OKR, you automatically have permission to edit and check in on that OKR, even if you assign ownership to someone else. Both the creator and the assigned owner can manage the OKR.
Why can all users in my organization create OKRs at any level?
Organizations created before permission controls were introduced default to permissive settings (everyone can create OKRs at all levels). This preserves existing workflows. Administrators can adjust these settings anytime under Settings > OKRs > Permissions.
Can Team Owners customize permissions for their specific team?
Not yet. Currently, organization-wide defaults apply to all teams. Team-level customization will be available in a future update.
What happens if I restrict permissions after users have already created OKRs?
Existing OKRs remain unchanged. Users retain their ability to edit and check in on OKRs they created. New permission settings only affect future OKR creation.
Which permission setting is right for my organization?
Enterprise organizations: Restrict strategic control by setting Organization OKRs to "Admins Only" and Team OKRs to "Team Owners." This ensures alignment comes from the top while teams maintain autonomy.
Startups and small teams: Encourage participation by setting most levels to "Team Owners" or "Everyone." This enables bottom-up goal-setting and broader engagement.
Growing organizations: Use a hybrid approach—restrict Organization OKRs to "Admins Only" to maintain strategic alignment, but set Team OKRs to "Team Members" to empower teams as you scale.
How do OKR creation permissions differ from visibility settings?
Creation permissions control who can create OKRs. Visibility settings control who can see specific OKRs. Learn more at about visibility here.