Process goals: What business can learn from athletes to drive high performance

‍Key takeaway: Businesses that implement OKR, often want to focus on big, ambitious outcomes. However, athletes have long understood the power of process goals, or what Perdoo refers to as Initiatives, in driving high performance. By focusing on small, controllable steps, businesses can reduce anxiety, improve motivation, and ultimately achieve better results. Research in sports psychology supports this approach, showing that process goals enhance overall performance. The true power comes from tracking outcomes (Key Results) alongside process goals (Initiatives or outputs).

Introduction: the overlooked power of process goals

When businesses set goals, they often think in terms of outcomes — hitting a revenue target, launching a new product, or expanding into a new market. While these goals provide direction, they don't always provide a clear roadmap for execution.

Athletes, on the other hand, understand that focusing too much on an outcome can be overwhelming. Instead, they break their performance into smaller, repeatable actions — process goals — that allow them to stay in control. At Perdoo, we refer to these as Initiatives — the concrete actions that drive progress toward Key Results.

What businesses can learn from athletes

Athletes are trained to focus on what they can control. A marathon runner doesn’t fixate on the finish line but instead on maintaining proper form, breathing rhythm, and hydration at each mile. A basketball player doesn't just aim to win a championship but concentrates on executing flawless-free throws or defensive plays.

A study on goal-setting in sports supports this approach, showing that process goals lead to better overall outcomes. The research highlights that athletes who focus on smaller, controllable actions not only reduce stress but also improve performance. The New York Times article To Meet Goals, Think Small shows a practical example of how breaking down big targets into smaller, manageable steps increases motivation and success.

Applying process goals in business

So how can businesses use process goals — or Initiatives — to achieve high performance?

1. Break down Key Results into Initiatives: Once you set a Key Result (e.g., "Increase customer retention from 75% to 85%"), identify the Initiatives that will drive that outcome. These could include "Launch a monthly customer feedback survey" or "Implement a loyalty rewards program."
2. Focus on what you can control: You can’t force customers to stay, just like an athlete can’t control a competitor’s performance. However, you can control the quality of your product and customer interactions.
3. Track progress on Initiatives: Instead of just measuring outcomes, track completion of Initiatives. If a company is working toward a revenue target, they should also measure progress on actions like "Improve lead nurturing process" or "Optimize pricing strategy."
4. Adjust Initiatives as needed: Just like an athlete tweaks training based on performance, businesses should iterate on Initiatives based on what’s working and what’s not.

How process goals (Initiatives) and OKRs work together

At Perdoo, we emphasize the difference between Objectives, Key Results, and Initiatives:

• Objectives define where you want to go.
• Key Results measure whether you’re getting there.
• Initiatives are the concrete steps that help achieve Key Results.

An example

‍Objective: Improve customer satisfaction.
Key Result: Increase Net Promoter Score (NPS) from 50 to 70.
Initiatives: "Train customer support team on active listening techniques," "Launch a new self-service knowledge base."

By treating Initiatives as process goals, businesses ensure they’re not just setting ambitious Key Results but also actively working toward them with structured, achievable steps.

Conclusion

Athletes understand that success isn’t just about aiming for the finish line — it’s about mastering the steps that get them there. Businesses can apply the same mindset by embracing Initiatives (process goals) to drive high performance. By focusing on small, controllable actions, teams stay motivated, reduce stress, and ultimately achieve better outcomes.

So, instead of just setting big outcome goals, ask: What are the repeatable actions that will drive success? Start small, stay consistent, and the results will follow.