SMART criteria

S.M.A.R.T.—frequently used without the periods, as SMART—is an acronym for a goal-setting practice. The letters most often stand for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Its origin is attributed to the Management by Objectives (MBO) strategy developed by Peter Drucker. The focus of MBO is on making sure teams in an organization are working toward the same objectives, while SMART lays out the action plan. Although it is frequently employed in business management, the SMART method has also been used in formulating personal development plans.

SMART Steps

Developing a plan to meet a goal is akin to having a map and directions for a journey. Just knowing the destination is south, for example, is not enough to get an individual where he or she wants to be. A traveler must know what obstacles—road construction, bodies of water, toll roads, etc.—lie between point A and point B, what forms of transportation are available, and how long the journey is expected to take, among other factors. For a business, taking SMART steps can help free up energy that is wasted on unfocused goals and eliminate the frustrating process that is commonly referred to as spinning one's wheels. Individuals and teams can focus energy and effort toward the desired end by clarifying plans and deciding what is required to meet the goals.

The SMART acronym stands for the following:

• Specific objectives must be well defined. For example, rather than set a general goal of increasing business, a company might instead target increasing new business by 10 percent.
• Measurable, also viewed as meaningful or motivational, refers to the goal specified and measuring progress toward that end. A short-term project might require weekly goals and frequent progress reports, while a long-term objective might be revisited monthly or quarterly. At project completion, it should be clear whether the ultimate goal has been successfully achieved.
• Attainable, which can also be achievable or acceptable, means that the objectives must be within reach. A goal of increasing new business by 10 percent might be attainable if the resources are in place, for example, an experienced sales team is already on board or the funds for hiring additional salespeople are immediately available. If, however, the sales team relies on technology to connect with customers, and that technology is already being stretched to its limits, an increase in sales might not be attainable.
• Relevant, also viewed as realistic or reasonable, refers to factors that cannot be controlled. If potential new customers are being swallowed by larger companies, for example, a 10 percent increase in new business may be unattainable because the client targets no longer exist. Instead the business might choose to lower the goal or change the objective, possibly to increase business with existing clients.
• Timely, which some refer to as time-bound or trackable, refers to the need to define the period of time in which the objective will be achieved. This factor is important in measuring progress and ensuring that the objective remains relevant for participants. Increasing new business by 10 percent over two years, for example, establishes the end goal and provides opportunities to reevaluate progress—what has been achieved in the first quarter or at the half-way point? Is steady growth on target? Without an established time frame and maintaining time management, or with an overly broad time frame, teams may see no reason to focus on meeting objectives.

SMART criteria do not simply establish the five goals, however. Each step of the plan should be broken down into tasks designed to meet the goal, and the plan should be evaluated as work progresses to determine if criteria should be adjusted.

Personal Achievement

Life coaches and individuals have applied SMART criteria to personal achievement. As in a business application, SMART goal setting provides a checklist for attaining goals. An individual should consider the what, when, where, why, who, and how of a plan to achieve the desired result.

In personal development, a measurable goal should still focus on a concrete result but will likely also provide emotional satisfaction. As an example, a goal pertaining to increased healthy activity might chart progress by counting servings of vegetables consumed daily or tracking weekly hours spent on physical activity. When one adheres to these concrete measurements, an individual is more likely to continue to focus on the goal. Simply feeling better or happier is not measurable progress and could result in one slipping back into old habits. At the same time, life coaches suggest focusing on positive rather than negative goals. Instead of placing an emphasis on decreasing one's consumption of sugary snacks, an individual might choose to increase the number of servings of healthy foods in his or her daily diet.

Personal goals should also be attainable and realistic. It is not feasible for an individual with few resources to decide to become a successful doctor in a short period of time. If achieving a degree and succeeding in a profession is the goal, the individual must set manageable achievements. These might include finding a job that will allow one to save money, applying for scholarships, or earning a two-year degree that will help the individual attain a job in the desired field while seeking higher education part-time. Even lofty goals may be achievable if the individual develops a realistic plan and establishes an appropriate time frame for completion.

Setting personal SMART goals allows an individual to track progress by checking off achievements. This tangible evidence of advancement may in turn boost motivation.

Bibliography

Bogue, Robert L. "Use S.M.A.R.T. Goals to Launch Management by Objectives Plan." TechRepublic. CBS Interactive. 25 Apr. 2005. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. http://www.techrepublic.com/article/use-smart-goals-to-launch-management-by-objectives-plan/

Haughey, Duncan. "SMART Goals." Project Smart. Project Smart. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.php

"Personal Goal Setting." Mind Tools. Mind Tools Ltd. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html

"SMART Criteria: Become More Successful by Setting Better Goals." 50 Minutes, vol. 25, 2015. eBook Collection (EBSCOHost), search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1096524&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 9 Sept. 2021.

"SMART Goals." YourCoach. YourCoach BVBA. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. http://www.yourcoach.be/en/coaching-tools/smart-goal-setting.php

Zahorsky, Darrell. "The 5 Steps to Setting SMART Business Goals." About Money. About.com. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. http://sbinformation.about.com/od/businessmanagemen1/a/businessgoals.htm