SMART Goals - What are They?

What are SMART Goals?

SMART goals are statements of the important goals you are working to achieve. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. SMART Goals are commonly associated with Peter Drucker’s management by objectives concept.

SMART Definition

• Specific – What do you want to accomplish? What do you need to do?
• Measurable – What data measures your success?
• Achievable – Is the goal achievable or possible with the resources you have?
• Relevant – Is the goal related to the broader strategy? Why is the goal important?
• Time-Bound – What time-frame have you set for this goal?

How to Write a SMART Goal?

Specific

Specific goals are more likely to be accomplished.

Who: Who is involved in your goal?

What: What do I want to accomplish?

Where: Where am I going to achieve this goal?

When: When do I want to achieve this goal?

Which: What obstacles or requirements do I need to solve?

Why: Why do I want to accomplish this goal?

Measurable

Measurable goals allow you to quantify your success and determine if you are making progress on them. Common goals include accuracy/error rates, % increase or % decrease, true or false, satisfaction surveys, or other quantifiable outcomes.

Achievable

Is your goal achievable? How can you make your goal attainable? Do you need develop new skills?

The goal should inspire you to achieve it and grow.

Relevant

Is your goal relevant to broader business goals or personal goals? The goal you write should be related to a more comprehensive strategy. For example, if you are launching a new product, it should align with the more extensive department or business objectives. If your new product is not related to the department’s broader goals, it might not be relevant.

Time-Bound

Creating time-bound goals allow you to more realistically succeed in achieving them. Providing a date is crucial and provides urgency. Having checkpoints along the way allows you to verify progress.

Examples of SMART Goals

Example 1 – Increase Website Visitors

Grow monthly website visitors by 20% per month by Q4 of 2020. This will be accomplished by launching new targeted campaigns on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Our website traffic drives the number of Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs), which will drive our company metric of increasing sales in Q4.

Example 2 – Learning French

Learn enough French to understand news in French by Q4 of 2020. This will be accomplished by practicing on Duolingo 4x a week. Daily lessons drive foreign-language comprehension, which will allow me to understand news in French.