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How and Why Smart Goals Work Smart Goals is an attempt to create realistic goals and bring common sense and realistic thinking into the strategic planning process. Every manager needs to be aware of Smart Goals and how they work. Another reason to use Smart Goals is that they are specific. Many strategic plans and reform efforts fail because of vague goals. For example most efforts at political reform collapse because the goals are too vague.
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Smart Goals: Goals that Actually Work
Goal setting as most managers and leaders know is easy. Setting goals that actually work and help people and organizations achieve objects is the hard part. Smart goals are part of a methodology that enables organizations to set realistic goals that can actually be met.
Smart is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. It was devised by George T. Doran in 1981. Doran wanted to improve strategic planning, project management, personal development and employee performance management. He did this by outlining criteria for setting realistic goals that could actually be measured.
How and Why Smart Goals Work
The main reason to implement Smart Goals is to have objectives that can actually be measured. That means individuals can be held accountable for not reaching the goals and persons know what they are supposed to be working towards.
Another reason to use Smart Goals is that they are specific. Many strategic plans and reform efforts fail because of vague goals. For example most efforts at political reform collapse because the goals are too vague.
A Smart Goal is specific for example: we intend to promote and train five new sales managers by December 31. This lets the team know exactly what they are shooting for and it establishes parameters that management can use to measure for performance. If no new managers are hired by December 1, managers can ask why.
Smart Goals are also attainable an organization must have the resources to implement them. The company will need to have the funds to pay the new sales manager and persons on the staff capable of fulfilling that role.
Finally Smart Goals if used properly often raise as many questions as they answer. The organization may find it does not have enough qualified candidates for sales manager so it will have to implement a program of outside hiring. It may also need to add funding or implement a serious management training program.
Smart Goals is an attempt to create realistic goals and bring common sense and realistic thinking into the strategic planning process. Every manager needs to be aware of Smart Goals and how they work.
