Want to set goals but don’t know where to start?
You’re in luck, I’ll show you just how You Too can set SMART Goals you can achieve. So what makes a goal smart vs. not so smart?
Let’s start with defining the acronym. A SMART goal (specific, measurable, action oriented, reasonable, timely) is a written statement that describes what needs to be done to work toward a specific change, ultimately creating success and improvement.
For example, if you want to increase sales during this next quarter, how should your SMART goal be written? Which of these two goals sound best to you:
- I want to increase sales during the next quarter; or
- I want to increase gross sales by 20% during the second quarter of this upcoming calendar year so that the company can earn $xx,xxx in revenue.
I find the second goal to be detailed, measurable and clearly defined. As such, you can more easily break down the specific steps that need to be accomplished in order to attain said goals.
You can create your own SMART goal by ensuring your goals follow this framework:
Specific
Specific goals increase the likelihood of being met. Here are some specific who/what/when/why questions to consider:
- Who is involved in this process?
- What do you want to accomplish and how do you measure it?
- When do you want to accomplish it? Establish a time frame and deadline you want to meet.
- Why is it important? Determine the specific reason, purpose or benefits of achieving a goal.
Measurable
Creating measurable goals means (to me) assigning data points you can track, compare and analyze.
Having the ability to measure progress towards a goal, help 
your staff stay on track, and reach target dates and phases are key benefits to creating measurable goals. Do you need a way to motivate your employees? Measurable objectives may be a way to create incentives which align with your own vision and mission.
Action-Oriented
Don’t get overwhelmed and DO break down your goals into action steps that can be accomplished. Each step is a mini-mission that can be better tracked and completed, bringing your goal one step closer with each completed task.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Reasonable
There are fewer detriments tougher to overcome than a manager or owner with unreasonable expectations. There is benefit to setting expectations high, however, setting expectations so high that they’re unattainable is a guaranteed way to lose before you ever begin. Not sure how feasible a plan you have? Ask the experts.
Timely
Have you ever undertaken a task with no end in sight? In my 
experience, goals with no defined start or end points get pushed aside as team members accomplish their daily tasks. Has your business defined a standard operating procedure or desktop instructions with measurable timelines and timeframes? If so, performing internal audits and self-assessments are great ways your company can ensure employees are performing tasks in a timely fashion.
Utilizing the SMART goals framework is an efficient way to ensure goals are met in a consistent manner. You may find weaknesses, challenges and strengths to help you achieve your goals.
Do you have any additional tips to share? What else would you add to your own goal-making strategies? Comment below, we’d love to hear about it!
~Viva