SMART goals setting rules

Any employee, especially those in managerial positions, has to set tasks both for themselves and their subordinates. Competent formulation of tasks and the goal to which their fulfillment will lead can significantly increase the efficiency and productivity of work.

One of the main methods of setting tasks is the SMART principle, which will be discussed in this article.

What is SMART

The SMART methodology was first proposed by strategic planning expert George Doran, who described it in his Management Review magazine article named “There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives” in 1981.

The essence of the method is to make vague and unclear objectives more specific by formulating them according to certain criteria.

The method is universal for tasks from any professional sector and even personal life.

Criteria for a quality SMART goal

The word SMART is an acronym where each letter stands for a criterion for formulating a task. Let's consider each of these criteria:

• S (Specific) – the objective should be formulated unambiguously and require minimal clarification.
• M (Measurable) – the objective should have specific and objective quantitative or qualitative metrics to be achieved at the end of the task. For example, an increase in net profit for the quarter or an increase in customer confidence.
• A (Achievable) – dreaming is not a bad thing, but a business objective should definitely be realistic and achievable. The task should be accomplished within a realistic timeframe, taking into account the skills of the people performing it, as well as budgetary limits.
• R (Relevant) – the objective should be relevant to the company's current realities, relate to its principles and policies, and be a step on the way to achieving a global goal, rather than contradict it.
• T (Time-bound) – a clearly formulated task should have a clear time frame in which it must be accomplished. Otherwise, regardless of the specific details, its realization may be postponed indefinitely.

Criteria similar to SMART are often found in other methodologies. For example, Google, Uber, and others use Objectives and Key Results methodology similar to SMART.

How to set a SMART goal

To see if your objective meets the SMART criteria, you can ask yourself a series of questions about your objective. The questions can be of the following nature:

1. What do I want to achieve? What is this task specifically about and what problem does it solve? (Specificity)
2. How will I know that the task has been accomplished and the goal has been achieved? Are there any numerical characteristics that can be used to represent success? (Measurability)
3. Is the goal realistic given the resources and constraints? Do I and my colleagues have enough competencies to accomplish the task well? (Achievability)
4. Is the objective important in the current realities? Will accomplishing this objective help in achieving any global goals? (Relevance)
5. How much time may be required to effectively and efficiently accomplish the goal? (Time-bounded)

These questions may vary depending on the field of activity and the task itself, but their essence is always roughly the same. By answering these questions and discussing them with colleagues, the task can be more clearly formulated to fit the SMART criteria.

Examples

Let's consider two cases: from the professional sphere and personal life. Then compare the cases where the SMART methodology was and was not used.

Task from IT

Task from personal life

Conclusion

SMART is a convenient way to set tasks and goals, making them specific and as ready to be accomplished as possible. SMART objectives help to achieve desired goals in the most efficient way possible. In addition, SMART-goals are quite applicable in ordinary life, allowing not only to work qualitatively, but also to achieve personal success.