3/28/2018 How to Write SMART Goals

The Essential Guide to

Writing S.M.A.R.T. Goals
by Emily Esposito on November 11, 2015

Do you get overwhelmed at the beginning of a project? Do you

struggle to boost team productivity?

The secret to alleviating common project challenges is to set

specific goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are designed to provide
structure and guidance throughout a project, and better identify
what you want to accomplish. This method is especially effective
in helping employees set goals that align with company.

What Are S.M.A.R.T. Goals?

S.M.A.R.T. goals are a relatively new idea. In 1981, George T.
Doran, a consultant and former director of corporate planning for
Washington Water Power Company, published a paper called,
“There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and
Objectives.” In the document, he introduces S.M.A.R.T. goals as
a tool to create criteria to help improve the chances of
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succeeding in accomplishing a goal.

The acronym stands for:

S – Specific
When setting a goal, be specific about what you want to
accomplish. Think about this as the mission statement for your
goal. This isn’t a detailed list of how you’re going to meet a goal,
but it should include an answer to the popular ‘w’ questions:

Who – Consider who needs to be involved to achieve the

goal (this is especially important when you’re working on a
group project).

What – Think about exactly what you are trying to

accomplish and don’t be afraid to get very detailed.

When – You’ll get more specific about this question under

the “time-bound” section of defining S.M.A.R.T. goals, but
you should at least set a time frame.

Where – This question may not always apply, especially if

you’re setting personal goals, but if there’s a location or
relevant event, identify it here.

Which – Determine any related obstacles or requirements.

This question can be beneficial in deciding if your goal is
realistic. For example, if the goal is to open a baking
business, but you’ve never baked anything before, that
might be an issue. As a result, you may refine the specifics
of the goal to be “Learn how to bake in order to open a
baking business."

Why – What is the reason for the goal? When it comes to

using this method for employees, the answer will likely be
along the lines of company advancement or career
development.

M – Measurable
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What metrics are you going to use to determine if you meet the
goal? This makes a goal more tangible because it provides a
way to measure progress. If it’s a project that’s going to take a
few months to complete, then set some milestones by
considering specific tasks to accomplish.

A – Achievable
This focuses on how important a goal is to you and what you
can do to make it attainable and may require developing new
skills and changing attitudes. The goal is meant to inspire
motivation, not discouragement. Think about how to accomplish
the goal and if you have the tools/skills needed. If you don’t
currently possess those tools/skills, consider what it would take
to attain them.

R – Relevant
Relevance refers focusing on something that makes sense with
the broader business goals. For example, if the goal is to launch
a new product, it should be something that’s in alignment with
the overall business objectives. Your team may be able to
launch a new consumer product, but if your company is a B2B
that is not expanding into the consumer market, then the goal
wouldn’t be relevant.

T – Time-Bound
Anyone can set goals, but if it lacks realistic timing, chances are
you’re not going to succeed. Providing a target date for
deliverables is imperative. Ask specific questions about the goal
deadline and what can be accomplished within that time period.
If the goal will take three months to complete, it’s useful to define
what should be achieved half-way through the process.
Providing time constraints also creates a sense of urgency.

The Easiest Way to Write

S.M.A.R.T. Goals
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When it comes to writing S.M.A.R.T. goals, be prepared to ask

yourself and other team members a lot of questions. The
answers will help fine-tune your strategy, ensuring the goals are
something that’s actually attainable. While you should be as
realistic as possible, it’s important to approach writing S.M.A.R.T.
goals with a positive attitude. After all, this is something that you
want to achieve.

This doesn’t have to be a daunting experience; in fact, it should

be quite illuminating. Below we demonstrate how to write
S.M.A.R.T. goals for two typical business scenarios: completing
a project and improving personal performance. We’ve also
created an easy-to-use S.M.A.R.T. goals template and
worksheet to help you get started.

Download the S.M.A.R.T. Goals Template

Get started with S.M.A.R.T. Goals Worksheet in Smartsheet

Here are two examples of initial goals we'll use to walk through
this process:

1. I want to complete a project

2. I want to improve my performance

This is a typical approach to creating goals, but both of these are

very vague. With the current wording, the goals probably aren’t
going to be attainable. The statements lack specifics, timelines,
motivation, and a reality check.

Now, let’s use the S.M.A.R.T. goals formula to clarify both and
create new and improved goals.

Goal: I want to complete a project

Specific: Many people are accessing our current site from

their mobile devices. Since it’s not a responsive site, it
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provides a poor experience for customers. I want to launch
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a mobile app for my company website by the end of Q2,

which requires involvement from software development,
design, and marketing.

Measurable: Creating a mobile app for our company site

will require a lot of resources. To make it worthwhile, I’d like
to have 50,000 installs of the site within six months of
launch. I’d also like to show a 5% conversion rate from
customers using the mobile site.

Achievable: The departments that will be involved have

signed-off on creating a mobile app. I’ll need to manage the
project and set milestones to keep everyone motivated and
on target.

Relevant: Improving the customer experience on mobile

devices is a core initiative for my company this year.

Time-Bound: In order to achieve 50,000 mobile app installs

and a 5% conversion rate by the end of the fiscal year, the
app will need to be launched by Q2 with a robust marketing
campaign that should continue through the end of the year.

Goal: I want to improve my performance

Specific: I received low marks on my ability to use

PowerPoint at my last performance review. Improving my
skills requires that I learn how to use PowerPoint efficiently
and practice using it by creating various presentations. I’d
like to be more proficient using PowerPoint in time for my
next review in six months.

Measurable: By the time of my next review, I should be able

to create presentations that incorporate graphs, images,
and other media in a couple of hours. I should also be able
to efficiently use and create templates in PowerPoint that
my coworkers can also use.

Achievable: Improving my PowerPoint skills is instrumental

in moving forward in my career and receiving a better
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performance review. I can set time aside every week to

watch PowerPoint tutorials and even enroll in an online
class that can teach me new skills. I can also ask
coworkers and my manager for PowerPoint tips.

Relevant: Working with PowerPoint is currently 25% of my

job. As I move up in the company, I’ll need to spend 50% of
my time creating PowerPoint presentations. I enjoy my
career and want to continue to grow within this company.

Time-Bound: In six months, I should be proficient in

PowerPoint ensuring it only occupies 25% of my workload
instead of the nearly 40% of the time it occupies now.

Once you go through and write your goals according to each

S.M.A.R.T. characteristic, you can then combine and consolidate
all the work you’ve done into one S.M.A.R.T. goal.

S.M.A.R.T. goal: I want to complete a project

Description: Improving the customer experience on mobile

devices is a core initiative for my company this year, so we
are going to create a mobile app. By the end of the fiscal
year, there should be 50,000 installs of the mobile app we
develop, and it should produce a 5% conversion rate. We’ll
build the mobile app in-house and launch it by the end of
Q2 with an app-related marketing campaign that will
continue to the end of the year.

Milestone: Mobile app launches end of Q2.

Deadline: End of the fiscal year.

S.M.A.R.T. goal: I want to improve my performance

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Description: To grow in my career, I need to improve my

PowerPoint skills. By taking online classes and reviewing
tutorials, I’ll improve my PowerPoint skills so that it only
requires 25% of my work time.

Milestone: Complete an online PowerPoint course in three

months.

Deadline: Next employee review in six months.

Establishing Clarity Around

Success and Failure
Just like everything else in business, S.M.A.R.T. goals can
change. Someone might ask you to write a SMARTER Goal.
This acronym adds Evaluate and Re-Do. The idea behind this is
you should constantly be evaluating your goals and re-setting
them as needed. Company directions change, personal goals
evolve, so maybe a goal you set six months ago no longer
makes sense.

Whether you write S.M.A.R.T. or SMARTER goals, you’ll find

that having some clarity about what you want to achieve can
make all the difference between success and failure.

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