SMART Goals

SMART Goals is a goal-setting framework that emphasizes Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-sized objectives when planning for success.

SMART Goals is a highly effective and widely used plan-setting framework. It provides an organization with a goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-sized. This helps an organization to provide an understanding to the goals of the project and the desired outcomes.

A goal is specific when it focuses on a single objective, clearly defines the objectives, and can be broken down into smaller tasks. It is measurable when there is a way to measure progress towards the goal, such as a numerical value or percentage. The goal must also be achievable so that the organization can reasonably accomplish the goal. It needs to be relevant in the sense that achieving the goal is meaningful to the organization. Lastly, the goal must have a time limit which is when the goal needs to be achieved by.

For example, a company that wants to increase their sales may have the following SMART goal:

For the month of October 2020, increase sales by 10% compared to the previous month.

The goal in this case is specific (focused on sales) measurable (by 10%), achievable (10% increase is attainable depending on the current level of sales), relevant (increasing sales corresponds with the organization’s objective), and time-sized (must be achieved by October).  This SMART goal can then be broken down into smaller tasks such as increasing search engine optimization strategies, running targeted ads, or networking more to reach potential customers.