Smart criteria for organizational goals. Goal setting using smart example

Hello, dear readers. Today I would like to talk about goals and the secrets of achieving them. Have you ever thought about why some people succeed in almost everything, as if obstacles crumble in front of them as soon as they get down to business, while for others everything falls out of their hands and the slightest difficulties turn into a global wall that paralyzes all activity? One of the main success factors is the ability to set goals correctly. Can this be learned? Certainly. In management practice, the SMART goal setting technique has long been successfully used, which allows you to set goals that invariably lead to success.

Why can this technique be effective in the everyday life of every person and help make dreams come true? Because it is based on the basic principles of brain function that regulate human activity.

Introduction

In fact, SMART technology allows you to consciously launch internal motivation mechanisms and direct vital forces in the right direction. It seems fantastic, but it is how the goal is formulated that has a decisive influence on the main thing: whether it will be possible to convince the brain to direct energy to achieve it.

Ask yourself: what kind of lion will catch an antelope? Lazy, reluctantly moving his paws, somehow looking around, or rapidly flying across the prairies, putting all his strength into the hunt and not noticing anything around him except for future prey? The answer is obvious. SMART technology is an amazing way to mobilize energy and direct it to obtain the desired result.

How does SMART technology work and what is the secret of its effectiveness?

The word SMART consists of the first letters of words denoting the main criteria for assessing whether the goal is set correctly:

• S — Specific, which means concrete, expressed in terms of reality;
• M—Measurable, that is, measurable, expressed in some specific units: pieces, kilograms, rubles - anything, as long as there are numbers.
• A - Achievable- which can be translated as achievable, that is, an action, the implementation of which is assessed by consciousness as quite possible.
• R—Realistic- useful, relevant, necessary for something truly significant for a person.
• T-Timed- limited in time, when a clear date is set for obtaining the result: day, month and year, sometimes even an hour.

Let's look at why and how goals that meet each of these criteria open up a surge of inner strength in a person, awaken inspiration and enthusiasm for achieving results.

S - Specific: Why are specific goals easy to achieve?

What lies behind the difficulties associated with setting specific goals? The joke that nature played on us. Having learned to think abstractly and operate with concepts at the highest level of generalization, a person can still act only with specific objects. The brain produces enzymes that stimulate activity only when it receives a signal to act in the physical world around it.

Therefore, only concrete actions can lead to the achievement of even the most abstract goal and only when they are implemented.

You can't achieve anything with the power of thought alone.

Becoming happy in the physical world may mean getting married and having children, or taking a high position in a respectable company, or moving to live in a warm country. Become rich - earn $100,000,000 or build a house, buy a farm, etc.

As soon as a goal is formulated in the language of reality, the brain begins to perceive it not as an object of reasoning, but as a command to action. The mechanisms available in our consciousness are immediately launched, including habitual patterns of thinking and our brain, sometimes even subconsciously, begins to look for ways to achieve the goal, to look for solutions to emerging problems. And whoever seeks will always find.

M - Measurable: How does the power of numbers affect the surge of strength?

Why is it so difficult to achieve immeasurable goals? The answer is simple. Even if you have already achieved them, you will not be able to understand it. Only when the desired result is expressed in some precise units can one say whether it is present or not. You can even determine exactly how many units you already have and how many are missing. This is very important for human consciousness.

Evidence can be provided by experiments conducted by scientists in groups of children. The subjects were offered uninteresting, monotonous tasks, for example, crossing out cells in a notebook. If at the beginning of the work the participants acted actively, then by the end it became boring, the children began to be distracted, or stopped working altogether. Then the experimenter said that there were 10 boxes left to cross out before the end of the task.

After this, the enthusiasm for work and the speed of completing the task increased significantly, because the children knew exactly how much they needed to do to achieve the desired goal.

A - Achievable: Why is it impossible to do something you don’t believe in?

Why can't you achieve unattainable goals? The human brain is designed in such a way that it strives to save vital energy; it is not so easy to force it to waste energy.

Therefore, if consciously or subconsciously you do not believe that the action can be completed with the planned result, despite firmly made decisions, you will be overcome by laziness or you will find a million reasons and excuses to put the matter on the back burner.

Only an understanding of the achievability of the goal, a clear awareness of what needs to be done and in what order, a vivid and meaningful image of the final result allows one to awaken activity, passion and efficiency.

But without this it is almost impossible to achieve results. That is why, having formulated a goal so that its achievability becomes obvious, having carefully thought through the plan and order of actions, taking inventory and recognizing the availability of means to solve the assigned tasks, a person triggers a natural motivational mechanism, experiences a surge of strength and desire to act, and turns into a powerful machine for making dreams come true .

R — Realistik: Is it possible to achieve what is not needed?

Everyone knows that even flies don’t fly for nothing, and if something is done, it means someone needs it. It is no coincidence that these proverbs have earned people's love. To perform any action by a person, energy is needed, and our smart brain is responsible for its consumption.

If your consciousness perceives the goal that you have set for it as not being connected with the current needs, the system of goals and objectives that exists in your head, then no matter how hard you try, you will be overcome by laziness or the search for endless excuses and excuses. This means that your brain does not recognize that the goal you set will satisfy immediate needs.

T - Timed: Why know the exact execution time?

Goals without a specific date of achievement drown in the flow of current affairs and events. Every day you reflect on what has already been done and what needs to be done tomorrow. For the dream to come true and the result to be achieved, the goal must fall into this continuous stream of conscious or unconscious planning.

Otherwise, after weeks, months, years, you will not even be able to understand how things are going, whether the work to achieve the goal is moving forward or standing still.

If an exact date is set, then the fact of not achieving the result by the deadline may become a reason to look for problems that are hindering the approach of the desired goal, and, consequently, to develop solutions to them. After all, a negative result is also a result.

How to turn a pipe dream into a Smart goal and make it come true?

So, in order to awaken your inner strength, to open a volcano of energy to get what you want, you need to express sluggish and lifeless dreams that never came true, in other words using the SMART method.

And here is a striking example. Like magic, pie in the sky, an unattainable blue dream “I wish I could go to the warm sea someday” which has not been out of my head for ten years, turns into a “bird in the hand”, formulated as a SMART goal: “Go to Thailand for 1 week next July”.

It is this formulation that will spur you to look for inexpensive trips on the Internet, think about the possibility of finding additional income to save for a trip throughout the year, and invent ways to persuade your boss to give you a week’s vacation next summer.

And even if the vacation doesn’t work out right away, and finding additional income is potentially problematic, you can always set an intermediate SMART goal for this specific issue: “Within 30 days, find 5 options for additional income of at least 3,000 rubles per month in newspapers, the Internet, through friends and colleagues." And if after 30 days the result is not achieved, you can analyze your mistakes and formulate a new goal.

It is important to remember that water does not flow under a lying stone, and all problems are solvable if they are solved.

Try it and you will succeed.

Conclusion

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The tragedy of life is not that
that the goal has not been achieved.
The tragedy of life is
in the absence of a goal to achieve.

— Benjamin Mace

Ask yourself two fairly simple questions. Is everything you do professionally effective and does it lead to the desired result? Even if the answer is “no”, but you would like changes for the better, this article on setting SMART goals will definitely be useful.

The system of goal setting in accordance with SMART criteria has proven itself to be quite progressive and effective in management. But this does not mean that it can only be used. A goal is something that needs to be achieved, something worth striving for. From this definition it follows that the technique of setting a smart goal will be useful not only in work, but also in solving any personal tasks.

Do you have an idea for a startup? Are you sure that your business can be more efficient? Can't get things in order? Want to apply smart goals to your studies? The educational portal offers a detailed look at goal setting using SMART - a technique that will teach you how to correctly set and achieve goals, save time and energy, increase work productivity, and also avoid ineffectiveness. For these cases, we will analyze not only the theory and methodological basis, but also focus on providing specific examples.

Historical aspect

SMART criteria is a mnemonic acronym used to define goals and set objectives in project management, production management and personal development.

Different sources associate the authorship of the term with several names. Some argue that SMART was first used in 1965 by P. Meyer, who studied the problems of effective management. Others build on and credit J. Doran's development of the concept of smart goals in a 1981 Management Review article. The name of P. Drucker is also mentioned, who worked on the theory of management by goals, widely using SMART goal setting.

Let's leave the question of the pioneer in the field of application of smart goal technology to the judgment of history. Let us only note that the decoding known today with the meaning attached to each individual concept is described in the already mentioned article by J. Doran “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives” (literally “Here is a smart way to write management goals and objectives”). Based on the Russian translation, let us dwell on the fact that in addition to the meaning of the term SMART as an abbreviation, in English the word “smart” is used in the meaning of “smart”. Hence the requirement for the goal-setting process, which must be smart, and the synonymous form - smart goals, which we and many others use in parallel with SMART goals.

Returning directly to the work of J. Doran, we will provide a translation of his decoding of the abbreviation (it has changed compared to November 1981 and today looks a little different, but more on that later). So, the goals that are set for a corporation, company, department should be:

S (Specific) – specific; aimed at certain aspects in one area;

M (Measurable) – measurable; so that based on their analysis it is possible to derive an indicator of progress;

A(Assignable) – assigned; you need to indicate who is responsible for implementation;

R (Realistic) – real; with a focus on the result that can be achieved taking into account available resources;

T (Time— related) – connected by time; The boundaries of achieving the goal must be clearly defined.

Decoding

As already mentioned, the use of SMART goal setting has gained significant popularity in management, which served for the further development of both the technique as a whole and the meaning invested in each individual element. This has led to the accumulation of vast empirical experience, which sometimes focuses on completely different requirements for the goal-setting process. Let's consider modern interpretations in more detail:

SPECIFIC(less frequent, but possible variations - significant, stretching, simple). Translated into Russian this means SPECIFICITY. A smart goal must be specific due to several factors. Management in large corporations involves a long path between those who make decisions and those who implement them. How effective is the communication, and therefore the connection between them? Does the average employee see his goal clearly enough, and most importantly, is it in the same vein as management? From the answers to these questions, it becomes absolutely obvious that the more succinctly and specifically the goal is formulated, the greater the chances of success in achieving it. But that's not all. Specificity implies not only a requirement for setting a goal, but also an equal understanding of it at all levels that it will pass through in the process of implementation.

In particular, the agreement condition described above can explain the position of those authors who use the meaning simple instead of specific. The simplicity of the goal is more likely to ensure that the contractor or employee implementing it will do everything right, since the wording itself leaves no questions asked.

Thus, the first criterion in setting a smart goal is specificity. American authors argue that to achieve this characteristic you need to answer five “W” questions:

What: What needs to be achieved?

Why: Why should this be achieved? What benefits and advantages will be obtained?

Who: Who is involved in the work?

Where: Where does the work take place?

Which: What are the requirements, conditions and restrictions for the work?

MEASURABLE(less often - motivational, manageable). MEASURABILITY– SMART criterion, the task of which is to demonstrate using quantitative material how the goal is achieved. The goal must be tangible; this postulate is beyond doubt. Any work implies the presence of a result. For a turner at a factory, this is the number of parts produced per shift. For a writer - a published novel or story. In ordinary language, measurability is a system of measures by which the degree of achievement of a goal is determined. If there are no such criteria, then it is impossible to either evaluate the performance of the work or control the process itself.

On the other hand, as some researchers rightly note, quantitative indicators (regardless of their form) in any activity are an integral attribute. In this regard, a logical question arises: how necessary is it to make an obvious aspect a separate point when setting a smart goal? Instead, another criterion is proposed, quite popular today - motivational. The bottom line is that after setting a goal, employees need to be motivated to achieve it. But this has its own specifics, primarily in the scope of application - a person must fulfill direct job responsibilities and the motivation here should not come from those who set the goals. It’s another matter if the goal, for example, is to reduce the time spent on smoking breaks. In this case, it is necessary to reward non-smokers and encourage the desire to quit among smokers.

ACHIEVABLE(possible variations – appropriate, agreed, attainable, actionable). REACHABILITY is a very important indicator of setting a SMART goal. Essentially, the smartness of a given task can be tested by answering the question: how should the goal be achieved given the personnel available?

A good leader sets goals for his subordinates based on knowledge about them, their experience and other factors. This explains the fact that many decodings of this element in English are related to the fact that the term “reachability” should be used in relation to each employee of the company separately, on an individual basis. Different people with different education, ability to work, level of dedication, self-organization and much more work to achieve the planned result. Therefore, the word “appropriate” is often used - appropriate, which means the manager uses different approaches regarding each employee working to achieve the goal due to the possible characteristics described above and characteristic only of him.

RELEVANT(also – results-oriented, resonant, realistic). SMART criterion RELEVANCE explains how to achieve the goal as effectively as possible, find out whether the methods for achieving the result are relevant (correctly defined), and whether there are opportunities for a positive solution. To determine the goal in accordance with this category, the following questions are posed to the subject: is this goal worthwhile? Is the timing right for the decision? does it fit in with our other efforts and needs? are there people capable of doing this? is this feasible under the conditions of our activities (economic, technical)?

No less popular is the interpretation of this element as the “reality” of achieving a goal, a fair and honest assessment of one’s own strengths. Ambitious goals are welcome, but they should not be replaced with science fiction, even with an admixture of science. Want to start running in the morning? Good intention, good goal. Over time, you will reach the level of fitness of the average regular runner, or even become slightly better, but it is foolish to think that you can run a 100m distance as fast as W. Bolt. The same thing happens in the case of a goal, the reality of which is measured by an adequate assessment of the resources available.

TIME-BOUND (time bound) – the last characteristic from the classic transcript. Despite being the easiest to understand, it is one of the most important to implement. Any important goal must be limited in time; a certain period must be allotted for its implementation. This SMART criterion is of particular importance in drawing up personal growth programs, where, just as in the case of implementing projects in production, the time frame must be clearly defined.

In parallel with the classic formulation of SMART, or rather in addition to it, the abbreviation SMARTER is also used. E –Evaluate And R – Reevaluate(evaluate and revise) characterize the sequence of the goal setting process, where each subsequent one must be adjusted, take into account and use previous planning experience. Such goal setting is smarter (in English smarter - comparative degree of comparison, translated as “smarter”).

Examples of using SMART goals

Let's look at specific examples of the advantages of smart planning in different areas. Our focus is not on the entire cycle, but on a single stage, which we cover from two perspectives – SMART use and non-use. The characters are an aspiring professional photographer working for himself, and a student who wants to improve his English proficiency on his own. This makes it possible to more widely demonstrate the applicability of technology both in work and for self-development or solving any personal problems in general.

1. The goal must be specific

Goal: “I must earn more” for a photographer is an example of an incorrect goal setting, because it can never be realized due to its pointlessness. Having an estimate in hand, the ability to calculate the average number of orders per month, etc., the photographer can formulate a smart goal: “I should earn 20% more per month.” Despite the apparent insignificance of the differences between the two formulations, the difference between them is actually huge. Take concrete amounts and perform any arithmetic operation with them and with the abstract number “more”, and with them and with 20%. In what case is the result real?

Now it's the student's turn. The desire to improve your language proficiency is a wrong or, if you like, a stupid goal. She's not specific. From this formulation it is unclear what should be worked on first: on grammar, the ability to perceive text and understand the interlocutor, or enriching vocabulary? This is far from the same thing, although it is related and requires different conditions and materials. The SMART goal in this case is formulated as follows: “I want to master English grammar at the Advanced level” or “I want to speak English fluently.”

2. Measurability

The result for the photographer will be measured in income growth. According to his calculations, to earn +20%, he needs to photograph 1 more client per week than usual.

For the student, depending on the goal, the result will be measured in the growth of vocabulary or the acquisition of more confident speaking skills.

3. How should the goal be achieved?

For the photographer - due to an increase in the number of clients. To do this, for advertising purposes, you can take part in several popular street exhibitions, give a discount to every 10th client, photograph your friends for free (photos on social networks later are the best advertising) and the like.

The student, in turn, allocates time for classes, develops a plan, follows this plan, and learns the language. Sometimes he goes to special meetings with foreign ambassadors or writers, and finds native speakers for practice.

4. Relevance

The answers to all questions posed in the decoding block are affirmative. Are the chosen methods relevant to achieving the goal? Quite. Will this bring in 20% income as the photographer planned? Yes. At the same time, he will not spend significantly more time receiving more orders if he uses modern graphic editors to process photographs and works on a powerful multimedia computer.

Will the intended plan allow the student to complete the task? Here it is a little more difficult to control the progress of implementation (everything is on the conscience of the student himself), but if he makes the necessary efforts and follows the developed program, the result will not be long in coming.

5. Time limit

Over what period of time should the goal be achieved? In 1 month, it will be difficult for a photographer to reach a constant level of income, as he planned. Taking into account all the nuances, he set a period of 3 months for himself - the first to rebuild, carry out advertising and promotions, the subsequent ones to reach the required level of earnings and be able to judge the trend.

The student set himself a time frame of 6 months, 2 of them for theoretical training (in accordance with the developed lessons), 4 for direct training of communication skills with native speakers.

Dear site visitors! These figures are selected for demonstration purposes only; in practice, the numbers depend on many production, economic, social and other factors.

SMART goal setting is a goal setting technique that globally relates to time management skills. If you are interested in developing this skill and want to learn time management, you are welcome. Join us!

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Without goals we are nothing. Without seeing the end of the path, it is impossible to move along it. Without knowing the final results of the plan, it is impossible to create a structure for the day. If before this your goals were abstract dreams, the time has come to turn them into tangible reality. And there is a great tool for this.

Meet! SMART – goal setting system.

What is SMART?

SMART is that rare case when the acronym matches the content. The translation of the word smart in English is “smart”. Planning smarter. Great name!

The word itself is broken down into simple and understandable components. Each letter is endowed with meaning, and here’s a secret: until you can understand the essence of each term, the smart system for setting goals will not work. Or it will perform its function poorly.

Why is that?

Because every element in this system matters: for realizing the goal, for its formation and achievement. Moreover, when creating the correct formulation of planned “smart” tasks, transformation of projects often occurs - previously unnoticed important aspects, nuances, and details emerge.

Let's decrypt:

S(Specific). Specifically.

M(Measurable). Measurable.

A(Achievable). Achievable.

R(Relevant). Agreed.

T(Time). Time.

S – Specific. A specific goal is half the success

Everywhere they write: goals for the smart system must be specific. But what does it mean?

It's simple! You need to clearly understand what the outcome of this goal should be.

Not just lose weight, but reduce your waist size to 60 cm or see the scales drop by 55 kg. Not to increase the company’s sales, but to achieve indicators that are 40% better than the same period last year. Not “buy a house”, but “earn 2 million in six months and buy a house in the cottage village “XXX”.

If the project requires the participation of some other person - an employee, a partner, a manager, then it is very important to receive feedback on specifying the goal. Otherwise, it may happen that the gym trainer is focused on achieving the final weight, and you strive for the exact volume of your forms!

Even when looking at examples of the smart system for setting goals, we see not an abstract plan, but a clear picture. And this is very important for launching the work of the subconscious, which, having understood what a person needs, will begin to contribute in every possible way to the fulfillment of his desires. Give the right thoughts, stimulate the right ideas, guide along the best route.

If you believe in the influence of the Universe on us, then you can use this argument. The clearer the request to the Universe, the faster and more correctly it will be implemented.

It turns out, no matter how you explain the SMART phenomenon, there are continuous advantages everywhere.

M – Measurable. Scales for measuring targets

Second important point.

SMART goals must be measurable. They must contain quantitative or understandable qualitative indicators, characteristics that will ultimately indicate that the goal has been achieved.

What can be used to measure:

• money - rubles, euros, dollars, tugriks;
• shares, percentages, ratios;
• reviews or other external evaluation criteria;
• likes, number of subscribers, “viewed” for articles;
• frequency of actions – every second user clicks “order”;
• time – limited periods;
• fines – ;
• approval, agreement, approval - obtaining a positive opinion from a specialist or manager.

You can also find very strange options for measuring goals:

• “crosses” for embroiderers;
• schoolchildren's grades;
• competitions for teachers;
• number of dishes every day from the hostess;

Everything that can be measured and assessed must be measured and assessed.

SMART goals – examples:

• lose 10 kg
• publish 5 articles per day
• meet 1 person per day
• get a contract approved by a lawyer

All examples are “chopped off”, as they are intended to demonstrate only the “measurability” criterion. More precise guidelines for SMART goals are at the end of the article.

A – Achievable. Is the dream achievable?

Suppose you, being an ordinary office worker or a housewife, set a goal: in six months, get approval from the commission for a flight to the Moon. Specifically? Measurable? That's right!

Achievable? Hardly…

SMART is not a magic pill that will transport you to a magic castle just for the correct formulation.

This is a system that focuses on the reality of existence. This means that when thinking about any plans, it is important to correlate the available resources and capabilities with the desired result.

There are as many options for assessing achievability as there are goals themselves and methods for measuring them. This:

• material and moral resources;
• time;
• skills;
• knowledge;
• financial opportunities;
• health…

R - Relevant. Let's align the goal with reality!

An interesting point is goal agreement. With what or who does it need to be “coordinated”?

With reality...

With existing plans...

With wishes...

What could happen if you exclude this item from SMART planning? The absurdity and complete impracticability of the formulated tasks.

The goals do not fit together well: “get enough sleep,” “run at 5 am,” “spend time with my husband after he returns from work at 12 p.m.” Or: “reduction of 80% of staff” and “200% profitability compared to last year.”

If there are contradictions, then plans need to be reviewed and adjusted.

T – Time-bound. When to evaluate the result?

Time-bound - “limited time.” If a goal does not have a finite time limit, then it can be achieved indefinitely. Therefore, it is important to set a framework within which the desired plans must be implemented.

It is customary to share goals:

• Short-term – up to 100 days
• Medium term – from quarter to year
• Long-term – for a period of 1 year or more

An interesting fact, but according to the SMART system, the goal should not only be limited in time, but also correlated with other plans. The chain is as follows: long-term dreams formulate the category of medium-term affairs, and those, in turn, are divided into short-term projects.

If you follow this idea in reverse order, you can see the path of small steps from today to the big Dream.

SMART goal setting system: examples

As promised, here are a few guiding examples that will help you understand the principles of formulating your desires:

1. Lose weight from 65 to 60 kg in 100 days
2. Reach an income of 100,000 per month by May 1, 2015
3. Write 1 article every day for a quarter
4. Rest for two weeks in June 2018 in Italy and visit Rome
5. Enroll in the free department of the Faculty of Engineering of UrFU in 2020
6. Learn 500 Spanish words by March 1, 2016
7. Buy a new car – a blue Chevrolet Aveo hatchback – by December of this year
8. Take repeated SEO training from Shakhov no later than this summer
9. Read and implement all blog articles on the site - before September 1, 2018.
10. Read one educational book on coaching, psychology, and time management once a week for six months.

SMART cheat sheets in pictures

Questions for setting SMART goals

Correct goal setting according to the SMART system

Without setting a goal, there can be no talk of moving towards your dream. Success is achievable with a methodical, deliberate approach that will allow you to find and understand the required actions. There are many approaches to help a person or group of people understand how to properly achieve the desired result. One of the most popular modern techniques is setting SMART goals. How to apply it, what its principle is, will be interesting to know for every person striving to change their life and the world for the better.

Purpose and its essence

A goal is a fixation of the result that could ultimately satisfy the one who set it.

At the time of achievement, the designated outcome will have the form planned in the past.

Goals are divided into short-term (up to one year) and long-term (up to 10 years). Moreover, short-term goals should be steps to achieve long-term plans. This is applicable both for personal development of a person and at the most global levels.

However, you need to be able to set goals. For this, different techniques are used. One of them is setting SMART goals. In order not to get lost in the vast ocean of possibilities and directions, you should clearly define your course. Certainty of goals leads to certainty of results.

What are SMART goals

The method of setting goals according to the SMART system comes from America. This technique involves summarizing all the information, setting specific deadlines for achieving results, assessing and collecting all the resources that will be needed on the way to the goal.

Each participant in achieving a SMART goal is assigned a specific role in the process at the earliest stage of planning.

The essence of this technique is that the goals meet five criteria. The word SMART is an acronym. It was introduced into use in 1954 by the American management theorist Peter Drucker. The decoding of this abbreviation is as follows:

• S - specific - specificity;
• M - measurable - measurability;
• A - achievable - reachability;
• R - relevant - relevance;
• T - time bound - limited time.

Other transcripts were created based on the original SMART goal setting methodology. However, its original appearance is presented above. This SMART goal technology is better known all over the world.

Specific - specification

To understand the essence of SMART technology in goal setting, it is necessary to take a closer look at each of its principles.

The first criterion for a SMART goal designation is “specification.” This means that the task must be clear, which greatly increases the chances of achieving it. For example, a SMART goal would be “I want to lose weight up to 60 kg.” This is the correct wording. It would be wrong to say “I want to lose weight.” There are no specifics here.

Another condition of this paragraph is that one goal can have one result. If, in the course of achieving it, it turns out that there are several of them, then you need to reconsider the question and divide the SMART goals into several.

The more specific the task, the easier it is to complete. Therefore, this point in the methodology comes first.

Measurable - measurability

The result must be measurable. To do this, the criteria by which the process will be carried out are determined.

For example, for the goal “lose weight up to 60 kg” using SMART technology, you can measure the result by weighing. You cannot judge the results by your feelings. This is a very subjective criterion. Even if you can’t measure it, you should use a scale. All people who hear about a given goal should perceive it in the same way. This will allow you to assess how close a person is to what he wants.

This is exactly what the SMART goal scale is used for. Examples of changes can be very different. Points apply. A certain number of them will lead to the final event. Each criterion for its achievement should also be assessed in points. This will help to understand how much each individual or group's contribution weighed in obtaining the required benefit. You can also use a percentage scale.

Achievable - reachability

An important point of the methodology is the achievability of a SMART goal. Decoding this parameter indicates the need to discard obviously unattainable results. Because it must be possible to achieve what you want, at least potentially.

Setting deliberately exorbitant goals in order to achieve them at least on a minimal scale is initially wrong. Therefore, before starting to set your desired achievements, it is necessary to sensibly consider all the resources available to a person. They should be enough to give a chance to complete all tasks in full.

These resources include time, investment, capital, experience and knowledge, decision-making ability and opportunity. Even access to the necessary information determines whether SMART goals are achievable. Examples of incorrect statements of this point accurately describe the words “a good opponent is not ashamed to lose.” The high bar in the SMART goal setting system contradicts its concept.

Realistic - realism

This point also relates to existing resources. Only this aspect involves not only assessing their presence, but correlating their quantity with the number required to achieve the goal.

At this planning stage it will be convenient to create a resume and business plan. This will help to audit all available resources and highlight the items that are missing to achieve the desired result. If a significant amount of resources is missing, goals should be reconsidered. Great ambitions in this case do not work for the good.

The correlation of the desired result with other existing conditions and directions of movement at this stage will also need to be completed for the SMART goal. The interpretation of this point indicates that the trading result is as close as possible to reality. For example, the goal is to harmonize your biorhythms. To do this, a person needs to get up later than earlier. However, this will lead to his systematically being late for work. Such a goal is incomparable with reality. Therefore, it needs to be improved. The planning process should take into account all the aspirations of the individual or the goals of the organization. The SMART method will work correctly only in this case.

Time bound - limited time

SMART technology for setting goals for this stage involves defining a clear time frame within which it must be completed.

This is necessary to be able to control the progress of tasks on the way to reaching your top.

These time frames are determined based on existing resources and capabilities. They must be justified. To do this, two concepts must be correlated. One of them is how quickly a person wants to achieve the goal, and the second is what opportunities he has to make this possible.

It is precisely because of this stage that the method of setting SMART goals differs from a simple dream. Also, at the final stage of the production, you should evaluate the possible reaction of others to the chosen direction of activity of a person or group. Whether they will help or hinder achievement also plays an important role.

How to set a SMART goal correctly

To correctly set a goal according to the SMART system, it should be correlated with all 5 points of the methodology. It must correspond to each of them.

If at least one point from SMART is not fulfilled, then the goal will either not be achieved at all, or the result will be completely different from what was expected at the initial stage.

It’s better to write down the goal setting process. This will help you more fully understand and understand the goals of the process itself already at its initial stages, and more accurately predict the final result.

Then the concept of the required future outcome is gradually created. This applies to every point of the system.

First, the final result is described in great detail. Next, it is fixed what the end of the path should be, and the limit that marks the achievement of the goal is determined. The next stage requires searching for confirmation of the reality of the tasks set.

Then the required amount of resources or actions that will lead to the desired result is determined. The entire project needs a date for its completion. The day is determined when the task is completed and the result is achieved.

Example of goal setting

To better understand the criteria for a SMART goal, it would be better to consider a specific example. Let's say a person has set a goal for himself to earn more money. If you pass it through all five points, the concept will look like this.

The first stage requires specifics. Therefore, this goal will already sound like “earn 20% more money.” The next point will show that the desired income should now be 120%. The third point allows you to assess whether this goal is achievable. You can work more, which will serve as a factor in increasing your income. This goal is achievable. The fourth stage involves determining realism. Is the person capable of working more hours per day? If yes, then the task is complete and you can move forward. Deadlines should be determined. The goal is achievable and income can increase by 20% in two months.

Setting SMART goals would end up being described as: “In two months, I will increase my income by 20% by working one more hours per day.”

When the SMART Method Doesn't Work

There are reasons why the presented system does not work in some cases.

One of them may be the constant loss of relevance of the date when external conditions change frequently and unpredictably. In this case, long-term planning will be simply unrealistic and the process will be incredibly difficult to predict.

If it is not even the end result itself that makes sense, but constant movement in the right direction, the technique is used with some reservations.

In the case when, for some reason (most often it’s just laziness), it is not possible to get down to business right away, there is no point in starting to develop the SMART method. After all, even written, thoughtful steps towards achieving a result will remain exclusively depicted on paper.

Also, this process of goal setting is not suitable for people with an adventurous nature or those engaged in creative activities that depend on inspiration. For them, such a system is simply not relevant. Whether it is good or bad is not worth judging. Each of these arguments has its own supporters and opponents. Every person is different, so there may not be the same method for everyone.

Visualization of the goal

The SMART goal setting system is very effective due to the principle of their visualization. By thinking every day about the path to take to achieve the desired result, a person sets himself up for advancement and growth.

The power of thought constantly pushes to the necessary actions. At the moment when life confronts a person with a choice of a further path, he will choose the one that leads him to achieve his goal.

The paths leading to the top, formulated using the SMART method, are in a person’s subconscious and are always ready to push him to the best choice of actions. This is precisely the positive effect of goal visualization using the SMART method.

Positive thinking

It is very important when setting SMART goals to be able to have a positive attitude toward achieving results. This allows a person to learn to think outside the box, creatively, perhaps even contrary to the opinions of others or ingrained concepts. Lack of self-confidence will immediately make any goal unattainable.

Therefore, the greatest successes are observed among those people who went towards their dreams no matter what. Self-confidence, creativity and originality, supported by consistency in organizing actions, are the key to any success. This combination of factors maximizes the chances of achieving your goal.

Having become familiar with the SMART goal setting system, each person or group of people can correctly organize all their resources and aspirations to achieve the desired result. Believing in oneself, moving in one direction, using the presented method, everyone can conquer their peak.

The SMART principles include 5 criteria that a goal must meet: specific, measurable, achievable, appropriate, time-consistent.

Checking the goal for compliance with these criteria allows you to predict some of the problems that will definitely arise during the course of work on the project, prevent and prepare “emergency exits” in case of an undesirable course of events.

The SMART principle is a universal initiator of project success.

Specific

The goal must be clearly and concretely expressed. If you cannot formulate a goal concisely and competently, then it is likely that you yourself do not see an accurate picture of the desired result. The goal should not be too general or too broad. If your goal is not specific, then when further working with it you may have problems when drawing up a plan, working with subordinates, control and monitoring.

It is difficult to convince people to perform actions whose purpose they do not fully understand.

Measurable

The most important criterion for goal setting is the ability to measure the results of the achieved goal. Various (most often digital) indicators are used for measurement - indicators of volume, weight, cost, quantity. If a goal cannot be measured numerically, other measurement indicators must be found for it.

It is the ability to measure the final results of the stages of work on a project that is the key to successful planning. In addition, measurability is one of the main incentives for completing tasks and a control criterion - it is difficult to control how they cope with a task that has no frames and boundaries.

Remember It is impossible to control the implementation of a task formulated “approximately”.

Achievable

The degree of achievability of a particular goal may vary. In addition, you need to be prepared for the fact that to achieve your goal you will need additional resources and time.

If achievability is questioned, you will struggle to gain buy-in from employees and partners.

It is precisely the tasks that are difficult to implement that lead to the refusal to work on the project at all its stages; it is in the process of achieving these goals that problems arise. a large number of unforeseen problems.

If a goal is too simple to implement, then there is no point in devoting time to planning the steps to achieve it. It is quite possible that it will be achieved without much effort during the work on the project.

The implementation of an inappropriate goal requires time, effort, and costs no less than an appropriate one, but usually does not produce any results and, moreover, can cause problems.

Relevant

To fulfill the principle of appropriateness (relevance), it is necessary to check how all levels of the goal pyramid are consistent with each other. Even the smallest subgoal is a link in the overall chain, so it must be subordinated to the main goal, or mission.

Tasks and work assignments must have common measurement indicators, be powered by the same resources, and be subject to a single control system.

Agreed on time

Tasks and work assignments must be coordinated in time. Planning includes the start and end times for the implementation of all stages of the project. It is important that the sequence of alternation of stages is observed, so that the deadlines for their completion do not overlap, so that the key points of the project are not planned for the same time.

To implement this planning principle, various graphs and diagrams are used.

Clear coherence is one of the main principles of successful planning, and therefore close attention is paid to it during the planning process.