S – Specific
Goals should be well-defined and clear to you and your coworkers.
M – Measurable
Goals might include milestones that help you measure your progress and make sure you are on the right track. The goals themselves should also be measurable.
A – Achievable
Goals should be based on a knowledgeable assessment of what is possible. Unattainable goals discourage rather than encourage.
R – Relevant
Goals should reflect the basic values and mission of your organization, and they should be directly related to your vision of success.
T – Timed
If you do not have a timetable for reaching goals, you will not feel a sense of urgency about them. It is natural for people to devote most of their effort on any given day to things that have due dates.
The best goals are simple, one-sentence statements that anyone can understand. When setting goals, fewer words are better. Setting too many goals can be counter-productive. Focus on goals that will have the greatest impact on achieving your vision of success.
Some companies, knowing that goals are a significant motivational tool, really go overboard when setting them. They will give their staff targets on several different measurements – some of which will contradict the others.
It is also fair to say that an important element of setting SMART goals is calibration. There is every chance that targets will be set for the first month that are either too easily achieved, or too difficult. By looking at how people have performed in relation to their targets, it is easy to see whether they have been set too high or too low, and the targets can then be adjusted.
It may take a month or two to get targets to the right level, as it is important to avoid over-correction. Once this is done, you should have a set of achievable but challenging goals which will bring the best out of staff and provide a motivated working environment.
