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SMART goals
When and how should smart goals be applied?
Contents
A practical checklist for turning an intention into a clear, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound objective.
SMART has been a standard business mnemonic for setting goals and objectives since the early 1980s. Applied carefully, it turns a broad intention into a well-formed commitment; applied mechanically, it can create the appearance of precision without improving performance. No single expansion of the letters has become universal, and some early versions used both achievable and realistic, which overlap. Common variants include:
When to use it
Use SMART to structure a goal or objective that must be understood, assigned, monitored and reviewed.
Origins
Consultant George T. Doran introduced the SMART acronym in a Management Review article published in the early eighties. His formulation used specific, measurable, assignable, realistic and time-related. Later adaptations substituted achievable or attainable for “assignable” and time-bound for “time-related.” These versions share the same purpose: make the desired result explicit enough to manage.
What it is
- Specific, stretching
- Measurable, meaningful
- Achievable, agreed
- Realistic, rewarding, relevant
- Timebound, tangible, timely
A widely used contemporary expansion is:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Timebound
The mnemonic is a checklist, not a complete performance-management system. A sound objective still needs an owner, appropriate resources, a review process and an explanation of why the result matters.
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