OperationsFramework / modelModelAccessible

SMART goals

When and how should smart goals be applied?

AccessibleStrategicIndividual2 min read

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.

How to use it

Use SMART while drafting an objective with the person responsible for delivery. Test each element and remove ambiguity before the work begins.

Specific: State exactly what the person is expected to accomplish. A later appraisal is the wrong moment to discover that manager and employee understood the goal differently. Clarify the result, relevant scope and any important conditions at the outset.
Measurable: Define what evidence will demonstrate progress or completion. A first attempt with a bow and arrow may feel successful merely because the arrow reaches the target, even when the intended result was the bull’s-eye. Decide whether the target must be met exactly, whether a tolerance applies, how over-performance will be treated and what proof will be accepted. Performance can be monitored through quantity, cost, time or quality. The first three have explicit scales; quality may be more subjective and therefore needs particularly clear criteria.
Achievable: Set an objective within reach of the person’s current foundation while still requiring learning and development. Consider skill, knowledge and experience, but also dependencies. The employee does not work in isolation, and the manager is responsible for helping remove organisational obstacles.
Relevant: Connect the objective to the needs of the individual, team and organisation. In a well-aligned organisation, strategy flows into business plans and then into objectives; a sample of non-behavioural objectives should reveal the organisation’s strategic priorities. A goal that cannot be linked to strategic intent is likely to be irrelevant. Team objectives should serve organisational needs, and individual objectives should support the team. Where possible, they should also contribute to personal and professional development, while recognising that some necessary work simply must be assigned.
Timebound: Specify when work begins and ends, identify any interim milestones and test whether the schedule is realistic alongside other commitments and reporting relationships, especially in a matrix structure.

Final analysis.

SMART remains useful because it prompts the essential questions needed to agree an objective. In a high-performing team, those questions can support motivation, learning and accountability. In a tick-box culture, the acronym becomes paperwork with little effect on either individual or team development. Its value depends on the quality of the conversation and the management that follows.

Top practical tip

Draft the objective together, then ask the person responsible to explain how success will be evidenced and when it will be reviewed.

Top pitfall

Do not make measurability the only test of value. A precise target can still be irrelevant, easily gamed or dependent on factors outside the owner’s control.