The Smart Criteria of Setting Goals

Goals give businesses and individuals direction.

George T. Doran is credited with creating the mnemonic the business world knows as SMART. The letters of SMART have traditionally stood for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Over time, business coaches and business management specialists have added their own terms in place of the terms Dr. Doran first wrote about in a 1981 Management Review article "There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management Goals and Objectives," but the concepts remain the same.

Specific

Before a trip, the driver needs a specific address in order to know where he's going and how he's going to get there. Dr. Doran advises that when setting goals, you must be as specific as possible to be able to properly take steps to achieve the goal. "Losing weight" is a general goal that's often abandoned because there's no definite end game. "Losing 10 pounds in three weeks" is a more specific goal with a definitive success or failure marker.

Measurable

Road signs let a traveler know how much further she has to go to reach her destination. When setting goals it's imperative to have markers that motivate you to continue forward. The Harvard Business School teaches that measuring progress helps you stay on track and experience the feeling of achievement. Small achievements in themselves are motivators. When setting goals you must ask "How will I know when I have accomplished my goal? What are my markers?"

Attainable

Setting unattainable goals is a recipe for failure. Little setbacks can keep you from accomplishing your end goal by impacting you emotionally and psychologically. Annette Richmond, editor of Career-intelligence.com, states "Don't set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are out of reach." She advises goals need to be reasonable and achievable. For example, becoming a millionaire in a month is highly unlikely, but setting up a 10-year plan can be attainable.

Relevant

Goals should be attainable, but they should also make a difference. If the goal is too easy, then you aren't making any actual progress. However, the goals need to push the boundaries without going too far. Business coaches Russ Peterson and Kevin Karschnik advise, "Relevance can be accomplished with alignment to the company goals." Your goals should be relevant to your entrepreneurial, career or personal goals.

Time-Bound

Every goal needs to have a time frame to motivate the person to get the necessary things done. Anchoring goals with timelines will get the unconscious mind working in the person's favor. Setting timelines for secondary goals as well makes it easier to accomplish the bigger goals. Life coach Theresa McKeown suggests "set a timely framework for start, interim and end targets. And maybe even build in rewards for yourself."

References

• Setting Goals: Harvard Business School Press; 2009
• Career-Intelligence.com: A Better Way to Track Your Progress
• Theresa McKeown: Bridge the Performance Gap; Beyond Setting Goals
• Stop, Ask, and Listen: Proven Sales Techniques to Turn Browsers into Buyers; Kelley Robertson; 2004
• How to Be a Better Manager in Ten Easy Steps; George T. Doran PhD; 1988

Resources

• National Academic Advising Association
• MindTools
• ISpeak