ARE YOUR GOALS SMART?
1 February 2012
Goal setting is a crucial element of organisational planning but have you ever stopped to consider how ‘smart’ your goals actually are? In the November 1981 issue of Management Review, George T Doran introduced five things that you should take in account when setting goals in both your private and professional life - all goals should ultimately be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Results oriented
- Time sensitive
Specific - Specificity is key when planning ahead. It is all well and good to say you want to achieve a particular goal, but if you don’t figure out the ‘who, what, when, where, why and how’ details, it will be much more difficult to accomplish.
Consider it from the point of view of someone who wants to lose weight. A non-directional goal would be ‘to lose weight’, where a specific goal would be ‘to join the gym, workout three times a week and lose 5KG over 6 weeks.’ It is much easier to work towards a goal if you have a specified outcome and a specified plan to follow.
Measurable – There is no reason to set a goal unless you can measure its success. When determining your goals, consider how to measure your progress and reach a definable outcome.
A goal is measurable if it can answer questions like ‘How much?’ and ‘How will I know when it is accomplished?’ If we head back to the weight loss example, a measurable goal would indicate the exact amount of weight that the person is aiming to shed.
Attainable – All goals must be attainable and therefore realistic. When setting a goal, it is important to consider the necessary time, resources, support, skills and abilities that are required to achieve it. Don’t let the term ‘attainable’ stop you from being ‘aspirational’ though and remember that we all have the capacity to stretch in order to reach our goals.
Results oriented – If your goal is oriented towards a bottom line result, then you will have great difficulty getting there. When planning your goal, ask yourself ‘ What is my bottom line result ?’ ‘How can I achieve this?’ and ‘What do I have to do to get there?’ – these questions will help you to work towards your outcome efficiently and effectively.
Time bound – Lastly, all goals should have a definable time frame. The reasoning behind this is that if you never set a deadline or time estimate for achieving your goals, you or your team may never be motivated to complete them. Committing to a pre-defined timeline establishes a sense of urgency, motivating you to focus your attention on finishing what you set out to do.
By applying these five principles when setting your goals, you will recognise a real difference in your productivity and also in your ability to complete tasks efficiently and effectively.
If you are having difficulty setting effective goals, I would be happy to have a conversation about how you can apply the SMART method in your personal and professional life.
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