SMART is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time bound. Each letter of the abbreviation SMART means a criterion for the effectiveness of the goals set. Let's consider each criterion of a smart goal in more detail.
Specific: Specific.
A SMART goal should be specific, which increases the likelihood of achieving it. The concept of "Concrete" means that when setting a goal, the result that you want to achieve is precisely defined. The answer to the question will help formulate a specific goal. next questions:
- What result do I want to achieve by fulfilling the goal and why?
Who is involved in achieving the goal?
Are there any restrictions or additional terms that are necessary to achieve the goal?
The rule always applies: one goal - one result. If, when setting a goal, it turned out that as a result it is required to achieve several results, then the goal should be divided into several goals.
Measurable: Measurable
A SMART goal should be measurable. During the goal setting phase, specific criteria need to be established to measure progress toward achieving the goal. Answering the following questions will help you set a measurable goal:
What indicator will indicate that the goal has been achieved?
- What value should this indicator have in order for the goal to be considered achieved?
Achievable or Attainable: Achievable
SMART goals must be achievable, since the realism of the task affects the motivation of the performer. If the goal is not achievable, the probability of its fulfillment will tend to 0. The achievability of the goal is determined based on own experience taking into account all available resources and constraints.
Constraints can be: time resources, investments, labor resources, knowledge and experience of the performer, access to information and resources, the ability to make decisions and the availability of managerial levers for the performer of the goal.
Relevant: Significant
To determine the significance of the goal, it is important to understand what contribution the solution specific task will contribute to the achievement of global strategic objectives companies. In setting a meaningful goal, the following question will help: What benefits will the company achieve by solving the problem? If the company does not receive benefits when fulfilling the goal as a whole, such a goal is considered useless and means a waste of the company's resources.
Sometimes Relevant is replaced with Realictic (realistic).
Time bound: Limited in time
The SMART goal should be limited in terms of fulfillment in time, which means that the final deadline must be determined, the excess of which indicates that the goal has not been achieved. Establishing time frames and boundaries for achieving the goal allows you to make the management process controllable. At the same time, the time frame should be determined taking into account the possibility of achieving the goal in a timely manner.
Examples of SMART goals
Here are some examples SMART productions company goals:
| Direction of the task | Example of a SMART goal | Author's comments |
| Sales increase | Increase sales of brand A in this territory by 25% by the end of the year | The specificity of the goal is determined by indicating the % growth, the sales region and the brand name. The goal is limited in time to an annual period, can be measured using the company's sales statistics. The achievability of the goal can only be determined by the company's specialists. But suppose the brand gets required level investment for sales growth. The goal is significant, as it is directly related to business performance. |
| Product promotion | Achieve a level of knowledge of the product A among the young audience at the level of 51% in 3 years, after the launch of the product on the market. | The goal is specific, as the target audience and brand name are indicated. The goal is limited in time and can be measured using a survey. Achievability can only be determined by the company's experts, but let's assume that the company allocates the required level of investment to achieve the target. The goal is significant, as product knowledge has a direct correlation with product sales. |
| Distribution increase | Introduce the company's brand in the amount of 3 SKUs in the TOP-10 key retail chains by July 2014. | The specificity of the goal is confirmed by indicating the number of positions and the list of networks. The goal has a clear deadline and can be explicitly measured by checking the company's shipments to the network data. The achievability of the goal can only be assessed by a sales specialist, but suppose that the company provides the sales department with the necessary budget and advertising materials for listing. The goal is significant, since distribution to key networks has direct influence for sales growth. |
Goal setting is the foundation of any time management system. Today I would like to analyze one of the methods of correct goal setting, which is called " SMART goals».
SMART goal setting technology is one of the most popular and efficient systems in time management, and therefore you should definitely learn how to set SMART goals correctly, and what it is.
We all know that we need to set goals, but few people know how to do it right. Setting goals using SMART technology has gained popularity not only in our country, but also abroad.
Let's first understand what it is strange word"SMART". In general, the word Smart is translated from of English language how smart, but this case it is also an abbreviation.
SMART goal setting criteria
In the process of deciphering the abbreviation "SMART", we will be able to understand how to set goals.
- Specific— Specific
- Measurable- measurable
- Achievable– Achievable
- Relevant- Relevant
- Time-Bound — Time-bound
This is perhaps the main decoding of the SMART goal setting methodology. There are also other transcripts, I will briefly mention them at the end of the article.
Now let's talk more specifically about each of the criteria for smart goals.
1. specific - specific.
The goal should be extremely specific in order to clearly understand what we really want to get. It's not enough to say "I want more money”, it is important to clarify exactly what amount of money you want to “Earn 350,000 rubles”
Let's take another example. Many of us dream of a new car, and most of us set our goal something like “Buy a cool new car”, as you know, this is not a very specific goal.
Correctly it will sound something like this I bought a red Aston Martin Virage Coupe Touchtronic 2 (Engine 497 hp), 2013 release, with a complete set»
Feel the difference? So we are more specific about what we are striving for. But the main importance of concretization is not that we understand with our brains what we are striving for, but that we use our subconscious to achieve the goal.
The subconscious is very powerful tool, and if a desire arises in him to achieve definite purpose, then it will most likely be completed. If we set the goal “I want to be happy”, then the subconscious mind can consider a regular trip to the cinema as achieving this goal, and will stop striving for it. That is why it is very important to put specific goals.
2. Measurable- measurable
In order to make progress in something, we must understand what criteria we can rely on when evaluating the final result. If we set the goal to “Get smarter”, then it will not be easy to determine whether our goal is achieved or not. But let's say the goal of “Entering the Faculty of Soil Science at Moscow State University” or “Reading a Freelifestyle book” is already more measurable.
In any area of life there are indicators with which you can clearly focus on final result. Here is an example of such indicators in various fields life:
- Work, business: Money, company turnover, number of deals made, number of potential clients, etc.;
- Education: The number of words learned, the number of points in the test on the topic of study, passing the exam;
- Sports, beauty: Weight, biceps volume, time of 100 meters, number of compliments received;
- Health: , pulse, pressure, temperature, cholesterol, blood sugar, excess weight;
- Relationships: The number of friends and acquaintances, dates, the number of friends in the social. networks, contacts on the phone, time spent in the team;
I think now it’s more clear to you how to make your goal measurable.
3. Achievable– Achievable
It is important to have ambitious goals, but at the same time, it is sometimes important to turn on the “ Harsh truth", and do not go too far. If you are 48 years old, you have never played sports, but after watching all the fights of Roy Jones Jr., you decided to become a world boxing champion…. This is, to put it mildly, an unattainable goal.
There is also another example of unattainable goals, namely "Out of Time". Time is a very tricky substance, and it constantly deceives us. I briefly wrote about this in the article ""
A very common mistake is setting too much a large number goals for the month, what does most of them are unattainable. But never be afraid to set too high a goal.
It's better to set a slightly high goal than a small one that won't fire you up. There is such a figure as “120%”, if you set a goal of 20% more than you want, then this will be quite the best option.
4. Relevant- Relevant
Before talking about this criterion, I think it’s worth explaining the meaning of the word “Relevant”
Relevant is the degree of correspondence and adequacy to something.
We have in question about setting goals, and therefore, main task This criterion is that each of the goals is consistent with the other goals. I'll give you an example.
Let's say you have one of your goals "get up early", but you want to set another goal "Hang out at night at parties 3 times a week." As you can see, one of the Night Parties goals directly interferes with the achievement of the second "Shift to an early riser", and this should not be.
And another example of "irrelevant target". You decided to become a ballerina and perform in a big theater, but also, after watching films with Schwarzenegger, set the goal “Start to squat with a 150 kg barbell”, but the weightlifter’s legs do not fit a ballerina in any way, so these are completely irrelevant goals.
5. time bound — Time-defined
If we don't set a strict time frame, then it becomes completely unclear when to complete the goal, how long it will take to complete it, in what order to complete the goals, and a bunch of other questions will arise.
Each goal must be timed. For example, we want to become scientists and have decided to set the goal of “Defending a doctoral dissertation in mathematics”, but if we do not set a deadline for doing this, then our subconscious mind will not deem it necessary to rush, believing that even at 75 years old we will be able to achieve this.
Therefore, you need to set a clear time frame, this is how the goal “Defend a doctoral dissertation in mathematics in 2015” would sound right
It is the same in other spheres of life and for any period. It is advisable to set three types of time goals:
- Short term: 1-3 months
- Medium-term: 3 months - a year
- Long term: 1 year or more
But about the correct formulation of each of these categories, it is necessary to speak separately.
Examples of SMART goals
Here are 10 examples of correctly set smart goals that meet all 5 criteria:
- Reach an income of 120,000 rubles per month on your own current work, as of October 1, 2014.
- Enter the budget department at MGIMO Faculty of Law, in 2014.
- Obtain a category B driver's license by December 30, 2013.
- Lose 10 kg excess weight by May 1, 2014.
- Travel for 2 weeks to Rome, in a 4 star hotel in the city center, from 16 to 30 September 2013.
- Buy a new 2013 MacBook Air by September 30, 2013
- Get a free training business start » until August 31, 2013
- Give Masha a huge teddy bear for Valentine's Day "February 13, 2014" (although it should be self-evident, like brushing your teeth)
- Learn 100 English words in 30 days
- Read all blog articles site, up to November 20, 2014
I think these examples of smart goals will be enough for you to understand how to set them correctly.
Other interpretations of the term SMART
The abbreviation smart, according to official sources, was first used by the genius of management - Peter Drucker. He deciphered it the way I wrote above, but later various variations of the decoding of each of the letters of the abbreviation appeared, and here are some of them.
After mastering the methodology of setting goals using SMART technology, you are one step closer to creating your ideal system!
This is one of the first techniques that I learned about at one of the seminars of the Open Vision festival, and I still use it! By the way, earlier I used the wording “Realistik” instead of “Relevant” - realistic, but I could not figure out what is the fundamental difference between “achievable” and “realistic” goals.
Implement SMART planning in your life! Your
Every person has a goal. We try to achieve it and make, it would seem, maximum efforts. Ask yourself if all the goals you set for yourself were achieved? Of course not, and there are several reasons for this, which will become clear and understandable thanks to the SMART system. We will consider the process of goal setting on a real example.
Fundamentals of goal setting
Why does a person need a goal? Famous philosophers said: “Life is a series of efforts. We see the goal, but we don't always see the way.". It fills our lives with meaning, turns business ideas into tasks, and their implementation brings us money, freedom - "air", as it is now fashionable to say. See the way to achieve the goal (set yourself the right tasks) - this is the main and only task of the principle - SMART, and we'll talk about it.
Many businessmen agree in one opinion: “You just need to do more and talk less” but what is an action worth without a goal? Nothing! You can spend your whole life doing something, but not achieve what you want. The problem of many is the realization of the goal, but not the understanding of clear actions, tasks to achieve it.
Without a realistic action plan and clearly defined tasks, it is impossible to reach the goal!
Francis Bacon confirms the above with the famous phrase:
The lame one who runs on the road is ahead of the one who runs without a road.
It is the SMART method that will help us see the right path.
What does SMART stand for?
This system of smart planning of goals and objectives appeared in business in 1965, but it is still actively used today as the main goal-setting tool. SMART (Smart) are the first letters of five English words:
Specific (specific) - S
Measurable - M
Attainable - A
Relevant - R
Time-bound (limited in time) - T
This technique helps to translate theory into practice with the help of specific actions.
How to set SMART goals?
The first thing to do is to fill in the table, taking into account the recommendations and explanations below. Consider an example:
S- The goal must be specific. SMART is often used for setting long-term goals, so a mistake at this stage can be costly. Don't use phrases like: "Much/Little", "Increase/Decrease", "Improve" etc. "Make lots of money"- is not correct setting. "Make $1 Million"- Correct goal setting.
M- Do you want to increase sales? Increase sales by how much? The second mistake is the lack of a clear figure, the percentage you want to reach in the next period. No numbers - no strategy, which means no tasks. Determine the percentage increase in sales, given that the more you plan for growth, the more and more effective sales promotion you will have to undertake.
A- the goal must be achievable. You can set the most ambitious plans, but without the resources, they will remain on paper forever. To set a SMART goal, you will have to go through your resources and capabilities. Compile and it will become clear what percentage of the increase in sales can actually be reached.
You can often hear: "Something needs to be done" is a panic, but not a list of all possible measures and tools to increase sales. To increase sales, you need to understand how to do it. Due to advertising, discounts, assortment, search for alternative distribution channels, etc. Performing useless actions - there will be no result.
R- the goal should correspond to realities, and not minute emotions. Are you asking yourself: "How much do I want to increase sales?" First mistake - wrong question! Perhaps you wanted to increase your net profit, but set the goal of increasing sales, which is not a guarantee of increasing profits. Increasing sales is just a sub-goal that will help you achieve the main one.
T- actions to achieve the goal should have a time limit. If there are no time limits, why rush? "Let's do it later!". Successful business develops, because constantly, stage by stage, sub-goals are achieved. The faster subtasks are solved, the faster business and profits grow. Week, month, year - each goal or sub-goal should have time limits. This helps to weigh the feasibility of the activities that should ensure its implementation.
Let's look at an example of a completed SMART table:
This is a simple example that shows how to set goals and objectives for a smart SMART system. For challenging tasks, you need to compile a long-term table containing many subgoals that are delegated to the heads of departments, and those in turn to employees performers.
Setting challenging goals example
Let's consider a more complicated example. Let's say you need to increase the share of sales of your products in the region by 2% in 1 year. This will allow you to get more new customers, more sales, more profit. To ensure this difficult task, you need to develop a clear plan. Input data:
- The market share of your product is now 11%
- Number of outlets - 9
- Number of sellers - 32
- Sales per month, on average per year - 350 pcs.
- Number of competitors - 5
So, we fill in the SMART table:
in the graph S we write down the main goal as specifically as possible: to increase the market share of your products by 2%.
in the graph M write - increase sales up to 413 pcs. by the twelfth month (date.date.year). We do not take into account the rise or fall of the market. If you have historical data and are following the trend of your business, you can use up or down factors to get a more accurate sales forecast 12 months from now. We calculate the number of sales needed to obtain 13% market share in the region and set a clear quantitative goal - 413 units. per month.
In a cell BUT we make an analysis of available resources we weigh the achievability of the goal. Given seasonality and historical sales data, we can assume active and passive periods and split our main goal 413 pcs. on subgoals. This will help us develop a monthly action plan to increase market share. We determine the monthly sales plan, taking into account internal and external factors market:
We get new SMART goals for monthly sales (blue bars of the diagram), which we will strive for on the way to the main one - 13% of the market share. The red bars are the data for last year. How to plan sales correctly, read.
- We weigh the resources of the enterprise and develop specific measures to increase sales, for each month:
- In June and December, active actions, sales are needed, because. in the past period there was an increase in sales and the market grew by 5%, i.e. the planned figures are quite achievable.
- We pay Special attention looking for new clients. We use e-mail and sms mailings, cold and warm calls to the customer base.
- We fix each meeting with the client in a table or. We do not leave anyone, we squeeze everyone. The head of the department must monitor each abandoned contact (consultation received, but the sale did not take place) and work out the reasons for the refusal of the sale and measures to return the client to the store.
- The leader must lead and be able to analyze it. If at some stage of the funnel there is a leak of customers, we take immediate action.
- We conduct competitor analysis. How are they better, what are your pros and cons? Go through all the criteria:
- Staff training.
- The state of the product warehouse.
- Range.
- Budget for advertising (outdoor, internet, handouts).
- Staff motivation.
- Financial opportunities.
After spending similar analysis and weighing your resources, you can understand how achievable the goal is. This will give you a clear list of activities and tasks that will help you achieve your main goal.
Now the cell R- compliance with the goal of a really important and correct company strategy? Why will you achieve it? An increase in market share will lead to:
- Increasing sales.
- Increase in client base.
- Improving the quality of service.
- business development in the region.
- Improving financial motivation for sales managers. .
These are the goals that almost every company sets for itself, but they are achieved by a few.
Now Count T- the time in which the goal must be achieved. If, having filled in all the fields, you understand that it is impossible, do not rush to lower the bar, you may just need to slightly increase the time frame for realizing your goal. It is important that the deadlines must be! A year for such a goal is a rather optimistic forecast.
“Problems and difficulties are veiled opportunities that were not seen before!”
So, we have a SMART model for setting a complex goal. This example will help you complete your table by analogy.
Goal Achievement Motivation
Agree, if you do not have the motivation to achieve the goal, then it will not be achieved. This can happen if it is secondary, not important, or simply fantastically unattainable for a person. For example, if you set a goal to buy a yacht for 1,400,000 EURO in the next 10 years, and by smart, you have determined that you need to save 11,700 EURO each month for due date. You understand that only a few in our country receive such a salary, which means that the goal goes out and becomes unattainable and unimportant.
However, the SMART system has shown us that, based on the available income of 1000 EURO per month, you can plan to buy a yacht for 36,000 EURO and this is already realistic and achievable, which accordingly motivates and acquires importance. From here, a person acquires the motivation to achieve the goal and SMART begins to work.
Today in the company I took a corporate training on good governance, one of the topics of which was the SMARTER goal delivery methodology. To consolidate the material, I decided to translate the material from the site of one of the universities.
Goals, if set correctly, can be a powerful motivator for both individual people as well as for companies. If this is done incorrectly, the effect can be completely opposite, i.e. in a decrease in motivation and desire to develop. To be “correct”, goals must comply with the SMARTER methodology
S pecific - Specific goals are clear and precise, not overly broad or abstract. They answer the questions: who is involved, what do I want to do, where to do it, when to do it. For example, “Join a fitness club and work out 3 days a week,” instead of, “Get in shape.”
M easurable - Measurable goals, they can be quantified: in other words, you can set a specific criterion for measuring your progress towards achieving each goal you set. Be able to answer the following questions: how much, how much, how will I know that the goal has been met?
A chievable/ A tainable- Achievable Goals are being tested for common sense whether they require changes in current processes or behavior in order to be able to complete them. You analyze ways to achieve your goals, taking into account the relationships, opportunities, skills and financial possibilities to achieve them.
R ealistic - Realistic goals are tasks that you not only want, but can work on. The goal can be both high and realistic, you have to decide for yourself. Realism testing is a close study of history to know what "stretched" goals are and which goals are very strongly and unreasonably optimistic.
T ime bound - time-limited goals have an end point that can be found on the calendar. Timelines associated with your goals provide a sense of urgency to help keep you motivated.
E evaluate - Evaluate goals regularly and adjust them as needed, for example, to account for changes in family or changing responsibilities or resource availability.
R e-Do - Revise goals after evaluation and iteratively go through the SMARTER process.
Of course, it is far from always possible to set a task / goal in such a way that it meets all the criteria at once, but very often in Russian conditions due to our mentality, many of the points are simply ignored.
In our training, the letter E in the abbreviation SMART E R matched the word E xcite - to delight, ignite, and more concerned with the motivational part, which is especially relevant as you join the company in everything more Generation Y employees. Perhaps this is more correct given today's trends in the field of personnel, so in any case, it will not hurt to supplement the process with one more check.
Also in our version there was another option for the letter SMA R TER - Relevant - the goal must be relevant, that is, correspond to more lofty goals company or other tasks.
P.S. There are a lot of different variations of both the words used in the abbreviation and the meaning invested in them, but their global essence does not change from this.
The technique of SMART goals can be reduced to the first criterion - specificity. Personal life can be more or less viewed with a horizon of 1 year - then the vision of the future will be difficult. Use the method for medium and short term goals.
For long-term goals, it is more suitable to set not specific goals, but goals-directions of movement. Pure self-deception is to set long-term goals, and even more so, goals for life according to the SMART method.
The SMART method helps to choose the formulation of the desired/planned result. It's just a form of writing down your goals, not a method to achieve them.
Any, even the most lethal, technology in inept hands will not work. To set smart goals correctly, you need to gain experience and get smarter.
SMART goal criteria - decoding with examples
After Drucker, the method was packaged in a catchy wrapper with the abbreviation S.M.A.R.T (smart) in five basic criteria.
Let's decode SMART criteria for setting personal goals.
specific. The goal must be specific
We concretize the desired result in our personal life, making it understandable and achievable. Instead of dreamy, general formulations, you need to write down a specific result at the output.
According to the SMART principle, goals should be with one specific result. If the goal is “Become a family man,” then it needs to be broken down into subgoals.
measurable. Target - measurable
The technology of goal-setting according to the SMART rule assumes that the manager controls the progress towards the goal. To do this, it must be measurable. The numbers must be adequately chosen so that they have a meaning (unit of measurement) as in example No. 6.
Each criterion of the SMART method transforms and refines the goal. The same goals, with the criterion of measurability, will become more specific.
Achievable. Target - achievable
The reachability criterion means that the goal is within your reach or is in the growth zone. You have enough knowledge and skills to achieve it. Or it will take a little work on yourself to cope with it.
You can imagine step by step what needs to be done, and each step is within your power. It may be difficult for you to achieve it, but it does not scare you. The goal may cause doubts, but it does not paralyze the will.
If the goal seems unattainable, it is better to set an intermediate goal that is accessible to you. If the goal is set and you put it off, you need to set the goal easier.
Relevant. Target - Relevant
This criterion of the SMART goal method requires you to check yourself with a question − "Why do I want this?" Many goals lead to your initial desire, and perhaps they are more interesting.
News healthy lifestyle life can be different: run, eat right, swim, play volleyball. You need to check which suits you best. Explore yourself: how do you feel when you walk different paths healthy life.
If the goal is difficult, and you are not sure that you want to pursue it, I recommend setting an intermediate goal for the experiment. To go part of the way and see how it is - is there any further desire to strive for it?
time bound. Target - Limited time
In management it important criterion for every purpose. Other employees need to be guided by the results of colleagues, and build their plans based on the results of members of the organization.
In personal life, it is more convenient to set not single goals with a given deadline, but to draw up an annual plan.
| Not | Yes |
|---|---|
| Read 7 self-development books in 2019. Drawing courses in May 2019. Freediving courses in August 2019. | Plan for 2019 : Read 7 books on self-development. Drawing courses. Freediving courses. |
| Buy a laptop in January. Go to grandma's on January 6th. Buy tickets to Thailand until February. | Plan for January: Buy a laptop. Go to grandma. Buy tickets to Thailand. |
| Learn to meditate. | Meditate for an hour a day for a month. |
What should be a SMART goal?
A challenge for the diligent. Mentally formulate a difficult but achievable goal for you for each item. Quickly check that it is to your liking and measurable.
The term is 3 months.
| Not | Yes |
|---|---|
| Lead a healthy lifestyle. | How to change your diet better side? What physical activity make it a habit? |
| Live bright. | What exactly do you need to do to live next month brighter than the current one? |
| Meet your soul mate. | Where "they" can be and how to get to know them? What to change in yourself to be interesting to yourself? |
| Get rich. | What income to have per month? What about where the money is? What services to provide to the world? |
| Improve physical fitness. | Whether to be athletic and pumped up? Whether to be mobile and hardy? |
Learn to set smart goals .
