SMART Goals

A comprehensive guide to understanding and

developing your SMART goals

Table of Contents
What is a SMART Goal
What does SMART mean
Exploring the traits
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Bound
How to write a SMART goal
SMART worksheet template
SMART goal templates & sample
SMART template
SMART planner sample
SMART planner template
SMART journal sample

What is a SMART Goal

When we set goals either for ourselves or our business we always start
with ideal that the goal will be accomplished. The idea that we expect
to see the goal through to completion is an obvious one. So why is it
then that so many of our goals remain incomplete? The answer is a
lack of structure when setting our goals. SMART is an acronym
which describes the five necessary traits of a well structured goal.
Through the utilization of the SMART system you can be sure you are
setting goals that will end in completion. The use of SMART goals in
your business will not only increase your goal completion rates but
also ensure that your goals are well communicated to employees.
Once you have completed the process of setting a SMART goal you
will not only have a well designed goal but a plan as well for its
completion.

What Does SMART Mean

The acronym SMART has been adapted by several individuals and
corporations to best suit there individual goal setting needs. The chart
below demonstrates the most common definitions of the traits
attributed to the SMART acronym. You can choose to base your goals
on the most commonly accepted use of traits or used the alternative
traits to tailor your goal to your specific business or personal needs.

Primary Trait Secondary Traits

S

Specific

Significant, Stretching, Simple

Measurable

Meaningful, Motivational, Manageable

Attainable

Appropriate, Achievable, Agreed, Assignable, Actionable,

Ambitious, Aligned, Aspirational

Relevant

Realistic, Resourced, Resonant

Time-Bound

Time oriented, Time framed, Timed, Time based, Time box,

Timely, Time specific, Timetabled, Time limited, Trackable,
Tangible

Exploring The Traits

In order to write effective SMART goals you must understand the
meaning of each of the traits represented by the SMART acronym. In
this section we will thoroughly explore each of these traits and why it
is important to developing well structured and ultimately effective
goals.

Specific
The more specific a goal is the more likely it will be obtained. When
we use general wording or vagaries in our goals they can easily
become misinterpreted by employees or overwhelming to ourselves.
For example if you set the goal of getting in shape or increasing
employee productivity what would that goal mean to you? Can you
be sure it will mean the same thing to the person sitting next you?
How will you know when the goal is completed? Does losing 5
pounds constitute getting in shape? What is required of employees to
be considered acceptably more productive? Do you require 10 more
units per day or 100 units? These types of general goals leave far too
many unanswered questions. If your employees can not understand
what is expected of them how can they live up to that expectation.
The same theory applies to personal goals. You can not make steps to
accomplish a goal if the goal is not clear.
When seeking to write specific goals make sure your goal provides
answers for the six W's. The six W's are as follows:

What What is your goal meant to accomplish

Why What benefits or reasons are there for accomplishing
this goal

Who Who will be involved in the achievement of this goal

Where Where will this goal be accomplished, identify your

location

Which Which requirements or constraints apply to the goal

When When will you begin work on the goal, when do you
expect to accomplish the goal completely
Using this format will ensure your goal conveys all necessary
information for completion. Using the same examples as before a
specific goal would look like this.
Increase cardiovascular health and fitness level by obtaining
membership to Planet Fitness and working out one hour per day and 3
days per week for a period of 12 weeks starting January 1. 2012 and
ending March 25, 2012.
Increase employee productivity in order to increase division profits by
5% for the fiscal quarter which begins March 3, 2011 and ends June 3,
2011 by raising employee performance quota for all Marsh Industries
assembly line employees by 20 units per day effective March 3, 2011
In both these examples the goal is clear and concise allowing for a
universal understanding of the goal and how it should be
implemented. Be sure to check your goal for the six W's to ensure it
meets all required specifications.

Using the first example the six W's would be as follows:

What obtain membership to Planet Fitness and work out 1
hour per day, 3 days per week

Why Increase cardiovascular health and overall fitness level

Who Goal will be completed by yourself

Where Planet Fitness

Which work out 1 hour per day and 3 days per week

When Begin January 1, 2012 for a period of 12 weeks
ending March 25, 2012
In the second example the six W's would be as follows:

What Increase employee productivity

Why To increase division profits by 5% for the fiscal quarter

Who Goal will be completed by all Marsh Industries
assembly line employees

Where Marsh Industries assembly line division

Which Employee performance quota will be raised by 20
units per day

When Beginning March 3, 2011 and continuing through the
fiscal quarter which ends June 3, 2011
In both these examples you can see that the six W's have been
answered. Ensuring that your goal includes all necessary information
will decrease the likelihood of misunderstandings or poorly executed
goals. Remember there is no such thing as a goal which is too
specific. If you are not sure if information should be added to the goal
simply ask yourself if it is relevant to the goals completion. If you
answer yes then the information should be included.

Measurable
Many of the goals we set for ourselves and our company are long term
goals which could span over the course of several months or even
years. You certainly would not want to wait a year to determine if you
have made any progress towards your goal. For this reason is it
important to make sure your goal is measurable.
Make sure your goal implements the use of milestones or other
indicators which can measure the progress made towards reaching
your ultimate goal. These milestones manifest as a sort of mini goal
that you and your employees can celebrate in order to keep motivated
towards total completion of your end goal.
If your boss simply told you that he expected a 5% increase on your
divisions profits for the next fiscal quarter, the most common response
would be to increase your employees work load. The problem with
this approach is you would have to wait till the fiscal quarter had
ended to know if your actions has the desired result. There is no way
of measuring the employees progress because you have not given
them milestones to work for, instead you simply told them they need
to work harder.
The concept of working harder or being more productive may mean
something different to them then to you. So while you were expecting
an increase of 20 units per employee each day for a total of 20,000
additional units per day your employees only delivered a average
increase of 10 units per day. When the fiscal quarter ended you only
ended up with a 2.5% increase in profits. If you had known at the end
of March that your employees were not making sufficient progress
towards the goal you could have taken action to correct the problem
and get back on track to accomplish your goal.
Including measurable milestones such as 20 units per employee per
day will allow you and your employees to measure their progress.

Employee incentives for reaching a milestone can be a powerful tool

in motivating your team towards these goals. For instance you may
wish to offer a bonus to all employees who meet their quota everyday
for the life of the goal. Post employee progress in a visible area such
as a break room in order to allow employees to monitor their own
success as well as inspire a healthy sense of competition.
If you are unsure if your goal is measurable you can ask yourself three
simple questions.
1. How Many?
2. How Much?
3. How will I know when it's accomplished?
Answering these questions will allow you to identify the milestones
for your goal and properly communicate those goals to all involved.

Attainable
This term is among the most important of all. You must ensure that
you are setting a goal which can be reached. If I was to start a new
business today and told you that my goal was for it to be a
multimillion dollar international success by next week you would
probably look at me as though I had lost my mind. This is because
this goal is not attainable. However, if I started a business today and
told you my goal was to have secured 5 new clients by the end of the
month, this would certainly be attainable. If I continued to set smaller
and attainable goals eventually my goal of being an international
success would also become attainable.
When we set goals for ourselves or our employees it is important that
we posses the ability to reach that goal. If you set goals which are out
of your employees range of abilities or skills chances are your goal
will go ignored and never reach fruition. If you are seeking to
increase your employees productivity then an increase of 2% in their
daily quota could be obtained by every employee. If you attempt to

increase the quota by 300% you will be met with resistance and
inevitably failure in accomplishing your goal. This occurs not
because your employees are bad employees or do not wish to help you
achieve your business goals but simply because you are requesting an
extreme increase which the are not capable of attaining.
The same theory applies to goals which are set to low. If you simply
request your employees produce one additional unit per day the goal is
attainable but does not inspire a sense of accomplishment. You must
set your goals at a reasonable level where the employees are required
to work for the satisfaction of that goal, but not so high it can not be
accomplished.
Plan the steps that will be taken to accomplish the goal, make sure
your time frame is reasonable, and make sure the goal is attainable for
the average employee not just your top producers. It is important to
remember that in the long term all goals can be accomplished, you
may however need to set short term goals to best prepare you for
success with your long term goals. If your long term goal is not
attainable with your current skill set or financial abilities begin by
making goals which can put you in a better position to seek out your
ultimate goal.
To ensure your goal is attainable you simply need to ask yourself one
question, how. How will you accomplish this goal? Asking yourself
this question will allow you to identify the steps that must be taken in
order to satisfactorily accomplish your goal. If a goal requires a large
amount of steps or extended time frame to accomplish you may find
that you are combining more then one goal. If this is the case you
should separate the goals that you can enjoy the success of
accomplishment and a continued sense of motivation. Goals that are
overcomplicated or drawn out can result in the motivation behind
them soon plummeting. Keep your goals fresh and easily attainable
with a reasonable amount of effort.

Relevant
In order for a goal to be worth working towards it must be relevant.
Accomplishing the goal must provide an important aspect to obtaining
or strengthening your overall vision or mission for your companies or
your own personal future. If you want your company to present a
professional appearance then setting the goal that strobe lights be
installed in every office would not make any sense it is not relevant to
your companies vision.
However, the installation of a new waiting area for your clients with
professional style furnishings and WIFI access for busy business
professionals would play an important role in accomplishing your
company vision of an increased professional appearance.
Are you aware of Vilfredo Pareto's 80/20 rule? This is the rule which
states that 80% of a countries wealth is controlled by 20% of its
population. In recent years this rule has been adapted for several
different scenarios including that of employee productivity. The rule
as applied to employee productivity simply states that 80% of your
employees productivity is derived from 20% of their actions. If you
wish to create a goal which is as relevant as possible you should aim
for goals which center around your employees 20% of activities which
are most productive.
What this means in a practical approach is that in order to achieve
maximum results you should set goals which utilize already successful
systems within your company rather then trying to implement new
ones. For example, a telemarketing firm makes several phone calls a
day. 80% of these calls are cold calls. The customer has never been
contacted by the company before or showed any direct interest in the
product or service you are offering. These cold calls result in an
average of 2% successful sales per day.
The other 78% of the calls yield no positive result for the company.

20% of the companies calls are responses to customer initiated

inquires. The customers have either expressed a previous interest in
the product or service you are offering or directly requested further
information usually through the use of an online form.
These calls yield a a success rate of 75%. In order to create the most
relevant goals and achieve maximum success you should aim your
goals at the 20% of calls which have yielded the best result. The
reason for this is increasing these type of calls by even 2% daily will
yield a higher increase in success rate then increasing the cold calls by
10% simply because they boast such a low success rate.
Before implementing any goal ask yourself if completing the goal is
worthwhile? Are you willing to work towards the completion of the
goal? What will be accomplished by achieving the goal? Once you
have successfully answered these questions you will know if a goal is
relevant.

Time-Bound
Well structured goals need to be secured by a time line. Quality goals
will share three common elements, starting points, ending points, and
fixed durations.

Starting points You must establish when you will begin
work on your goal. If changes are being made to company
policy in order to achieve a goal when will those changes go
into effect. Be clear as to when your employees are to begin
work on individual assignments as well as group assignments
which are instrumental to the goals success.

Ending points - A clear deadline should be set for the
conclusion of the goal. Setting a ending point will create a
sense of urgency around the goal and motivate your

employees to complete the task on or before the set deadline.

Ending points can be chosen to correlate with the end of a
fiscal period or employee contest to keep the deadlines fresh
in the employees minds.

Fixed durations - Achieving a large goal is accomplished
through the use of many smaller goals. Each step of your plan
should be assigned its own time frame. If you wish to lose 50
pounds this year, you should have individual time frames for
losing 10 pounds then 20 pounds and so on. Giving yourself
deadlines within your total time frame will allow you to keep
motivation levels high and measure your progress towards
completion of your goal.
Carefully consider how much time will reasonably be required to
achieve your goal and be prepared to stick to the time line you set
forth. Employees will be less likely to take a goal seriously if they
know the time lines will just be extended if they fail to meet
expectations. A sense of importance and urgency should be tied to the
dates outlined in the goal to ensure employees understand the effect
completing each task on time will have on the ability to accomplish
the overall goal.
For example, Mary has wanted to lose weight for years. Every year
she vows that she will lose 50 pounds. She puts for a tremendous
effort directly after setting the goal and then begins losing motivation
until the goal is once again forgotten. She simply starts over again
allowing herself the luxury of establishing a new time line every time
she fails to stick to it.
After several years of repeating this behavior Mary's boyfriend
proposes and Mary accepts. Mary once again sets a goal to lose 50
pounds however, this time she links her goal to a time line of 7 months
while is in correlation with her wedding date. She sets milestones for
herself for every 10 pounds she wishes to lose. With each milestone
she reaches she becomes more motivated towards reaching the next.

Mary works hard and achieves her goal before the deadline.
What changed for Mary that allowed her to reach a goal that she had
been unable to attain for years? The answer is an implementation of a
time line which included fixed durations to boost her motivation.
Since Mary's goal now carried a sense of urgency it could not simply
be rescheduled if she failed. If she did not lose the weight in 7 months
there would be no second chance to lose it before her wedding, this
urgency drove her to approach the goal in a serious manner.
When setting a time line for your goal ask yourself:
1. When? When do you want to accomplish your goal by?
2. What can I do today? How can you start work towards
accomplishing your goal?
3. What can I do in six weeks? What will be your first
milestone?
4. What can I do in six months? What will be your long term
milestones?

Now that you have set a time line for your goal you will be able to
start implementing your plan and accomplishing your goal.

How To Write A Smart Goal

Now that you understand all the attributes of a SMART goal and how
they can help you establish quality well organized goals that will help
ensue your personal and professional success it is time to start writing
your own SMART goals.
The first step to writing your SMART goal is to learn to utilize a
SMART worksheet. These worksheets will help you to ensure you
include all elements found in a quality SMART goal. Below you will
find a sample of a completed SMART worksheet. You will also find a
template for your use so you can begin practicing writing your own.

SMART Goal Worksheet

Todays Date: __March 3, 2011____ Target Date: _June 3,
2011_________
Start Date: __March 3 2011_______________
Date Achieved: _____June 3, 2011__________
Goal: Increase assembly division profits by 5% for fiscal quarter 2

Verify that your goal is SMART

Specific: What exactly will you accomplish?
Increase assembly division profits by increasing employee
productivity through the implementation of an increased employee
performance quota for all March Industries assembly line employees
effective March 3, 2011 and ending June 3, 2011.
Measurable: How will you know when you have reached this goal?
Review weekly employee production rates to ensure employee
compliance with new quota. Final results will be determined based on
quarterly report.

Achievable: Is achieving this goal realistic with effort and

commitment? Have you got the resources to achieve this goal? If not,
how will you get them?
This goal requires a conscious commitment by the employees but is
attainable by all employees. Bonuses will be offered to all employees
who successfully accomplish the new quota through the entire quarter.

Relevant: Why is this goal significant to your life?

This goal will increase profits allowing for expansion of the company
and ultimately resulting in job security for all employees and creating
new positions.

Timely: When will you achieve this goal?

This goal will be accomplished by June 3, 2011. Progress will be
monitored weekly beginning March 3, 2011.

This goal is important because:

Company expansion rests on the companies ability to be financially
healthy. Such expansions benefit all employees through the
implementation of better wages, benefits, and job security.

The benefits of achieving this goal will be:

Increased financial health of company, improved employee
conditions, expansion of company to reach a larger client base.

Take Action!
Potential Obstacles

Potential Solutions

Employee resistance

Employee

performance based bonuses

Who are the people you will ask to help you?

Assembly line employees and division supervisors.
Specific Action Steps: What steps need to be taken to get you to
your goal?

What?
Date

Expected Completion
Completed

Ensure employee understanding of

March 1, 2011

new expectations.
Review employee progress weekly

March 10, 2011

March 17, 2011
March 24, 2011
March 31, 2011
April 7, 2011
April 14, 2011
April 21, 2011
April 28, 2011
May 5, 2011
May 12, 2011
May 19, 2011
May 26, 2011

Review quarterly report to assess final result

June 3, 2011

SMART Goal Worksheet

Todays Date: _______________ Target Date:
________________ Start Date: _________________
Date Achieved: _______________
Goal:
___________________________________________________
________________________

Verify that your goal is SMART

Specific: What exactly will you accomplish?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
____________________________________
Measurable: How will you know when you have reached this
goal?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Achievable: Is achieving this goal realistic with effort and

commitment? Have you got the resources to achieve this goal? If not,
how will you get them?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
____________________________

Relevant: Why is this goal significant to your life?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Timely: When will you achieve this goal?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________
This goal is important because:
________________________________________________________
______________________________________________

The benefits of achieving this goal will be:

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Take Action!
Potential Obstacles
Potential Solutions
_______________________________
______________________________
_______________________________
______________________________
_______________________________
______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
______________________________

Who are the people you will ask to help you?

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Specific Action Steps: What steps need to be taken to get you to

your goal?
What?
Date

Expected Completion
Completed

____________________________

_____________

____________________________

_____________

____________________________

_____________

SMART Templates
&
Samples

SMART Goal
Specific - What, exactly, is it that we want
to achieve?

Measurable How will we know weve

achieved it?

Attainable What is our realistic desire

Relevant - Why are we doing this? Is it

really what we want?

Time Bound - When will we achieve this

by?

S.M.A.R.T. GOAL PLANNER

SAMPLE
WHAT IS MY GOAL?
To lose weight

IS MY GOAL S.M.A.R.T.?
Specific: What specifically will I achieve?
To fit into my skinny jeans
Measurable: How will I measure it?
My jeans will zip all the way up
Achievable: Is it achievable by me now?
Yes
Relevant: Is it relevant to my larger goals?
Yes
Time-framed: By what dates will I achieve it?
By my birthday this year

WHAT RESOURCES DO I NEED TO ORGANIZE?

Ask Sally to be my goal buddy .
Buy comfortable walking shoes .
Buy a rain hoodie .
Get some motivational magazines .
WHAT DO I NEED TO SCHEDULE IN MY DIARY?
Schedule 3 x 30-minute walks per week .
Schedule 2 x bike rides per week .
Schedule menu planning .
Schedule menu shopping .

WHAT MILESTONES DO I WANT TO REGOGNIZE?

WHAT REWARDS WILL I GIVE MYSELF?
Jeans go over my knees Manicure .
Jeans go over my hips Pedicure .
Jeans will zip up with effort Facial .
Jeans zip up comfortably Full body massage .
...
NOTES
.
.

S.M.A.R.T. GOAL PLANNER

WHAT IS MY GOAL?
.

IS MY GOAL S.M.A.R.T.?
Specific: What specifically will I achieve?
.
Measurable: How will I measure it? .

Achievable: Is it achievable by me now?

.
Relevant: Is it relevant to my larger goals?

Time-framed: By what dates will I achieve it?

.WHAT RESOURCES DO I NEED TO ORGANIZE?

WHAT DO I NEED TO SCHEDULE IN MY DIARY?

WHAT MILESTONES DO I WANT TO REGOGNIZE? WHAT
REWARDS WILL I GIVE MYSELF?

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