SMART

What is SMART?

Visualization: The SMART acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant (or Realistic), and Time-bound. This concept originated in management in the early 1980s (attributed to George T. Doran) and has become a staple for personal and business goal-setting.

Idea and Purpose

The SMART framework is a goal-setting technique ensuring that objectives are clearly defined and attainable. A "SMART" goal is Specific (targeting a clear, concrete area), Measurable (quantifiable or trackable), Achievable (realistic given resources and constraints), Relevant (aligned with broader objectives), and Time-bound (has a deadline or timeframe).

By making goals unambiguous and verifiable, SMART criteria help individuals and teams create a "blueprint for success" rather than vague aspirations.

Structure and Usage

To write a SMART goal, break it down by each attribute. For example, instead of a fuzzy goal like "Improve customer support," a SMART version would be: "Increase our average customer satisfaction score from 3.5 to 4.5 (out of 5) by the end of Q4 by expanding support hours and training staff."

A simple formula is: "I will (Specific action) as measured by (Measurable outcome) by (Timeframe)." The framework suggests a 6-step process to refine goals, iteratively adjusting each aspect.

Examples

Personal example: "I will train to run a half-marathon (specific) in under 2 hours (measurable, achievable) by March (time-bound), to improve my fitness (relevant)."

Business example: "Launch three new video tutorials (specific) garnering at least 1,000 views each (measurable) by November 30 (time-bound) to enhance customer onboarding (relevant and achievable)."

Well-crafted SMART goals provide a clear finish line and roadmap; teams know exactly what success looks like and can track progress over time.

Common Mistakes

While widely useful, SMART goals have pitfalls to avoid. One mistake is being overly rigid or metric-driven – focusing so much on specific targets that broader vision or qualitative factors are neglected.

For example, an exclusively numbers-driven goal can induce tunnel vision. Conversely, goals that are too conservative fail to inspire; SMART's emphasis on achievable can inadvertently discourage ambitious objectives.

Oversimplification is another risk: complex endeavors may not compress into short-term SMART goals. Best practice is to use SMART in combination with higher-level vision statements for long-term direction. Finally, ensure goals are actually relevant – aligning with strategic priorities.

Variations

Some teams extend SMART to "SMARTER", adding Evaluate and Re-adjust (or Reward) to encourage reviewing goals regularly. Others replace terms (e.g. using "Attainable" or "Ambitious" for A, "Realistic" or "Relevant" for R) – but the core idea remains making goals clear and testable.

Alternative goal frameworks also exist (HARD goals, OKRs, etc.), each with a twist, but SMART's enduring popularity comes from its simplicity and broad applicability.