If you really want to boost the performance of your
teams, you need to make sure that they are following the right goals. Well, how do you determine what your goals
are? Why, you have to be SMART about
it. As this management technique has
been around for a while, if any of you wish to discuss how you have used this
process in your own goal-setting, please feel free to leave a comment at the
bottom of this post.
SMART Goals
Goals can be difficult things to achieve. They are made even more difficult when you do
not know what your goal is. You will
probably never find your destination if you do not have a map and some
directions to take you there. You can
think of the acronym S-M-A-R-T when you think of achieving a goal. Whether personal, professional, or
commercial; you can use a step-by-step procedure to help make your objectives
more clear.
S - Specific
The letter S stands for Specific. You want your goals to be clearly
definable. When an athlete runs a race,
they do not simply run until someone declares him or herself the winner. They run with the finish line in mind. They know what it is, how to get there, and
exactly what it looks like. Your
organization should not have vague goals.
Be able to provide a number.
M - Measurable
You need to be able to measure the metrics that help
define the result? You should not have a goal that cannot be
clearly measured, because without measurement, there is no real tracking. These measurements will also help you
determine how far you need to go to reach your goal.
A - Attainable
It is okay to shoot for the moon if you are NASA. The rest of our organizations may want to focus
on more attainable goals. You should
pick out goals, they should be realistic.
You need to have the resources to complete the goal or have a way to
obtain the necessary resources. Consider
whether you will have the time, manpower, equipment, energy, etc. to make a
goal a reality.
R - Relevant
A relevant goal is a worthwhile goal. This tells you why you want to have the goal
in the first place. You need to answer
two questions tor goal to be considered relevant: Is it tied to the company’s strategy? Does it provide value to an
organization? If a goal makes sense for
an organization and it creates a benefit, then it may be a goal worth pursuing.
T - Time Trackable
The Alpha and the Omega.
You need to know when to begin a goal, when to end a goal, and what your
timeline of milestones should be along the way.
When a goal is time trackable, it is more easily broken down into
sub-goals that can be met along the way.
As we have discussed, SMART goals can help you and your organization
set better goals which will help the organization’s performance improve. Keep this in mind when developing your next
goal.
And remember all
of you Human Resources professionals: Be Human... Be a Resource... Be a
Resource for Humans.
Useful Links:
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are by the author Trevor Stasik, and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer or any other organization. Please note, this information is based on my understanding and is only to be used for informational and educational purposes. Do not take what I am writing as advice. Seek your own legal counsel and/or see a tax accountant before making business or personal decisions. The author of this post makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.
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