It is unlikely that a life without goals can be considered complete. Every person should have something for which they want to wake up every morning and act. But not all goals are easy to achieve. And as a rule, the most complex life attitudes bring considerable profit, income, self-satisfaction, etc. (depending on what nature they are). To achieve something, you need motivation and a competent formulation of the attitude. And all this makes me want to consider examples of SMART goals.
Definition
So, SMART is an abbreviation widely used in the field of project management and management for setting goals. This is a kind of method of competent goal setting. Each letter defines a word that is characteristic of it.
- S is Specific, which translates as "specific".
- M - Measurable, that is, "measurable."
- A is Attainable, which translates as "attainable".
- R and T - Relevant and Time-bound ("actual" and "limited in time").
That is, if you literally translate the abbreviation into Russian, you will get far from SMART, but KIDAO. But, of course, no one uses such a designation.
It is worth noting that although initially SMART concerned management and the business sphere, now it is widely applicable in everyday life. After all, goal-setting is the basis of a full-fledged, productive and knowingly existing human life. And often all his personal experiences, problems and discontents are connected with the fact that he cannot achieve what he wants. Or, in simple words, achieve your goal, because you don’t know where to start and how to act. Well, it is worth considering examples of SMART goals and the very principle of the methodology.
Specification
So, this is the first point, the main one in the SMART methodology. The goal should be as specific as possible. Suppose a person dreams of his own home. It’s not enough to think: “I want my own personal corner.” You need to decide - will it be a house or an apartment? How many square meters and rooms? Through what specific time period is the purchase planned? How much money will this require? It is necessary to literally put everything on the shelves, and even find an approximate version. And get it down on paper. For example, like this: “1-room apartment, 20 sq. m, worth 1,200,000 rubles, the estimated date of purchase is 03.10.2018.
The difference is obvious. In the second case, a person will be more specific about what he is striving for. And it will be easier for him to use his subconscious and direct it, along with his resources, to achieve the goal.
measurability
Suppose a girl wants to become more attractive. This is a very blurry representation of the goal. We need measurability by criteria! For example, this: “I want to become more attractive. The first is to sign up for a gym and lose 5 kilograms in 2 months of classes. The second is to cleanse the face. The third is to update the wardrobe with two sets of clothes. Fourth - go for a manicure. Fifth - get a haircut and dye your hair."
So the goal of becoming more attractive has become more measurable and, accordingly, easily achievable, because indicators have been identified that can be used to focus on the final result. Depending on the spheres of life, they differ, but in general the meaning is the same.
Reachability
Listing the criteria, it is necessary to pay special attention to this aspect. A lot of people have issues with accessibility. Ambition is good, but people forget to be realistic. If a woman with three children, who has never been involved in sports, at the age of 35 decided to outdo it, to put it mildly, she is a big optimist.
More problems often lie in time. If a girl wants to lose 20 kilograms in a month, then she also has problems with realism. This year is already closer to reality. Another mistake is setting too many goals for a short period of time. To want to learn English in three months, and build muscles, and get category “C” rights, and also build a business is good, but unrealistic.
It is better to set one goal, but a little overpriced. Suppose a person knows that in the next three months he will be able to earn 150,000 rubles, but he wants more, namely, 200,000 rubles. Well, then it’s worth subconsciously striving for the mark of 220,000 rubles. And then the desired 200,000 will be achieved - this person will note with surprise upon completion of his SMART goal.
Relevance
This criterion also cannot be ignored when giving examples of SMART goals. But first, a few words about what constitutes relevance in this context. In fact, it is a synonym for such words as "adequacy" and "correspondence". Suppose a woman has set herself the goal of becoming a mother-heroine. But at the same time, she is eager to build a big business. Irrelevance is obvious - you have to choose one thing, because both one and the other activity takes literally 28 hours a day (and this is not a typo).
Or, let's say, if a person decides to get up every morning at 6:00 and run, but at the same time he wants to attend parties twice a week and have fun there until the morning, then he will also have to decide. After all, one will interfere with the other, and vice versa.
Time certainty
This is another nuance, the observance of which implies SMART. Suppose a person dreams of an expensive car. Firstly, following all the above criteria, he prescribes everything “on the shelves” (brand, model, year of manufacture, equipment, etc.). Secondly, he determines for himself the time frame for which he must save up for a car. Moreover, he must indicate the approximate date (as in the case of the apartment, as mentioned at the beginning) and the amount that he is obliged to set aside every month for the desired acquisition.
The same applies to other areas. Examples of SMART goals can be found everywhere. Let's say a person wants to write a book. "Someday I'll start!" - so he thinks. It is not right. It is necessary to designate for yourself the date for the start of work on the written work and set the framework in which, in theory, you need to meet.
And in general, it is better to calculate each, even the smallest goal, in time. This is what many successful people do. Moreover, there is even a certain methodology that involves setting (for 1-3 months), medium-term (90 days - 12 months) and long-term (for a year or more). Logical and convenient method. For example, you can make money on an expensive Apple phone in 3 months - this is a short-term goal. To “pull up” the knowledge of the German language to a conversational free level is a long-term one, it will take a year.
Full compliance
Well, here are some examples of SMART goals that meet all of the above criteria.
Everyone likes to relax. And if you want to spend your vacation unforgettable, you need to set yourself the following goal: “In a year, on December 25, 2018, fly to the island of Naifaru, stay in a guest house on your own beach for 10 days. Set aside 150,000 rubles from the salary for the next 12 months for vacation. Everything is here - specificity, measurability, reachability with relevance and time frame.
Here is another example, simpler: “To perfectly learn the rules for using irregular verbs in German in 3 months, studying every day for 1.5 hours, except for Saturday and Sunday.”
Or here's another one: "For February and March, write a final qualifying work, typing three pages of a literate (not draft) text every day, except for weekends (Saturdays and Sundays)."
Hierarchy principle
It is worth mentioning the concept of SMART. An example will also be given.
In essence, it is a structured list of all the installations that need to be achieved. But it has one feature. Namely, low-level goals in the “tree” serve to achieve more serious ones. This principle works simply.
Let's say the main goal leading the "tree" is 150,000 rubles accumulated in a year. The basis, the "root" will be savings. Buying more budget products, denying yourself the daily coffee you buy on the way to work in the morning, you will be able to save more money in your wallet. The next “secondary” goal is to improve your productivity. More work done means higher pay. Etc. The principle is clear: the tree must be made up of several small goals, the implementation of each of which will help to get closer to the main one.
Finally
And finally, a few words about such a nuance as the formulation of a SMART goal. There is a sample above (not even one), and looking at it, you can understand that the most important thing is concretization and brevity. You don’t need to paint all the endless number of pages (unless, of course, you want to draw up a business plan). The goal must be formulated briefly and succinctly - this is the main principle.
Greetings! Have you noticed that tasks like "wash the dishes" or "run 5 km" usually do not meet with serious psychological resistance? But we perceive the goals of the format “be one of the first in sales” or “learn English” as something frightening and impossible. As a result, work on such "projects" is postponed indefinitely...
However, there are no unsolvable problems, so people came up with the technology of SMART goals. This method works equally effectively for large corporations and for yourself. So, goal setting is smart - what to look for and how to work with it?
English word " smart” translates as “quick, smart, smart, agile, dexterous.” Who invented the technology of setting “smart” goals? The author was an American economist, publicist and teacher Peter Drucker (back in 1954).
Peter Drucker has hundreds of articles in the Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal and about 40 books. By the way, it was he who formulated the theory of the innovative economy in the new information society!
SMART is an abbreviation, where each letter indicates its own criterion for the effectiveness of the goal
S - Specific (Specific)
According to SMART, any goal you set must be specific. Even at the stage of setting the task, the result should be clearly defined according to the principle “one goal - one result”.
Let's take as an example the goal: increase in income.
- Wrong: "I want to earn more." I am sure you have already set yourself such a goal more than once. Unfortunately, it won't work.
- Right: "I want to increase my monthly income by 20%." Yes, much better. The goal has become specific, now you can unambiguously evaluate the final result.
Some American authors suggest checking the target for "specificity" using five Ws: What(what needs to be achieved) why(why do I need it), Who(who will help me in my work), Where(where the work will be done), Which(What are the requirements and limitations to be aware of).
Why is it important? The subconscious mind is an important assistant in the process of achieving the goal. But it is practically useless if you do not give it a clear and specific reference point (something like a bright picture). With that sorted out, let's move on.
M - Measurable
For any goal, it is important to establish clear criteria for evaluating the end result. Here are a couple of examples of such criteria in different areas of life.
- Appearance: waist and hips, weight, clothing size
- Business or job: number of clients or transactions, monthly income, bank account turnover
- Personal relationships: number of friends and acquaintances, number of dates per month, number of invitations (to the cinema, to a party, to a cafe)
Take another popular goal: weight loss
- Incorrect: "Look good" Tell me, how are you going to evaluate the outcome of such a goal? Is it realistic to evaluate it at all? How well did you start to look?
- Right: " Lose 10 kg" or " Lose weight from the 50th to the 46th size." So much better!
Why is it important? Without clear and specific indicators, we will not be able to determine (measure, if you will) whether the goal has been achieved.
A - Achievable
Any SMART goal must be achievable given all constraints: time, investment, knowledge and skills, people, access to resources and information. To be honest, this criterion is not so simple. The thing is that the concept of reachability is rather ephemeral, but statistics always come to my aid.
On average, people tend to overestimate their capabilities for the near future (up to 1 year) and underestimate their potential when planning longer-term goals (5 years or more).
Another cool example: writing a dissertation
- Incorrect: "Write a dissertation in three months." I do not presume to say with 100% certainty, but in my opinion the goal is not realistic
- Right: "Write a paper in three years." This task statement looks more down to earth and you can easily stay motivated throughout the entire journey to the intended results.
In addition, there are goals that are unattainable in principle. Let's say a 35-year-old woman can no longer become a professional ballerina from scratch. But she may well master Latin American dances.
Why is it important? Unattainable goals take a lot of time and energy and deprive you of self-confidence. At the same time, do not be afraid to dream and set yourself ambitious goals for longer periods (from 5 years)!
R - Relevant (Significant, relevant to others, relevant)
Criterion Relevant answers the question: “How will the achievement of the goal affect the solution of global problems”? The company (or you) must benefit from the achievement of any SMART goal. Otherwise, the goal is considered useless and upon reaching it, you will not be rewarded with the release of endorphins. 🙂
Task example: "Earn $1000 per month"
- Wrong goal: "Live in austerity." Think about whether you want to start earning more, but at the same time not be able to spend what you earn?
- Right goal: "Find three new sources of income." Another thing! Feel the difference?
Why is it important? Because if we scatter on goals that contradict each other (or have a weak effect), large-scale tasks will remain unresolved. And this cannot be allowed.
T - Time bound (Limited in time)
Each SMART goal has a fixed time frame. Time frames allow you to take control of the management process and overcome. Without them, the chances that the task will be done tend to zero.
I will give you a personal example of a goal: to learn English
- Incorrect: "I will be fluent in English." One day, in the next life ... well, then you yourself know.
- Right: “By March 1, 2017, I will be fluent in English.” That's it, now you have a deadline and you can't hide from it anywhere...
Why is it important? Because without a strict time limit, the solution of the problem is possible. Have you noticed that you are able to "lick" a huge apartment an hour before the arrival of guests? And spend the whole day on the same thing, if there is a lot of time ahead?
By the way, in terms of timing, SMART goals can be:
- Short term (1-3 months)
- Medium term (3-12 months)
- Long term (more than a year)
Examples of good SMART goals
And now it's time to combine all 5 principles and finally start setting the right goals. Here are a couple of examples:
- Raise the profitability of the Video of Thailand website to $300 per month by December 2017
- Obtain an "A" category driver's license by June 1, 2017
- Lose 10 kg of weight in three months by April 1, 2016
- Read 5 books by Robert Kiyosaki in six months by June 1, 2017 (with a summary of the main thoughts)
- Learn to swim in the brace style and by the end of winter (February 25) swim one kilometer non-stop
- Achieve a passive income of $100 per month by November 1, 2017
- Increase the number of members of the VKontakte group to 5000 people by the anniversary of the group on May 15
It is clear that any SMART goal must meet all five criteria. But there is another (almost secret!) indirect sign for checking the goal for “smartness”: the goal must be large-scale.
A good SMART goal should not be too simple or easy to achieve. “Run 300 m”, “Learn 50 new German words”, “Earn 10% more than now” is nonsense, not a global task. The right goal is always just above your limit! It also makes you want to get out of your comfort zone and try something new.
How easy is it to set SMART goals?
First step. Accept the challenge
You need to clearly understand that the achievement of the future goal is necessary, first of all, for you. We all love to complain about circumstances and make excuses for ourselves. But you and only you are responsible for success or failure! This is perhaps the most important point in goal setting (and not only...)!
Second step. Realize the importance
Explain to yourself the importance of the future goal. It should not be a momentary whim or spontaneous desire. Do you want to / speak Italian fluently / open a coffee shop? Then think over to the smallest detail how your life will change after that.
Third step. Get support
As a rule, support from the outside at times accelerates the achievement of the goal. Other people can control you, motivate you, or take on some of the tasks. It's great if the end result affects not only you, but also people important to you.
Fourth step. Break down the goal into smaller tasks
Sometimes even the most specific goal seems so ambitious that it scares and makes you give up even at the start. The subconscious mind can be tricked by breaking down a “big” goal into smaller tasks. Not "lose 20 kg in a year," but "lose 2 kg per month for a year." It is important that each intermediate result brings one more step closer to the desired result.
Have you ever used SMART goals? Subscribe to updates and share links to fresh posts with friends on social networks!
P.S. Having started to apply this technique, at first you may notice that it is as if the whole world has turned against you! Your best friends or even your parents may start telling you that it's impossible and not even worth trying. Someone will even give an example that he has already tried to do this, but he did not succeed.
The only advice I can give you is not to give up. Grit your teeth, ignore the negativity and keep moving forward. Imagine that you are a locomotive picking up speed and nothing can stop you on the way to your goal. Believe me, the result will exceed all your expectations! Good luck!
P.S.S. By the way, I prefer to set new goals along with summing up the results of the previous year. And then I share my results in achieving them online. This additionally motivates me and I achieve them even ahead of schedule. If interested, read about them.
Goal Setting: Rules and Mistakes
When a person does not know which pier he is on his way to, not a single wind will be favorable for him.
Seneca
If the ladder is against the wrong wall, every step we take on it takes us to the wrong place.
Stephen R. Covey
Try to get what you love, otherwise you will have to love what you got.
B. Show
There are two goals in life. The first goal is the realization of what you aspired to. The second goal is the ability to rejoice at what has been achieved. Only the wisest representatives of mankind are capable of achieving the second goal.
L. Smith
Here's the best advice you can give to young people: "Find something you enjoy doing and then find someone to pay you for it."
C. Whitethorn
SMART - goal setting technology
Technology SMART sets the requirements that must be followed when formulating goals. The name of the technology is an abbreviation made up of the first letters of English words that name the corresponding criteria for the quality of goals:
– S (specific) - specific: each goal should be described as a clear, specific result;
– M (measurable) - measurable: the goal should be measurable using specific indicators and standard measurement procedures;
– A (assignable) - significant, consistent: the goal should be non-random, reasonable, important for a person or organization;
– R (realistic) – achievable: the goal should be realistic, achievable in principle;
– T (time related) - time-oriented: the goal should be clearly defined in time, there should be specific deadlines (and milestones) for achieving it.
Procedure for checking or setting goals with the system SMART could be the following:
- a list of possible goals is written and the specification of the result is carried out (its exact description) ( S );
- each of the goals is justified, a person evaluates the significance of each goal for his activity, and for this, separate criteria can be developed for assessing the importance of goals (for example, on a 10-point scale) ( BUT );
- a person predicts and evaluates the degree of achievability of goals ( R ), up to the use of numerical estimates of the probability of achieving goals, various achievability ratios (for example, also on a 10-point scale), etc.;
- for each of the goals, several (3 - 5) criteria for measuring and monitoring achievement are selected ( M ). It is important that these criteria for measuring intermediate results be sufficiently convenient. One of the common criteria for the measurability of the goal are financial indicators;
- for the selected goals, the exact dates for their achievement are indicated ( T ), then a plan is written in which the intermediate stages of achieving the goals are highlighted.
In the full version, the procedure for assessing and setting goals using the system SMART operates with an excessive number of goals, gradually discarding the goals that received the lowest or most negative ratings at each stage of goal setting.
So, at the first stage, goals that cannot be converted into a specific result are discarded; at the second stage, goals that are insignificant for human activity are reduced; on the third - "unattainable" goals (having a high level of risk, requiring large resource costs, etc.); at the fourth stage, goals are excluded, the feasibility of which is difficult or impossible to control. At the last, fifth, goal-setting stage, a small number of “good” goals remain (usually 5–7) and there is a kind of transition from strategic (long-term) goal-setting to current (short-term) planning.
An example of the application of SMART technology .
Let the original goal be formulated as:
« I want to write a book».
The first point is specificity. In this example, it is missing. Then you should ask yourself the question: “What kind of book do I want to write” or “What will my book be about?”.
Let's say I decide that I want to write a romance novel. The wording of the goal has changed somewhat: I want to write a love story».
However, how big will my novel be? Maybe it will be a short story about a guy's love for a girl, or maybe a work similar to Romeo and Juliet. Let's say it will be a work of at least 500 pages.
Then: " I want to write a romance novel, no less than 500 pages».
Is this goal achievable? If I graduated from the faculty of journalism, then, most likely, this task will not seem so difficult to me. If I just write often, then the task becomes a little more difficult. If I have not been writing for a long time, for example, working as an accountant, then this task will seem difficult to me. Therefore, you should immediately decide whether this goal is feasible for you or if you can set another, say, short-term goal that will help you increase the likelihood of achieving this goal. If it is decided that the goal is achievable, then it is important to take into account all these considerations when determining the timing of the achievement of the goal.
The next point is how realistic this goal is. Nowadays, publishing your own book is not a problem, so you can safely say that the goal is quite real. The question of readers is not taken into account in this formulation.
Last but not least: the time frame. If I set myself certain deadlines, I will be able to properly plan the achievement of this goal and, accordingly, achieve it. How long does it take to write a 500 page novel? For example: "I think 3 years is a reasonable time."
So, the final result of the correct goal setting:
« I will write a romance novel, no less than 500 pages in three years, that is, until xx.xx.xxxx ».
Handout for identifying and analyzing problems in goal setting
Initial position:
Difficulties identified:
Adjusted position:
Conclusions based on the results of the work:
Note! Attach this sheet to the report on the formation of a system of personal goals!
SMART technology
goal setting- this is the definition and setting of goals in any activity. In management, it is one of the important stages of strategic business planning. Term in English - targeting . Goal setting is the foundation of any time management system.
TargetIt is a fixation of the result that must be achieved in a certain period of time. The right goal sets criteria for its identification, that is, it makes it possible to reasonably answer the question of whether the goal has been achieved or not. Distinguish short term and long term goals. The starting point in setting goals is the position of the company. The here and now is for short term purposes. Position in the future - for long-term goals - which should not be confused with the vision and mission.
It is necessary to plan your work in such a way as to achieve the desired result. To do this, you need to set the right goals.
What is a goal?:
- A goal is an image of the desired result.
- A goal is a dream that has a deadline.
Why are goals needed?
- Purpose gives direction.
- The goal indicates how far we have progressed.
- A goal helps make our vision achievable.
- Purpose makes the role of each person more defined.
- Purpose motivates people to achieve better results.
- Purpose brings people together.
When you set clear goals, your consciousness directs you to achieve them!
Each of us has different goals, it is important that they do not contradict each other. Having built a hierarchy of your own goals or company goals, when setting each goal, you need to check how much it corresponds to the strategic goals of the company and its mission. A clearly defined goal fills human activity with meaning. In the absence of such a goal, employees often fall into the "activity trap" - they are constantly busy solving momentary affairs, but this does not lead to the achievement of the company's strategic goals.
To build goals in management, a well-known principle from the social sciences is used - the so-called tree of goals, similar to Maslow's pyramid of needs. The pinnacle in this case is the overall goal of the company. The formation of the next levels is formed in such a way as to ensure the achievement of the goals of a higher level. Each such level of the pyramid-tree describes not a way to achieve the goal, but a specific end result, expressed by some indicator. In any case, the hierarchy of goals is directly related to the structure of the enterprise and its features.
Achieving a goal depends on its formulation, and the first step to business success is well-formed goals.
How should goals be set so that they are achieved and with the result that you need? Goals must be smart. What does this mean? In management practice, there are so-called SMART criteria that goals must meet. SMART - a criterion for accurately defining goals in the process of goal setting.SMART is an abbreviation formed by the first letters of English words:
- specific (specific);
- measurable;
- achievable (attainable);
- significant (relevant);
- correlated with a specific period (time-bounded)
The very word smart translated into Russian and means "smart". Thus, the correct setting of the goal means that the goal is specific, measurable, achievable, meaningful and correlates with a specific deadline.
SMART is one of the acronyms, that is, an abbreviation that also has a meaning as an independent word. Translated from English, the word "smart" means "dexterous, quick, resourceful, energetic, agile."
Unlike balanced scorecards, dozens of financial ratios, SMART technology is as close as possible to the realities of life, does not require unnecessary complicating actions, does not lead into the jungle of "management philosophy", i.e. does not belong to the category of "zaum". In addition, it is known that folk wisdom says that you can control well what you can “hold in your hand”, “count on your fingers”. SMART includes just 5 basic requirements for setting goals, namely:
|
Letter |
Meaning |
Explanation |
|
S |
Specific(Specific) |
Objectives should be stated in the form of clear results. It explains exactly what needs to be achieved.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. Answering the following questions will help you formulate a specific 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. |
|
M |
Measurable(Measurable) |
Goals should be measurable in specific terms. During the goal setting phase, it is necessary to establish specific criteria for measuring the result and the process of achieving the goal.If the indicator is quantitative, then it is necessary to identify the units of measurement, if it is qualitative, then it is necessary to identify the standard of the ratio. For example, "increase the profit of your own enterprise by 25%, relative to the net profit of the current year."Answering the following questions will help you set a measurable goal:
|
|
A |
Attainable, Achievable (Attainable) |
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 on the basis of one's own experience, taking into account all available resources and restrictions. Constraints can be: time resources, investments, labor resources, knowledge and experience of the executor, access to information and resources, the ability to make decisions and the availability of managerial levers for the executor of the goal.Explains how the goal is to be achieved. And is it possible to achieve it at all? For example, "increase the profit of your own enterprise by 25%, relative to the net profit of the current year, by reducing the cost of production, automating resource-intensive operations and reducing the staff employed in the execution of automated operations by 80% of the current number of employees." But to make a round-the-world cruise on a rubber boat is unlikely to succeed. |
|
R |
Relevant(Relevant, meaningful, realistic, acceptable) |
Goals should be realistic and meaningful, that is, achievable by specific performers.Determination of the truth of the goal. Is it possible to achieve the desired goal by completing this task? You need to make sure that this task is really necessary.To determine the significance of the goal, it is important to understand how the solution of a particular problem will contribute to the achievement of the company's global strategic objectives. 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. |
|
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. |
The algorithm for setting goals using the SMART system is as follows:
- a list of possible goals is written and the specification of the result is carried out (its exact description) (S);
- each of the goals is substantiated, a person evaluates the significance of each goal for his activity, and for this, separate criteria can be developed for assessing the importance of goals (for example, on a 10-point scale) (A);
- a person predicts and evaluates the degree of attainability of goals (R), up to the use of numerical estimates of the probability of achieving goals, various attainability coefficients, etc. (for example, also on a 10-point scale);
- for each of the goals, 35 criteria for measuring and monitoring achievement (M) are selected. It is important that these criteria for measuring intermediate results be sufficiently convenient. One of such common criteria for goal measurability is financial indicators.
- for the selected goals, the exact timing of their achievement is indicated, then a plan is written in which the intermediate stages of achieving the goals (T) are highlighted.
The algorithm for assessing and setting goals using the SMART system operates with an excessive number of goals, gradually discarding weak goals that received the lowest or negative ratings at each stage of goal setting.
I stage- goals that cannot be converted into a specific result are discarded;
II stage- goals that are insignificant for human activity are reduced;
Stage III"unattainable" goals are reduced (having a high level of risk, requiring large resource costs, etc.);
IV stage- goals are excluded, the feasibility of which is difficult or impossible to control.
Stage V- there remains a small number of "real" goals (usually 5-7) and there is a kind of transition from strategic (long-term) goal-setting to operational (short-term) planning.
An example of setting goals using the SMART technique.
At the initial stage, it is recommended to set several goals and work out these goals in accordance with all stages of SMART (in the end, you will have 1-2 goals that are most relevant to your enterprise). Suppose a company sets itself the goal of becoming a leading enterprise. This goal - to become a leader - should be indicated in the form of a specific result / results, for example, these: have the maximum number of Customers - become the No. 1 supplier;
Thus, it is not enough to set the goal of "becoming the best", it is necessary to indicate - in what exactly are the best?
The next step is to translate the designated goals into measurable indicators.
For example, like this: to have the maximum number of Customers - to become the No. 1 supplier means:
Increase the number of regular customers from 1200 to 5000 companies;
Ensure the attraction of one-time customers - increase the number of trial calls from 2000 to 7000;
Formulate an attractive competitive offer to 6,000 competitors' customers, and in general reach at least 18,000 customers out of the 20,000 potential customers identified in the market capacity study.
The next step is to assess the feasibility of the set goals. Is there enough production capacity? Are there enough other resources? How will the company, its employees and its environment change in the process of achieving the goals? And a number of other similar questions that allow modeling the goals set from various angles. Here, the assessment of the realism of the goals set is carried out, that is, the search for an answer to the question: can we do just that? By the way, at this stage it does not interfere with assessing the compliance of the goals with the key / core competencies of the enterprise. Core competencies are answers to the following questions: What are we best at? What makes us different? What do we love to do the most? What makes us famous? Simply put, if the core competence of the enterprise is production, then the goal of building its own logistics system may not correspond to the real competencies of the company, and in this case it is better to think about outsourcing logistics functions.
And, finally, the achievement of the goal must necessarily turn into a calendar schedule. This is a typical "ambush" of all managers who do not pay due attention to dates, keeping a certain bright future before their eyes. Moreover, without setting deadlines, this bright future becomes similar to “horizons of business development” – just as unattainable in principle as the horizon line itself.
Here are some more examples of setting SMART goals in a company:
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Direction of the task |
Example of a SMART goal |
The SMART principles include 5 criteria that a goal must meet: specificity, measurability, achievability, relevance, time consistency.
Checking the target for compliance with these criteria allows you to predict some of the problems that will definitely arise in the course of work on the project, to prevent and prepare "emergency exits" in case of an undesirable course of events.
The SMART principle is the universal initiator of project success.
Specific
The goal must be clear and specific. If you cannot succinctly and competently formulate the goal, then it is likely that you yourself do not see the exact picture of the desired result. The goal should not be too general, too lengthy. If your goal is devoid of concretization, then with further work with it, you may have problems in drawing up a plan, working with subordinates, controlling and monitoring.
It's hard to convince people to do things they don't fully understand.
measurable
The most important criterion for goal setting is the ability to measure the results of the achieved goal. For measurement, various (most often digital) indicators are used - indicators of volume, weight, cost, quantity. If a goal cannot be measured in numbers, other indicators of measurement must be found for it.
It is the ability to measure the final results of the stages of work on the project that is the key to successful planning. In addition, measurability is one of the main incentives for completing tasks and a criterion for control - it is difficult to control how they cope with a task that has no limits and boundaries.
Remember It is impossible to control the implementation of the task formulated "approximately".
Achievable
The degree of attainability of a particular goal may be different. In addition, you must be prepared for the fact that in order to achieve the goal you will need additional resources and a margin of time.
If achievability is in doubt, it will be difficult for you to win the support of employees and partners.
It is the tasks that are difficult to implement that lead to the refusal to work on the project at all its stages, it is in the process of achieving these goals that a large number of unforeseen problems arise.
If the goal is too easy to achieve, then there is no point in taking the time to plan the steps to achieve it. It is possible that it will be achieved without much effort in the course of work on the project.
The implementation of an inappropriate goal requires time, effort, costs no less than an appropriate one, but usually does not produce any results and, moreover, can be the cause of problems.
Relevant
To fulfill the principle of relevance (relevance), it is necessary to check how all levels of the pyramid of goals are consistent with each other. Even the smallest sub-goal is a link in the overall chain, so it must be subordinate to the main goal, or mission.
Tasks, work assignments must have common measurement indicators, be fed by the same resources, and be subject to a single control system.
Time-matched
Tasks and work assignments must be coordinated in time. Planning includes the start and finish time of the implementation of all stages of the project. It is important that the sequence of the alternation of stages is observed so that the deadlines for their completion do not overlap, so that the key points of the project are not scheduled at the same time.
Various graphs and charts are used to implement this planning principle.
Clear coordination is one of the main principles of successful planning, therefore, close attention is paid to it in the planning process.