Goal Setting - SMART Target Steps

The course content was excellent, thorough and well structured. If only I'd had this 15 years ago at the start of my professional career, things might have been a bit easier! The trainer's...

Mark Summerfield East Sussex County Council

Rated 4.9/5, based on 568 reviews.

Customer Reviews

Setting Goals: SMART Targets

SMART targets like you've never seen before.

Goals are essential to your success because “Success” means, “the achievement of a goal”.
The first step to achieving a goal is to set it.

Set Specific Goals

A vague goal is useless, since it lacks clarity.
Your Goals need to be specific, not vague.
To help you make your goals more specific, we have created this SMART App.
It is based upon the SMART target formula: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and with a Time deadline.

What is your SMART goal?

Show Example

Clear Boxes

1. What is the goal or delegated task?
Write the goal as a broad statement, in one simple sentence.

2. If you can, specify the goal numerically
Quantify the goal using numbers. If possible, make the goal a quantitative goal. Put numbers on it: how many, what dates, how much, how frequently, what percentage, what rate?

3. Specify the task more clearly
Give a more definitive word description of the task - make sure you define any vague or unclear terms. Assume that anything that could be misunderstood, will be misunderstood, unless you define your terms exactly. (For example: 'appropriately dressed' is a term that would need to be defined.)

4. Measurement of feedback
Name the method by which you will measure the progress. What will you take as the measure of your progress? How will you determine how well the goal is progressing?
How will you communicate with other members of your team; and how often will you communicate with each other?

5. Are any additional abilities required?
Do you (or the delegate) have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience that will allow for the proper completion of the goal? What additional skills, knowledge and information is needed and how will this be gained?

6. Are any additional resources required?
Do you (or the delegate) have access to the necessary material resources, such as money, other people and technology, that will allow for the proper completion of the task? If no, what additional resources need to be put into place, and how will these resources be gained?

7. Time deadline
What is the deadline by which the task should be concluded?

8. Is the deadline reasonable or over optimistic?
Is that deadline 'reasonable' given all the facts and the existing workload?

Finished?

Now you've finished the steps, you can either print this page or email it to yourself and/or a delegate:

Enter your email address:
Optionally, enter a delegate's email:

Send email

You may benefit from attending our personal development course.

SMART Delegation - Smart like you’ve never seen it before

Sometimes, you need to delegates tasks. Delegation is the act of entrusting a task to another.
When you delegate, you are setting a goal for others to achieve. So, you owe it to the others to explain the task in the form of a well-worded, SMART target.
Then they will be more likely to complete it properly!
Use this SMART App to help you describe the delegated task, to ensure that you have explained it properly, with no chance of misunderstanding or error.

Let's Get Social

If you think a friend might enjoy this, please share it with them:

Share on Facebook

Tweet on Twitter

Email a Friend

Drag this button: SMART Goal Web-Widget to your bookmarks bar or desktop to save it for use later.

Goal Setting Articles From Our Blog

Get There Faster: Our Guide to Achieving Goals by Slowing Down

6 August 2024

"Rushing often leads to mistakes. Learn how slowing down can help you reach your goals faster by reducing errors and increasing efficiency. Discover the benefits of a mindful approach in our latest blog.
If you want to achieve goals faster, try slowing down. We want to get things done fast and see quick results. But there is a simple truth: to reach goals faster, we should slow down. This may sound strange but think about it. When we rush, we tend to make mistakes. These errors take time to fix. If you take a deep breath and go slow, you make fewer mistakes. The time you save by not having to fix things adds up. In the end, you...

Continue Reading >
How to Create Smart Goals

18 October 2022

Use our free tool to create SMART goals. By expanding the SMART goal model to become eight SMART questions/answers, you will have the necessary information to write detailed practical plans and turn your goals into reality.
How to Create SMART Goals Definition: SMART Goals are a structured method for setting goals and planning for their achievement. The acronym SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-limited. In more detail, the SMART model is expanded to become 8 SMART questions, which may be visualised like this: 8 Part SMART...

Continue Reading >
When to Use the P.D.C.A. Model

9 August 2022

Do you use the PDCA continuous improvement model? PDCA helps you achieve your goals in a logical, systematic way. This blog explains when and how to use the PDCA model to its best advantage.
When to Use the Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) Model Definition: PDCA is a continuous improvement method, and means; Plan, Do, Check, Act. PDCA is used...

Continue Reading >