When it comes to goal setting it is important to follow a SMART goal format. This format allows you to make better goals that are easier to see and to set milestones for, as well as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Milestones are check points on the way to achieving a Goal and KPIs allow you to measure the success of your goal and the progress. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound.
There are a variety of free templates available on the web, however, Sprintpoint has some great resources for their smart goal template. When learning about the SMART Goal below outlines the key aspects that you should focus on.
SPECIFIC
Use specific wording to describe your goal, in that it needs to be what is the specific purpose and specific outcomes you want to achieve.
MEASURABLE
What are the key measures for your goal, stating the specific numbers and identifying out what would be considered a success is key to the goal
ACHIEVABLE
Consider your position, resources, and capabilities do you have all the resources possible for you to achieve the goal
REALISTIC
Is the goal in line with the total objectives and values of your organisation. Is it worth the time and effort? Will it hit other goals?
TIMELY
Make sure there is a time component of your goal, what is the deadline to achieve the goal.
SPECIFIC
Use specific wording to describe your goal, in that it needs to be what is the specific purpose and specific outcomes you want to achieve.
MEASURABLE
What are the key measures for your goal, stating the specific numbers and identifying out what would be considered a success is key to the goal
ACHIEVABLE
Consider your position, resources, and capabilities do you have all the resources possible for you to achieve the goal
REALISTIC
Is the goal in line with the total objectives and values of your organisation. Is it worth the time and effort? Will it hit other goals?
TIMELY
Make sure there is a time component of your goal, what is the deadline to achieve the goal.
When it comes to the goal setting it is best to break them into several chunks of time as set out below.
Long
These goals are the long-term outcomes for your business and should be directly aligned with the vision of your business. Consider these as your 5 year or greater goals for your business.
Medium
These are the goals that you are hoping to achieve that are greater than 1 year but less than 5. The goals should be more specific, and time bound than the long-term goals, while being milestones to help achieve longer-term goals.
Short
These goals are to be achieved in less than a year and feed into the medium-term goals, they should be the most specific and timebound goals, with specific KPI’s build in to measure the outcomes.
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