SMART Goals – 5 Questions To Ask When Writing Goals
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
We all know of successful organizations and often wonder how they do it.
It may be a competitor, a vendor you do business with, or a healthcare facility down the street.
The success of these organizations can be attributed to one thing. They know where they are headed and have a detailed plan for how to get there.
As they say, the devil is in the details. This is why it is so important to develop goals that help the organization achieve its objectives.
What Is The Secret To Goal Success?
The key to accomplishing any goal (whether personal or professional), is to write it down and keep a focus on it.
This concerted focus is important for a couple of reasons.
First, there is something psychological about putting pen to paper. It validates your commitment to seeing the end result. Write down your goals and make them visible on your desk.
Secondly, it is a reminder of what you committed to and tests your determination to see the goal accomplished.
It is always easier to think and say you are going to do something. However, it is much more difficult to see that idea to the finish line.
It is important to think through the details of your goals to ensure you are able to accomplish them.
This strategy is where the SMART Goals model of planning can be really helpful.
SMART Goals are a great way to help you identify and target goal attainment.
5 Questions To Ask When Writing Goals
Let’s start by explaining what a SMART Goal is. SMART is an acronym for the goal planning process. Go through each and simply ask the question.
SMART
1. Specific – Is the goal specific enough for clarity?
2. Measurable – Is there a way to measure the goal? In other words, how do you know you achieved the goal?
3. Attainable – Is the goal truly attainable? Or is it such an outlandish goal that it looks good on paper but is nearly impossible to complete?
4. Realistic – Did you write the goal realistically? For example, did you address all the challenges of completing the goal and provide the necessary resources to get it done?
5. Timely – Is there a timeline associated with the goal to ensure a completion date, and is it the best time to tackle this goal?
Example of SMART Goals
As an example, let’s say if you had a goal to lose weight.
To accomplish this, you would need to have a target of how much weight you want to lose, and in what time frame, correct?
Let’s look at this example:
Goal: I will lose 15 pounds starting January 2nd by cutting out desserts and snacks and by controlling my portion sizes.
I will accomplish this in three months.
Ok, let’s look at this goal one point at a time:
Is it Specific?
Yes – losing 15 pounds is very specific.
If you had said that you just want to lose “some weight” starting January 2nd, it would not be specific enough to target.
Yes – whether or not you lose the 15 pounds in the three-month period is the measure. Either you did or didn’t.
Is it Attainable?
Yes – changing your diet and portion sizes is very attainable.
If you didn’t specify “how” you were going to lose weight, it may not be attainable.
The goal is to think through what it will take to get it done.
Is it Realistic?
Yes – if you had a goal to lose 15 pounds in two weeks, that would not be realistic.
Understanding the challenges before you embark on completing a goal will help you to be realistic with your planning.
Is It Timely?
Yes – If the goal to start the diet was to, say, the third week in November, right before the holidays, it may not be good timing for the diet.
But since it begins in January, it is very timely. But it also has a timeline that is used to hold yourself accountable.
This is an oversimplified example, but I think you get the point.
Now, let’s try a business goal.
Example of a Business Goal
Let’s say you own a restaurant, and the current inflation has hit your bottom line pretty hard. You realize that if you want to stay in business, you will need to make some adjustments to your budget.
You realize that your supply costs have increased by 20% over the course of the last year, and you need to reduce those expenses.
It won’t be easy to shave 20% off of this line item, but if you can reduce that expense by 10%, it will make the difference in staying in business. So, your goal is to find savings by eliminating some unnecessary supply expenses without impacting the quality of your food products.
Goal: Reduce operating expenses by 10% or $10,000 ($100,000X 10%). We will achieve this goal by eliminating unnecessary supply and operational costs. We will complete this goal by December 31, 20xx.
Now let’s go through the SMART Goal model:
Is it Specific?
Yes – The goal states that we will eliminate overall operational expenses by 10% or $10,000.
Is it Measurable?
Yes, the measure is 10%. We will know we achieved the goal if we can eliminate $10,000 in expenses.
Is it Attainable?
Yes, we believe that there are excess operating expenses that can be eliminated to achieve the $10,000 goal.
Is it Realistic?
Yes, we may not be able to reduce expenses by 20%, but we believe that there is a $10,000 opportunity for savings.
Is It Timely?
Yes, we have a date by which we need to have this goal accomplished. The timing of the goal is good because there is an urgency to reduce these expenses.
It is easier than you think.
It might be a little intimidating at first. But start by writing down one goal. Set your targets and timeline, and you might be surprised at how achievable attaining goals can be.
Put some time and thought into what you want to achieve, write it down, and test it against the SMART Goals model, and you will be amazed at how far you get with reaching your objectives!
