HOW TO CREATE S.M.A.R.T. GOALS

 

Every business needs goals to stay on track to succeed.  Creating goals can help you plan for business growth as well as guide the team's professional development.

But what makes a goal effective?  We've probably all been through the typical New Year's resolutions: lose weight, exercise more, spend more time with family...the list goes on.  Why aren't we successful with these goals?  Perhaps they aren't S.M.A.R.T!

 

Creating the right goal is based on a simple formula:

S – Specific – be very clear about what the goal is

M – Measurable – ensure it is something measurable, not just “learn about autism”

A – Achievable – make sure the resources are available to allow them to be successful

R – Realistic – while shooting for the moon sounds inspiring, it’s often difficult to reach and can leave the employee with a feeling of “failure” if they fall short

T – Time-bound – ensure there is a specific time frame for achieving each goal

 

This formula allows us to create goals that set us up for success, instead of either not being able to reach the goal at all (because it was unrealistic) or not really being able to tell if we did (because we couldn't measure the results)!

While we still have to stick with it and do the work to achieve the goal, this process offers us a better way to plan and measure our efforts and celebrate our success! 

 

So, next time you're thinking about your goals, be SMART!  Good luck!