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SMART redefined to be really SMART

Libby McCready • April 27, 2021

I am in the goal business. The really BIG goal business. For your life, your business, your career. If you can tell me what you really want, I can help you get there.


Let’s talk about what a goal really is. The purpose of a goal is GROWTH. We are hardwired for growth. The pursuit and achievement of a goal causes us to do something we didn’t know we could do. It pulls us forward, causes us to experiment, gives us courage and is the fun and the stories of life!


Growth is also a standard measure for any business. In business, goals are cascaded down through the organization as divisional, team and individual objectives – a.k.a. SMART goals! But, oh the dread, the agony of objective writing, of crafting a SMART goal! The intention is in the right place. The execution and the process just sucks… so let’s fix it.


Let’s look at SMART in a new light. If the purpose of a goal is growth then the goal, as well as the journey to its achievement should inspire, motivate, challenge and engage. A small change to the language of SMART can make a huge difference.


Instead of Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timebound use this instead:

Specific

Material

Aspirational

Rewarding

Teamwork


SPECIFIC: Goals need specificity. That includes measures of success and a timeframe for achievement (the basics). But it’s more than that… you and your teams should be able to visualize the goal achieved. Focus on the end versus the task – be specific about the difference and the impact of the goal achieved.


MATTERS: Too often goals become giant to-do lists. Align goals to the vision of the organization. As the story goes, a caretaker at NASA was once asked by a senior leader what their job was. His response was, “I’m helping put a man on the moon.” Help your teams understand how their roles and goals matter and fit with achievement of the vision – create alignment and a desire to be a part of something big.


ASPIRATIONAL: Goals are about growth. ‘Stretch’ too often feels like a rubber band about to snap. People don’t want to be stretched, but rather aspired to growth and success.


REWARDING: This is not the compensation structure. I repeat, this is not about compensation. What feelings of satisfaction, pride and recognition will come from the achievement of the goal? Define the rewards up front.


TEAMWORK: It’s rare that goals are achieved in isolation. But dependencies? "Are you going to achieve your goal?" "Depends...". Sounds like a ready-set excuse for missing the mark, right? Instead, define the collaborators and partners that collectively and as a team will support the achievement of the goal. 


Be smart about SMART - that's where you'll find real growth and potential for yourself, your team, your business.

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