SMART Goals

I first learned about SMART goals about two years ago. I learned that they were Specific, Measurable, Agreed-upon, Realistic and Time-bound.

About three month later, I came across a new definition: Specific and Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Since then, I have seen a plethora of SMART goals, each with its own combination of adjectives.

I think that all of the definitions are very good, and they are all trying to describe the same thing. This post is designed to be a definitive list. My aim is not to achieve a consensus as to what a SMART goal is, but to provide a list of adjectives that you can mix and match to suit your needs.

Please comment if you know of another definition.

S
Specific - Who, What, Why, When, Where, How
Specific and Measurable
Specific performance area

M
Measurable - Concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal, measurable in ratio or interval terms
Motivating

A
Attainable - A stretch goal, but not an extreme goal
Agreed upon - All stakeholders agree to the goal
Achievable - Realistic given the situation, resources and time
Action oriented - Contains action steps
Aligned - Goals should align with the organization goals
Audacious

R
Realistic - Achiever is willing and able to complete goal; Goal is possible
Relevant - Goal is aligned with the company mission
Results focused

T
Tangible - Experienced through the five senses, does not involve personality or behavior
Time bound (Time framed) - Realistic time frames; Time table; attainable within a certain time period
Timely (Time stamped) - Target date is set
Trackable - Progress can be monitored

(E encompassing
R Reviewed frequently)

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09/18/07

Here's one for the designers among us:

Dance of Objectives:
R - Reasonable
U - Understandable
M - Measureable
B - Behavioral
A - Attainable

If you ask me, there's way too much lipstick on that pig. Good objectives can be graded on three easy tests:

• What must the learner do with the information/skills after the training?
• Of this, what can you guarantee the learner will be able to do after the training?
• Of this, what can you test in the training environment?