PSYchology

SMART (SMART) is a principle against which it is useful to check the set goals.

According to this principle, the goal should be:

  • Sspecific — specific. Specificity means that the result of the formulation of the goal is the answer to the question: «what to do?». Options: What to achieve? Where? When? With whom? To what extent? etc. In goal setting, there should be no words that do not carry a semantic load (optimal, worthy, etc.), no vague and ambiguous formulations.
  • Measurable — measurable. How do you know that you have already achieved your goal? And to what extent did you achieve it? If we are talking about quantitative measurability, you need to operate with numbers, if about quality, you should attach a task to the formulation of the goal. If there are no metrics, it is not always possible to evaluate the results of the work done.
  • Achievable — achievable. For example, the goal of «become a professional in surgery in 3 months» is hardly achievable. At this point, it is important to soberly take into account professional and personal qualities, while you can set yourself a fairly high “bar” and focus on the intense rhythm of work.

From a letter from N.I. Kozlov: I noticed an interesting peculiarity of my own — Until recently, I very often fell short of the planned plan due to the fact that I sharply set too large and unrealistic tasks. For example, I once wanted to start running in the morning — on the first day I got up and ran about three kilometers at once. I almost fell asleep at work due to fatigue, and the next morning I could hardly move from pain in my muscles. The next time I remembered running in the morning about six months later. And I really realized this feature of my own only recently, when I saw the same thing in the reports of my friend. The strangest thing is that I read about this inefficient behavior so many times. I am glad that sooner or later I understand this.

  • Result-oriented — Result-oriented. Not for the process.
  • Time-limited — limited in time. When setting a goal, it is important to define a deadline, and also to take into account that wording like “complete within 30 days” focuses more on the process than on the result. And the goal “by March 17, call and inform 100 clients from the database, give birth to two children under 30 years old” — gives a reasonable time limit. It is important to indicate the deadline for its execution (dead-line). Even if the goal is ambitious and it is difficult to specify a date, then in any case, it should be related to a certain period.

An example of a goal statement in accordance with the SMART principle

By July 14, write and publish on Psychologos an article “How to work on yourself”, with a volume of at least 1 A4 page, which will interest the participants of the resource, make them want to share their opinion, and also encourage them to make improvements to the article.

SMART goals are well suited to tasks in which a person can clearly and in detail describe the desired result. The main advantage of setting goals according to the SMART principle is the ability to program yourself to achieve them. Having clearly and in detail imagined the result, a person sets himself up to move towards it. However, the SMART principle also has a peculiarity: focusing on a specific tangible result can prevent a person from seeing and using new opportunities that allow them to achieve their goals in a completely different way.

Interpretations and variations of the SMART principle

The SMART principle is not dogmatic. In different sources there are different interpretations of the five points of this principle. For example:

  • S — specific (specific), significant (significant), stretching (flexible)
  • M — measurable (measurable), motivational (motivating or stimulating), manageable (feasible)
  • A — attainable, achievable (achievable), acceptable (desired), ambitious (ambitious), action-oriented (action-oriented), agreed upon (coordinated with higher-level goals)
  • R — realistic (realistic), relevant (significant), reasonable (expedient, based on common sense), rewarding (profitable), result-oriented (result-oriented)
  • T — timely (timely), time-bound (limited by time frames), tangible (real, tangible)

In the case when a manager sets a goal for an employee, he can use the SMARTER principle. This is a variation in which traditional SMART is supplemented with two points that increase the likelihood of achieving the goal, namely:

  • Evaluated — each stage in achieving the goal the manager must evaluate, that is, establish feedback;
  • Rreviewed — the goal should be periodically reviewed and adjusted by the manager based on changes inside and outside the company, for example: in connection with the emergence of new technologies and the death of old ones, market changes, changing consumer tastes, etc.

Other ways of setting a goal are described in the articles How to set goals correctly and How to formulate a goal correctly in working on yourself.

While a person does not weave, has a habit of objecting and plays the Victim, it is pointless to set goals in the SMART format, people resist. First you need to teach people elementary personal adequacy.

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