Write better SMART goals with these tips and examples
Every team that’s accomplished something phenomenal first had to set goals to get there. Teams that set goals can do great things like cure diseases , build more efficient and sustainable appliances , or make our oceans safer for whales and dolphins . When we set goals, we can visualize where we want to go and put our best foot forward to get there.
But hitting an ambitious goal isn’t just about reaching for the stars—you also need a path to get there. That’s where SMART goals come in. SMART is an acronym that can help you define and set great goals. With SMART, you can make sure every goal—from project goals all the way to larger company objectives—has everything you need to achieve it. Here’s how.
What is a SMART goal?
SMART is an acronym to help you create defined, falsifiable, and attainable goals. SMART stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound
The SMART acronym is a shortcut to setting great goals because it includes all of the ingredients you need for success. Here’s how to break down and approach each piece:
Specific
Keep in mind that you’re setting your SMART goal to attain a specific objective—not a broad one. You don’t just want any initiative to succeed, you want your specific project to succeed. To make sure you can achieve them, make sure your goals are specific to what you’re working on.
Measurable
The “M” in SMART stands for measurable, which helps you evaluate the success or failure of your project. Your goals should have some sort of objective way to measure them—whether that’s a deadline, a number, a percent change, or some other measurable element.
Achievable
You don’t want your goals to be easy to achieve—but you also want to make sure you’re setting goals that you could, conceivably, hit. Achievable says that your goals shouldn't be totally outside the realm of possibility. Ask yourself this question: Is the goal within your project scope ? If not, it’s not Achievable.
Stretch goals are goals that are purposefully challenging. For example, if you usually get 30,000 monthly visitors to your website, a stretch goal would be to get 50,000 monthly visitors. That’s a big increase! But this stretch goal is still within the realm of possibility. Make sure you make your stretch goals ambitious, not impossible—like aiming to go from 30,000 monthly visitors to 300,000 monthly visitors, for example.
Realistic
The “A” and “R” of SMART are closely related. In addition to setting Achievable goals, you also want to set Realistic ones. For example, maybe a goal is achievable, but getting there would require every team member to work overtime for six weeks straight. Even though it might be an achievable goal, it’s not a realistic one. Make sure yours is both by creating a clear resource management plan .
Time-bound
Your SMART goal should have an end date. Without a time limit, your project could drag on, have unclear success metrics , and suffer from scope creep . If you haven’t already, make sure you outline a clear project timeline .
What are the benefits of SMART goals?
Making sure your important goals have all of the SMART components might be more time-consuming than setting regular goals, but the value you get from SMART goals outweigh the additional time spent on the goal-setting process. Goals shouldn’t be something you set and forget—they’re a key part of your project planning process. By setting SMART goals, you and your team will have:
Clear communication and alignment. When your project team knows exactly what they’re working towards, they’re more motivated and aligned as a team. Team members who know how their individual work contributes to broader company goals are 2X as motivated as their counterparts, so setting and sharing SMART goals can help you boost your entire team’s motivation.
Clarity towards project success. Have you ever gotten to the end of a project and not really known if you hit your project goals or not? SMART goals help you set clear goals, so you can avoid vague or confusing goal language.
Clear roadmap & finish line. With SMART goals, you know exactly what you want to achieve and which time frame you expect to achieve them by. You’ve verified that these goals are realistic and achievable. And you know you’ll be able to measure them to see if you hit them or not.
Trackable metrics. When you finish your project, SMART goals help you evaluate its success. Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t achieve it. In fact, at UDN Task Manager , we aim to hit about 70% of our goals. That way, we know we’re setting challenging—but possible—goals. Whether you hit your goal or not, SMART goals can help you evaluate your goal, and you can learn from that.
5 examples of SMART goals
Ready to get started? Before you write your own SMART goals, here are five examples of SMART goals and how each goal meets the SMART criteria.
1. Business goal
Example: Produce at least three different types of large-scale marketing assets (e.g. ebook, webinar, videos, sales one- or two-pagers) per month for Q1.
Why it’s SMART: This goal is specific , measurable , achievable and realistic (this depends on how many project team members there are, but we can assume there are enough to cover the three assets per month), and time-bound .
2. Team goal
Example: The product team will partner on five cross-functional projects focused on usability testing, customer surveys, customer marketing, or research and development during the first half of FY22.
Why it’s SMART: This goal is specific , measurable , achievable (five projects in six months), realistic (the project spans the entire product team), and time-bound .
3. Professional goal
Example: During 2021, I will develop my management skills through mentorship, with at least two mentees from either our company Employee Resource Groups or my alumni network.
Why it’s SMART: This goal is specific , measurable , achievable and realistic (this person has given themselves two different avenues through which to find mentees), and time-bound .
4. Personal goal
Example: I will train to run the March San Diego half marathon in less than two hours.
Why it’s SMART: This goal is specific , measurable , achievable (two hours is an ambitious but doable pace for most runners with proper training), realistic (this person has established they will train in preparation for the half marathon), and time-bound .
5. Nonprofit goal
Example: We will provide 100 hours of free tutoring for middle school students in math and history during the month of February.
Why it’s SMART: This goal is specific , measurable , achievable and realistic (depending on the amount of volunteers the nonprofit has), and time-bound .
SMART goal-setting template
When you’re ready to set your own SMART goal, start by writing your project goal as a sentence or two. Then, apply each of the five SMART attributes to your goal and make sure you cover all of your bases. When you’re ready to get started, use this template:
Initial goal:
Example: I want to improve our company brand on social media.
Make it Specific:
Example, continued: Improve our company brand on Instagram with company-specific hashtags.
Make it Measurable:
Example, continued: Develop company-specific hashtags to generate 1,000 new Instagram followers.
Make it Achievable:
Example, continued: Develop and use company-specific hashtags, in conjunction with popular hashtags in our industry, to generate 1,000 new Instagram followers.
Make it Realistic:
Example, continued: Post once daily on Instagram, and ensure every post has a mixture of company-specific hashtags and popular hashtags in our industry in order to generate 1,000 new Instagram followers.
Make it Time-bound:
Example, continued: Post every workday on Instagram for the first half of FY22. Ensure every post has a mixture of company-specific hashtags and popular hashtags in our industry in order to generate 1,000 new Instagram followers by June 30th.
What to do after creating your SMART goals
Do you track your goals in emails, meetings, or spreadsheets? If so, you’re not alone. According to the UDN Task Manager Goals Report , 53% of businesses track their goals via email, 36% track them in spreadsheets, and 31% track them in in-person meetings.
The challenge with tracking your goals is finding a way to connect your goals with your team’s daily work. You’ve taken all of this time to create a SMART goal—keeping it front of mind can help you make sure you achieve it. At UDN Task Manager , we believe goals should be closely connected to the work they’re, well, connected to. Here’s how you can do that:
1. Share your SMART goals with project stakeholders and team members
At the start of the project, make sure you surface your SMART goals to everyone involved in the work. Your SMART goals should guide your whole team as you work on project deliverables, so you know exactly whether or not you hit your project objectives.
The best way to do that is with a work management tool like UDN Task Manager . That way, your team has a central source of truth with all information in the same place—from your daily work all the way to your project’s goals. Instead of hiding your goals in docs, decks, and other hard-to-find places, connect them to your daily work so everyone is motivated, focused, and on the same page.
2. Check in on progress regularly
In addition to sharing your SMART goals with your team at the beginning of your project, make sure you periodically measure the progress you’ve made towards your goal. You don’t want to work on the project and then find, at the very end of the work, that you’ve missed your goals. You’ve worked hard to set specific, measurable goals for a reason—you can use them as your north star, and course correct during your project if necessary.
The best way to regularly check in on your SMART goals is to send weekly project status updates . Status updates are a great way for you to highlight the important work your team did, any upcoming milestones, and whether or not you’re on track.
3. Evaluate your success
SMART goals bring clarity to your goal-setting process—so you can gauge exactly whether or not you hit your project goals. If you did, it’s time to celebrate! And even if you didn’t, having such clear goals—and checking in on your goals regularly—can help you best identify what went wrong and where you can do better next time.
Remember, not hitting your goals doesn’t mean your project was a total failure. You may have purposefully set a stretch goal to challenge yourself or your team. Even if you didn’t set a stretch goal, it’s more important to calmly evaluate why you missed your target rather than pretend it didn’t happen. That way, you can learn from your mistakes and bring those learnings with you the next time you set SMART goals.
Set smarter goals
SMART goals can help your team succeed by bringing clarity into the goal-setting and project management process. When your team has clarity and is moving in the same direction, they’re more likely to be motivated and to know what work to prioritize.
