SMART goal setting is most practiced goal setting process. Everybody knows what SMART stand is.
S – Specific / Simple / Sensible
Goals that are specific have a significantly greater chance of being accomplished. To make a goal specific, the five W questions must be considered:
- Who needs to be involved to achieve the goal?
- What are trying to accomplish?
- When to accomplishment deadline
- Where to perform
- Why needs this goal?
M – Motivating / Meaningful
A goal must motivate people or should have meaningful purpose.
- Is the goal motivating individual?
- Do this goal build competence?
- Does this goal create energy or give full stress?
A – Attainable / Achievable / Agreed
This focuses on how important a goal is for individual.
- Is this goal realistic, reasonable and ambitious?
- Dos this require developing new skills or changing attitudes?
- Does this goal remain individual’s control?
R – Relevant / Resourced
Relevance refers focusing on something that makes sense with the broader business goals.
- Does this goal meaningful for the company?
- Does this goal align with company or team goal?
- Does this goal have connection with company’s other goal?
T – Trackable / Time-Bound / Time-based
A goal must have criteria for tracking progress. If there are no criteria, nobody can determine task progress.
- How will goal progress measured?
- How many times?
- What is interval to throughout the process?
Why STRAM approach?
Because the most effective way to write goal statement with Specific (S) and Trackable (T) element beginning.
- Leader should describe Specific goal statement first and give a general deadline
- Leader needs to make sure goal is trackable and explain how performance will be measured.
Once the S and T are in place, the leader and team member can review the other three elements – Relevant (R), Attainable (A) and Motivating (M)—to check if the goal is truly SMART.
- Leader has the responsibility for making the goal Relevant by ensuring the goal is important and that accomplishing the goal will make a difference to the organization.
- Leader and team member work together to make sure the goal is Attainable. It must be realistic and achievable. When a goal is too difficult to accomplish, people may give up—but when it is too easy, people tend to procrastinate.
- Ultimately, each team member determines for themselves if the goal is Motivating by considering if it is exciting and meaningful. Will it drain energy from their work experience or add enjoyment? Will the goal help build competence, relationships, or autonomy?
Happy SMART goal setting, in STRAM way!
