At work, it’s so important to have goals. They give you something to work towards and help to keep you on track. They give you direction and purpose.They ensure that you and your manager are on the same page.And they increase your level of job satisfaction. You know when a task is performed well and you feel good when your goals are accomplished!

But to be truly effective, your goals can’t be vague or unrealistic. They have to be clear and specific. They have to be SMART!

SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound.

Specific

  • Your goals shouldn’t be general or vague.
  • To be effective, you need to provide specific details about the “who, what, why, when, and where.”

Measurable

  • As you work towards attaining a goal, you need to be able to chart your progress. And you need to know when you’ve successfully accomplished that goal.
  • So when you’re describing a goal, you need to talk about “how much” or “how often” you’ll do something, or “how many” things you’ll produce.

Attainable

  • Your goals should be complex enough to be challenging.
  • At the same time, they must be realistic enough to be within reach.

Relevant

  • Your goals should be related to your major job duties and responsibilities.
  • Your goals should clearly align with the goals of your team, department, and the organization as a whole.

Time bound

  • When writing your goals, you should include a deadline, schedule, or targeted time of completion.