What are SMART goals with examples and template?

Summary

SMART is a methodology for setting goals. It’s an acronym that explains the basic characteristics of SMART goals. They must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. We explain how to define SMART goals for your company or project and show you examples of SMART goals so you can create your own. Update 01/02/24: In this update, we’ve added more information to help you understand what SMART goals are.

Every team that has achieved something phenomenal first had to set goals to get there. Teams that set SMART goals can do great things like cure diseases , make 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 do our best to get there.

But achieving an ambitious goal isn’t just about shooting 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 big goals. With the SMART methodology, you can ensure that every objective—from project objectives to broader company goals—has everything you need to achieve them. Find out how.

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What are SMART goals and what do their acronyms stand for?

The meaning of SMART in English is intelligent, but when we talk about project management, we’re also referring to the acronym that helps you set realistic, defined, and achievable goals. This acronym first appeared in 1981 when author George T. Doran first defined it. SMART stands for the following:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound

The SMART method is a shortcut to setting clear, smart, and relevant goals because it includes all the ingredients necessary for success. Below, we’ll show you how to break down and address these SMART criteria and what each condition means:

Specific Objectives (Specific)

Keep in mind that you’re setting a SMART objective to achieve a specific goal, not a general one. The SMART method doesn’t aim for the success of any initiative; you want your specific project to succeed. The S in SMART stands for “specific.” To ensure you can achieve them, make sure your objectives are specific to the work you’re doing. Setting concrete and specific goals is a SMART criterion for making your project more achievable. You might be interested in first understanding the difference between general and specific objectives.

Measurable objectives

The “M” in SMART stands for measurable and defines an essential SMART criterion of this methodology: objectives must be measurable, as this will help you evaluate the success or failure of your project. Your objectives should have some objective way of measuring them, whether it be a deadline, a number, a percentage change, or some other quantifiable element. A great way to measure both short- and long-term objectives is through key performance indicators (KPIs) , as this methodology helps you gauge how your team is progressing toward the most relevant goals. A measurable objective is one that can be achieved.

Achievable goals

It’s not advisable to set goals that are easy to achieve, but on the other hand, you should make sure you’re setting realistic, achievable goals. When we say achievable, we mean that your goals shouldn’t be completely out of the realm of possibility. Ask yourself this question: Is the goal within the scope of your project ? If not, it’s not achievable.

What happens to ambitious goals?

“Stretchy goals” are those that are purposefully challenging. For example, if you normally have 30,000 visits per month on your website, a stretch goal would be 50,000 visits per month. That’s a huge increase! But this stretch goal is still within the realm of possibility. Make sure your stretch goals are challenging, not impossible, such as trying to go from 30,000 visits per month to 300,000 visits per month.

Realistic goals

The letters “A” and “R” in SMART are closely related. In addition to setting “achievable” goals, you also want them to be “realistic.” For example, perhaps a goal is achievable, but achieving it would require every team member to work overtime for six weeks straight. While this might be an achievable goal, it’s not realistic. Make sure yours has both characteristics by creating a clear resource management plan .

Time-bound

Your SMART goal must have an end date. With the SMART method, you need to define a deadline. Without a defined timeframe, your project could drag on, have unclear success metrics, and scope creep could arise . If you haven’t already, be sure to define a clear project timeline .

Differences between SMART objectives and SMART goals

Although the terms objective and target are often used interchangeably, the truth is that, at least in project management, the two terms have different meanings. Goals are more general, and objectives are more specific. Although both terms refer to something you want to happen in the future, a goal is the destination you want to reach, while objectives are the milestones necessary to reach that destination.

Generally, goals are defined over a longer period, while objectives are typically established over shorter periods. For example, you can establish an annual goal defined in your business strategy, which can be achieved by defining objectives in the strategies of a marketing, sales, or financial plan . Thus, objectives are more often used by the different departments of the company.

You can, and in fact it is advisable, to apply the SMART method to your goals and objectives.

What is the SMART method for?

Ensuring your important goals have all the SMART components can take more time than setting regular goals, but the value you gain from defining SMART goals outweighs the additional time spent on setting them. Goals shouldn’t be something you set and then 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 toward, they feel more motivated and aligned as a team. Team members who understand how their individual work contributes to relevant company goals are doubly motivated compared to other colleagues, so setting and sharing SMART goals can help boost the motivation of your entire team.
Clarity on the path to project success . Have you ever reached the end of a project and not known whether you actually achieved your project objectives or not? SMART goals help you set clear, intelligent goals and thus avoid using ambiguous or confusing goal language.
Clear roadmap and finish line . With the SMART method, you know exactly what you want to achieve and how long you expect to do it. You’ve verified that these goals are realistic and achievable. And you know you’ll be able to measure them to see whether or not they’ve been achieved.
Metrics you can track . When you finish your project, SMART goals will help you evaluate success. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t achieve them. In fact, at Asana, we aim to achieve about 70% of our goals. That way, we know we’re setting challenging, but achievable, goals. Whether you achieve your goal or not, SMART goals can help you evaluate your goal, and you can learn from it.
Effective time management. SMART goals will help you set realistic timeframes. This will allow teams to be more effective and keep project time on schedule.
Continuous improvement. You now have metrics to monitor thanks to your SMART goals, so it will now be much easier for you to define continuous improvement processes for your projects or company.
Improved profitability. This continuous improvement of processes and measurement of your results will lead to increased profitability for your project or business.

5 examples of SMART goals

Ready to get started? Before you write your own SMART goals, here are five SMART goal examples and how each meets the SMART criteria.

1. SMART business objective

SMART Goal Example : Produce at least three different types of large-scale marketing assets (e.g., eBook, webinar, videos, one- or two-page sales brochure) per month during the first quarter.
Why is it SMART? This goal is specific (large-scale marketing assets) , measurable (three different types) , achievable and realistic (this depends on the number of project team members, but we can assume there are enough to cover all three assets per month), and time-bound (per month for the first quarter) .

2. SMART team goal

SMART Goal Example : The product team will work on five projects with other departments, focusing on usability testing, customer surveys, customer marketing, or research and development during the first half of fiscal year 2022.
Why is it SMART? This objective is specific (projects focused on usability testing, customer surveys, customer marketing, or research and development) , measurable (five cross-functional projects) , achievable (five projects within six months), realistic (the project spans the entire product team), and time-bound (within the first half of fiscal year 2022) .

3. SMART professional objective

SMART Goal Example : During 2021, I will develop my management skills through mentoring, with at least two mentees from our company’s Employee Resource Groups or my alumni network.
Why is it SMART? This goal is specific (management skills through mentoring) , measurable (at least two mentees) , achievable and realistic (this person has established two different avenues through which to find mentees), and time-bound (within 2021) .

4. Personal SMART goal

SMART Goal Example : I will train to run the March San Diego Half Marathon in under two hours.
Why is it SMART? This goal is specific (San Diego Half Marathon) , measurable (under two hours) , achievable (two hours is ambitious but doable for most runners with proper training), realistic (this person has established that they will train to prepare for the half marathon), and time-bound (March) .

5. Non-profit objective

SMART Goal Example : We will provide 100 hours of free math and history tuition for high school students during the month of February.
Why is it SMART? This goal is specific (tutoring high school students in math and history) , measurable (100 hours) , achievable and realistic (depending on the number of volunteers the nonprofit has), and time-bound (during the month of February) .

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Template to create your SMART goals

When you’re ready to set your own SMART goals, start by writing your project objective in a sentence or two. Then, apply each of the five SMART attributes to your goal, making sure you consider all the necessary aspects. We’ll help you with this easy and useful SMART goal template:

Initial Goal : Write down your initial goal. Don’t worry if it’s not completely SMART; we’ll cover that later in the template.

Example: I want to improve our company’s branding on social media.

Be specific : Does your goal define exactly what you want to do? If not, reframe it so it’s specific to your particular project.

Continuing with the example, we improved our company’s branding on Instagram with company-specific hashtags .

Make it measurable : Have you already established how you’ll measure your SMART goal once the project is complete? If not, add how you’ll measure success or failure at the end of your project.

Continuing with the example, develop company-specific hashtags to generate 1,000 new Instagram followers.

Make it achievable : Is your SMART goal something you can achieve, considering the scope of your project? Make sure this specific goal is within the capabilities of your project.

Continuing with the example, we developed and used company-specific hashtags , along with popular hashtags in our industry, to generate 1,000 new Instagram followers.

Keep it realistic : Can the project team reasonably achieve your SMART goal? Even if it’s an ambitious goal, make sure it’s something you can achieve with your resources.

Continuing with the example, post once a day on Instagram and ensure each post includes a combination of company-specific hashtags and popular hashtags in your industry to generate 1,000 new Instagram followers.

Keep it time-bound : When will you achieve your goal? Make sure you clarify the project’s target date or timeline in your SMART goal.

Continuing with the example, we will post every business day on Instagram during the first half of fiscal year 2022. We will ensure that each post includes a combination of company-specific hashtags and popular hashtags in our industry to generate 1,000 new Instagram followers by June 30.

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How to work with the SMART method

Do you track your goals through emails, meetings, or spreadsheets? If so, you’re not alone. According to the Asana Goal Report , 53% of companies track their goals through email, 36% track them in spreadsheets, and 31% track them in in-person meetings.

The challenge of tracking your goals is finding a way to connect them to your team’s daily work. You’ve taken all this time to create a SMART goal; keeping it in mind can help ensure you achieve it. At Asana, we believe goals should be closely connected to the work they’re associated with. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:

1. Share your SMART goals with project stakeholders and team members

At the beginning of the project, be sure to share your SMART goals with everyone involved. Your SMART goals should guide your entire team as you work on project deliverables, so you know exactly whether or not you’ve met the project objectives.

The smartest way to do this is with a work management tool like Asana. That way, your team will have a central source of information with everything from your daily work to your project goals in one place. Instead of hiding your goals in documents, slides, and other hard-to-find places, connect them to your daily work so everyone stays motivated, focused, and on the same page.

2. Monitor progress regularly

In addition to sharing your SMART goals with your team at the beginning of the project, be sure to periodically measure the progress you’ve made toward your goal. You don’t want to work on the project only to discover, at the end of it all, that you didn’t meet your goals. You worked hard to set specific, measurable goals for a reason; you can use them as your “norm” and correct course during the project if necessary.

The best way to regularly monitor your SMART goals is to send weekly project status updates . Status updates are a great way to highlight important work your team has completed, upcoming milestones, and whether or not they’re on track.

3. Evaluate your success

SMART goals bring clarity to the goal-setting process, so you can accurately assess whether or not your project objectives have been met. If you’ve achieved them, it’s time to celebrate! And even if you haven’t, having clear goals and monitoring them regularly can help you gain greater control and better identify what went wrong and what you can improve for next time.

Remember, not meeting your goals doesn’t mean your project was a total failure. You may have intentionally set a stretch goal to challenge yourself or your team. But even if you didn’t set a stretch goal, it’s more important to calmly evaluate why you didn’t reach your goal rather than pretending nothing happened. That way, you can learn from your mistakes and apply what you learned the next time you set SMART goals.

SMARTER method, an extension of the SMART method

The SMARTER method is an extension of the SMART goal-setting method. The SMARTER method adds two additional acronyms: E for Evaluation and R for Review. With R for Review, the SMARTER method adds the requirement for these goals to be adjusted after a necessary review of whether or not they are being met. This completes the process of creating and monitoring SMART goals.

The DUMB method

The DUMB method is, in a way, a critique of SMART goals. The term DUMB means “dumb” or “stupid.” The method, created by author Brendon Burchard, aims to encourage managers to continue dreaming and set less realistic but perhaps more motivating goals. The acronym for the DUMB method stands for:

Dream Driven: DUMB goals should be driven by dreams, the aspiration for the ideal that the manager has in mind.
Uplifting: A DUMB goal is an inspiring and motivating goal, so the formulation of the DUMB goal as opposed to the SMART goal should also be encouraging.
Method Friendly: The DUMB goal should allow us to be guided by a method that helps us achieve the goal.
Behavior-driven: Goals that push us to improve our attitude and lead growth through learning and performance.

Set smarter goals with SMART goals

SMART goals can help your team succeed by bringing clarity to the goal-setting and project management processes. When your team is clear and moving in the same direction intelligently, its members are more likely to be motivated and know what work to prioritize.

To learn more about keeping your team connected, read about the benefits of project management .

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