Setting the right goals is first step to success. This is because the objectives reflect the vision that the organization has for its own future.
To help us define good objectives, which as a rule should be detailed and concrete, the methodology SMART is a good starting point.
SMART is an acronym made up of the initial letters of the words Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound, which appeared in 1981 in the article "There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives"written by consultant George T. Doran.
Some of the advantages that this methodology can bring to an organization are:
- Standardize the strategic direction the team will follow
- Measuring the efficiency of actions after they have been carried out
- Motivating the team towards the goal: achieving the proposed results
Specific - to be specific
It is important to define objectives in detail so that they are tangible, as general and vague objectives are less effective.
- General objective: "Increase visits to the site"
- Specific objective: Stipulate values: how many visitors to reach, in how much time.
Measurable - define measurable objectives
Objectives must be capable of being measured, in the form of values for example. They need to be measurable so that we can know whether we have achieved the objective or not. It is important to quantify goals.
A - Attainable (define attainable objectives)
Objectives must be achievable - no objectives should be set that are impossible to achieve. Those involved in the project need to feel motivated and not see a goal as impossible, because motivation is crucial to success.
Setting impossible or unattainable goals has a negative impact on teams and generates frustration.
R - Realistic
It's important to know the reality of the teams and organization. It's important to be realistic when defining objectives in order to "keep our feet on the ground". It's important to work with reality, even if it still falls short of our future dreams.
The "R" for Realistic is closely related to the "A" for Attainable, since it is necessary to know the business reality in order to create attainable objectives.
T - Time-bound (set a deadline)
Objectives must be well-defined in terms of deadlines and time, since it is important to structure the right deadlines for a given objective. To do this, it is important to stipulate a time frame for each objective - a dead line for it to be achieved.
When a deadline is set, teams can organize themselves around it and manage their efforts to meet it. Objectives without a deadline wear teams down and become useless.
Tip: Stipulate time in your schedule to achieve your goal.