Work Methodologies DefinedTerm

SMART Goals

Also known as: SMART Goals, SMART Objectives, SMART Criteria

Criteria for defining goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Updated: 2026-01-04

Definition

SMART is an acronym defining criteria for well-formulated goals. Published by George T. Doran in 1981 in “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives”, it formalizes Peter Drucker’s Management by Objectives (MBO) practices.

S - Specific: clear and precise goal, not vague M - Measurable: with quantifiable metrics to track progress A - Achievable/Attainable: ambitious but realistic given situation R - Relevant: aligned to broader goals (team, org, life) T - Time-bound: with specific deadline

The five criteria in detail

Specific: avoid vague goals like “improve productivity”. Specify “reduce average delivery time from 2 weeks to 1 week for type A features”. Who, what, where, when, why.

Measurable: define concrete metrics. “Increase customer satisfaction” becomes “increase NPS from 30 to 45”. Metrics allow knowing when goal is achieved.

Achievable: balance ambition and realism. Consider resources, skills, and constraints. “Grow revenue 1000%” in 1 month isn’t achievable; 20% in 1 year might be.

Relevant: align to strategic priorities. If org focuses on retention, massive acquisition goal might not be relevant. Ask “why does this goal matter?”.

Time-bound: specify deadline. “By Q2 2026” or “by December 31”. Without deadline, goals become wishful thinking. Timeframe creates urgency and focus.

Practical application

NON-SMART example: “I want to get better at machine learning”

  • Not specific (which aspect of ML?)
  • Not measurable (how to measure “better”?)
  • Not time-bound (when?)

SMART example: “Complete Stanford CS229 course and implement 3 ML projects (classification, regression, clustering) with over 85% accuracy by June 30, 2026”

  • Specific: specific course, 3 projects with defined types
  • Measurable: 3 projects, over 85% accuracy
  • Achievable: 6 months for course + projects is realistic
  • Relevant: if career goal is ML engineering
  • Time-bound: June 30, 2026

Variants and extensions

SMARTER: adds E (Evaluated - periodically evaluated) and R (Reviewed/Rewarded - reviewed and rewarded). Emphasizes monitoring and feedback loops.

SMART+C: adds C (Collaborative), recognizing many goals require teamwork.

Alternative interpretations:

  • A: Agreed (agreed with stakeholders) vs Achievable
  • R: Realistic vs Relevant
  • T: Trackable vs Time-bound

SMART vs OKR

OKR (Objectives and Key Results) has overlap but key differences:

  • SMART: individual or team goals, success is 100% achievement
  • OKR: aspirational goals, success is 70-80%, focus on stretch

SMART and OKR are complementary: OKR Key Results can be formulated as SMART goals.

Limitations and criticisms

Incrementalism: SMART favors “safe” and predictable goals. Innovation also requires moonshot goals that violate “Achievable”. Balance SMART with BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals).

Rigidity: over-focus on measurable can neglect important qualitative goals (e.g., “improve team culture”). Not everything that counts is easily measurable.

Short-termism: time-bound often leads to quarterly/yearly focus. Some strategic goals require longer horizons (3-5 years).

Individual bias: SMART born for individual goal-setting. For team goals, adding Collaborative and Agreed becomes critical.

Best practices

Write it down: unwritten goals have much lower probability of being achieved. Document in visible format (wiki, tracker, dashboard).

Regular review: schedule monthly/quarterly reviews. Goals may require adaptation if context changes (SMARTER approach).

Break down: for complex goals, subdivide into intermediate SMART milestones. “Launch product by December” → monthly SMART milestones.

Accountability: assign owner for each goal. Ownership increases commitment and follow-through.

Celebrate: when achieved, celebrate wins. Reinforces behaviors and motivation.

Common misconceptions

”SMART eliminates creativity and ambition”

No. ‘Achievable’ doesn’t mean easy or safe, it means realistic stretch. You can have ambitious SMART goals. The criterion forces thinking “how” to achieve ambitions, not abandoning them.

”SMART is only for work”

False. SMART applies to fitness (“lose 5kg by June through 3x/week gym”), learning, personal finances. Any area with measurable goals.

”If it’s not perfectly SMART, it’s not valid”

Not true. SMART is guideline, not absolute requirement. Some qualitative goals (e.g., “improve work-life balance”) are valid even if challenging to make perfectly SMART.

  • OKR: framework incorporating SMART elements in Key Results
  • KPI: metrics used to measure progress toward SMART goals

Sources

  • Doran, G. T. (1981). “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives”. Management Review (AMA Forum) 70 (11): 35–36
  • Drucker, P. (1954). The Practice of Management
  • Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). “Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation”
Back to Glossary