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SMART goals
Performance Management

Smart goals - how to set them and how to reach them

August 30, 2024

What are smart goals, and how can HR help the organization set and achieve them? We'll show you how the right tools help you drive performance and engagement.

Table of Contents

  1. Smart goals – definition

  2. Benefits of smart goals

  3. How to get started with smart goals

  4. Tracking and follow-up

  5. Eletive and smart goals

Smart goals – definition

SMART is a clever acronym for Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, and Time-related.  

  • Specific.

    The goal should be clear and concrete, and within a well-defined area.

  • Measurable.

    The goal should be quantifiable so that the result can be measured.

  • Assignable.

    The goal should be possible to assign to an owner.

  • Realistic.

    It should be possible and realistic to reach the goal. 

  • Time-related.

    There should be a clear time-frame and deadline.

The purpose of S.M.A.R.T goals is to make sure the goals you set are meaningful and relevant.

Benefits of smart goals

There are a number of benefits with using smart goals, such as:

  • Smart goals provide clarity

With clearly and thoughtfully defined goals, the risk of miscommunication and misunderstandings is reduced.

  • Performance assessment is easier

With clear, quantifiable, and timebound goals it becomes obvious if they were reached or not.

  • Smart goals make prioritization easier

With clear objectives it becomes apparent which parts of the organization are contributing to reaching them, and where the focus is on the wrong things.

Tracking and follow-up

To get the most out of your smart goals, tracking and follow-up are equally important as planning. One-on-ones with each team member is a good forum for continuously evaluating progress, and for checking if they need to be adjusted.

Eletive and smart goals

Smart goals are a really great tool for ensuring that everyone in the organization are pulling in the same, and the right, direction. HR plays an important part in enabling smart goal-setting, by putting some of the processes and tools in place.

Eletive offers a solution that allows you to bring smart goals, performance management, and employee engagement surveys into one, unified platform. This provides your organization with the optimal foundation for setting the right goals – and achieving them.

Would you like to learn more about how your organization can benefit from a modern People Success Platform? Talk to one of our experts!

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