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in project management today.
SMART Goals
Once you have planned your project, turn your attention to developing several goals that will enable you to be successful. Goals should be SMART - specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-based.
A goal might be to hold a weekly project meeting with the key members of your team or to organise and run a continuous test programme throughout the project.
The acronym SMART has a number of slightly different variations, which can be used to provide a more comprehensive definition for goal setting:
S - specific, significant, stretching
M - measurable, meaningful, motivational
A - agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented
R - realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented
T - time-based, timely, tangible, trackable
This provides a broader definition that will help you to be successful in both your business and personal life.
When you next run a project take a moment to consider whether your goals are SMART goals.
To quote renowned American philanthropist Elbert Hubbard:
"Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage, but simply because they have never organised their energies around a goal."
SMART Goals
Specific
- Well defined
- Clear to anyone that has a basic knowledge of the project
Measurable
- Know if the goal is obtainable and how far away completion is
- Know when it has been achieved
Agreed Upon
- Agreement with all the stakeholders what the goals should be
Realistic
- Within the availability of resources, knowledge and time
Time Based
- Enough time to achieve the goal
- Not too much time, which can affect project performance
Download our free SMARTER Goals template.
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All you have to do is create some goals that meet the requirements. For example, you can say "By next quarter we want to reduce errors by 15%."
Think of some areas in your discipline that need improvemment and attach an anticipated time and measurement to achieve the goal.
You have a wonderful way with words. Write a blog!! Id read it.
I cant say that SMART targest are the only way to plan and achieve goals but it does help to plot the journey in black and white. If you really want to make a goal a reality . . . use some of the following. . . determination, common sense and passion. Common Sense being paramount!