What are SMARTER Objectives?

SMART objectives are usually attributed to Peter Drucker's Management By Objectives concept. The principal advantage of SMART objectives is that they are easier to understand, to do and to then be reassured that they have been done.

SMART is the following acronym:

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Achievable

R = Realistic

T = Time-bound

You’ve no doubt heard of SMART objectives and have probably used them before. But what about SMARTER objectives?

E = Ethical. If one of your goals is to work your way up the corporate ladder, can you do it without harming anyone else in your organisation? If your goal is to increase the profit margin in your business, would you achieve that at any cost? Or is there an ethical way of doing it?

R = Resourced. Do you have all that you need to achieve your goals? If not, what resources do you need? If you’ve set goals for your team members, have you given them the resources that they need to be able to achieve them? Make sure that the time, skills, funds and other resources are available, or the goals will not be achievable.

So when you’re setting your own goals for 2015, or working with your team to set goals for them, don’t just set SMART goals, set SMARTER goals!

What are your SMARTER goals for 2015? Get in touch to share them.
 

We’d like to wish you a very Happy Christmas,

a prosperous New Year

and a SMARTER 2015!

How Do You Help People Set SMARTER Objectives?

• Look for opportunities for people to write their own objectives that you can then fine tune, rather than giving your team objectives over which they have no control. It's far better for people to 'own' their objectives rather than trying to deliver on ones that have been developed by someone else
• Reviewing objectives is not a yearly activity. Take the time to do it at least monthly with members of your team. Don’t just file away the objectives – use them to manage performance
• Recognise and reward your team members for achieving their objectives. This can range from a simple thank you to a financial bonus.