What are smart goals in coaching?

To make your goal S, M, A, R, T. Unclear objectives are one of the biggest obstacles to effective goal setting and performance. Effective objectives are clear, specific, measurable and subject to deadlines. Measurable objectives channel you to focus your efforts.

That's why it's so important that individual SMART objectives align directly with the overall objectives of the team and the company. There's a reason why staff managers have been using SMART objectives for decades to keep their teams on track. Learn what SMART objectives are, how to write them, and why this framework may (or may not) work for you and your team. It was developed in 1981 by consultant George Doran with Arthur Miller and James Cunningham, and quickly became the standard for setting organizational goals and objectives.

Your job as a coach when you help a client create SMART goals is to make it easy for them to clearly describe where they want to go, in a measurable way and within a specific time frame. Now you know what SMART objectives are, how to write them and why this framework may (or may not) work for you and your team. People or companies often set themselves up for failure by setting general, unrealistic goals, such as “I want to be the best at X. SMART goals set you up for success by setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely goals.” For example, SMARTER includes Evaluated and Reviewed to reflect the importance of effectiveness and feedback.