According to Manpower, SMART goals include 5 criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
Instead of general goals, setting SMART goals provides a clear framework that helps you turn your desires into concrete, achievable actions.
Optimizing performance: Setting SMART goals makes it easy to visualize and shape the work to do, thereby effectively allocating resources and avoiding waste of time.
Easy to measure and evaluate: The ability to measure results is a big plus when setting SMART goals, helping you clearly understand the advantages and disadvantages of the strategy and make timely adjustments.
Increase feasibility and motivation: SMART goals ensure that your set goals are feasible, in line with your existing resources and skills, so you are motivated to achieve your goals.
Effective time management: Time-binding factors will create pressure to help you manage your time effectively and ensure work is completed on schedule.
Principles of SMART goals
Manpower believes that to effectively apply the SMART method, you not only need to understand theory but also know how to implement it step by step in practice.
Clearly define your goals: Determine personal, work or project goals based on 5 SMART criteria. This is a first step to help you orient clearly and build a specific action plan.
Record your goals: Record your goals on paper or save them in a visible place such as a desk, phone, notebook, etc. This helps you remember and maintain motivation to do it every day. Develop a detailed plan: Divide your goals into specific steps, help you control your progress, avoid overload, and maintain perseverance in the implementation process.
Monitor and evaluate your progress: Regularly check where you are on your journey to your goals. Evaluate the completion rate and remaining time to promptly adjust the plan if necessary.
