SMART criteria
The Intellectual Production of Engineers p.11
In relation to "The goal is clear." (page 10), I would like to introduce the SMART criteria proposed in 1981 as something to keep in mind when setting Targets Note 1: SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, [Assignable 1 The SMART criteria are called SMART (an English word meaning "smart"), which stands for Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, and Time-related. A brief explanation of these five items is as followsNote 2.
・Specific: Specific areas for improvement are clear.
・Measurable: Quantity, or at least some measure of progress (measurable)
・Assignable: It is clear who will execute the plan.
・Realistic: Realistically achievable, given the resources necessary to realize it.
・Time-related: It is clear when the results will be obtained.
Because these are standards designed for organizational goal setting, they are somewhat over-specified for individual goal setting. If you think, "I have to meet these standards," then setting goals itself becomes a psychological burden. However, I think it helps us understand why bad goals are bad.
Note 1
Doran, G. T. (1981). "There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives". Management Review, 70 (11), 35-36.
Note 2
Some people consider A to be Achievable (realistically achievable, given the necessary resources) and R to be Responsible (it is clear who is responsible for the execution of the plan). Although A and R are interchanged from those presented here, the content is almost identical.
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