SMART Definition and Meaning. As we know, Management by objectives (MBO) aims to increase organizational performance by aligning goals and subordinate objectives throughout the organization OBJECTIVE SETTING. For the establishment of any objectives should be set using the Specific, Measurable/Measurement, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Oriented >>> SMART philosophy.
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What do we mean by a SMART objective?
SMART is an acronym that is used to guide the development of measurable goals.
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Result Oriented
T – Time-related
SMART Checklist as below:
Each objective should be:
Answers the questions specifically, like “what is to be done?” “How will you know it is done?” Describes the results (end product) of the work to be done. The description must be in writing, so anyone can be reading the objective will most likely interpret, it the same way.
For ensuring that an objective is specific is to make sure that the way it is described is observable. Here, Observable means that anyone can see or hear or physically observe someone doing something or indicating something.
The term “Measurable” answers the question “how will you know it meets expectations?” Defines the objective using assessable terms like frequency, quantity, quality, costs, deadlines, etc. Measurable refers to the extent to which something can be evaluated against some standard. An objective with a quantity measurement uses terms of amount, percentages, etc. A frequency measurement could be daily, weekly, 1 in 3.
The term “Achievable” answers the questions “Can the measurable objective be achieved by the person?” or “Does he/she have the experience, knowledge or capability of fulfilling the expectation?” It also answers the question “Can it be done giving the time frame, opportunity, and resources?”
Objectives should measure the outcomes, but not activities. “What is the reason, purpose, or benefit of the task? “Which is treated as a result of the objective. A realistic goal must represent an objective toward which you are willing and able to work.
Also, Time-oriented answers the question, “when will it be done?” It refers to the fact that an objective has endpoints and checkpoints built into it. Sometimes a task may only have an endpoint or due date. Sometimes that endpoint or due date is the actual end of the task, or sometimes the endpoint of one task is the start point of another. Sometimes a task has several milestones or checkpoints to help you or others assess how well something is going before it is finished so that corrections or modifications can be made as needed to make sure the end result meets expectations.