The Ultimate Guide: SMART Goals for Managers

Sometimes it might seem like we’re working hard, yet achieving very little. Those are the moments when our motivation usually drops and when we decide to give up on our goals. But there’s something we call SMART ideas. They can help us clarify our ideas, make plans and increase the chances of achieving our goals. Today, we’re talking about SMART goals for managers and the ways they can they achieve more by working less.

What are SMART goals for managers?

To achieve something we need to set our goals straight, right? A SMART goal is here to help us with the goal-setting process. To be more specific it’s an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely which means those criteria have to be set to achieve our goals. SMART goals are well-defined and clear. Their progress is measurable, achievable within a clearly defined timeline and realistic.

SMART goals for managers are: Specific

When choosing a goal, we have to make sure our goals are clear so we can improve our chances of completing them. That’s why we have to ask ourselves five “W” questions:

• What do I want to accomplish?
• Why is this goal important?
• Who is involved?
• Where is it located?
• Which resources or limits are involved?

SMART goals for managers are: Achievable

Our plans have to be achievable to become reality. That’s why we have to ask ourselves a few questions before we make our goals achievable:

• Do we have the resources to achieve our goals and if not what are we missing?
• Do we know someone who did the same thing before and succeeded?

During this goal-setting phase, we should ask outside opinions to avoid making something that’s completely unreachable. Furthermore, when we have achievable goals our team will be more likely to perform better. Achievable goals promote employee accountability.

SMART goals for managers are: Realistic

 Our goals have to be realistic to become true. That’s why we have to ask ourselves a few questions to determine if our goals are realistic:

• Is the goal reachable when we size the time and resources?
• Are we able to commit to achieving the goal?

SMART goals for managers are: Timely

To complete the goals we have to determine the time frame for their completion. This is the way we ensure our motivation to achieve them won’t decrease. This is why before doing something we have to determine a deadline.

We have a SMART solution for your struggles!

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Ana Mladenovic

A cat enthusiast and a cupcake maniac, Ana is a freelance Content Writer passionate about HR, productivity, and team management topics. When she’s not at her keyboard, you can find Ana in the kitchen, trying to make delicious cookies.