S.M.A.R.T. Goal Checklist
| Establishing goals creates a written plan for reasonable and measurable long-term and short-term objectives. |
| Be sure your goals are your own – not what you feel others think you should do. They should be S.M.A.R.T… |
| S-specific | Does the goal explain precisely what has to be achieved?
Choose words that describe the goal in action oriented terms, i.e.. increase, reduce, provide, establish, eliminate, etc. |
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| M-measurable | Does the goal indicate how the results will be measured? Each goal must have at least one measure so that the employee and supervisor are clear on how they will assess the employee’s achievement. | |
| A-agreed upon | Is this goal consistent between all stakeholders?
Does this goal support the mission of the role, office or college? |
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| R-realistic | Are the goals realistic in terms of number and scope? It is better to have a few clear goals which can be completed to a high standard than to de-motivate with a long list of goals which cannot all be accomplished.
For more complex tasks and activities, breaking down long-term goals into shorter term targets can help make the task more manageable. Is it clear to the employee why the goal is important and how it contributes to the broader objectives of the department/school, employee and Institution as a whole? |
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| T-time-based | Does the work goal clearly state when it needs to be achieved by?
Does the work goal clearly state when progress toward it will be reviewed? If several goals are set, their time frames or completion dates should be staggered. Progress toward goal achievement should be regularly reviewed to determine if time frames need to be modified. Incorporate milestones into long-term goals as a way of monitoring progress. Recognizing the achievement of milestones in a project or activity helps the employee to remain committed to the goal because they can clearly see that progress is being made. |
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| S-shared (if seeking support) |
For many goals requiring institutional and departmental support and resources to become successful they need to be shared. |
SMART Goals Video takeaway document