Setting SMART targets for improvement

Overview

All targets or objectives set for staff should be SMART. In this insight, we’ll discuss how to ensure that your targets are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

About

The first in our series of insights to get back into the swing of things is about setting objectives for staff that kick-start improvement and are SMART in their nature.

So, what are SMART targets and why should we be using them? The SMART in SMART target stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

 

The acronym stands for:

Specific. In order for a target to be effective, it needs to be specific. Specifically, it needs to discuss what it is that needs to be accomplished, who’s responsible and what steps need to be taken to achieve it.

Measurable. It’s no good having specific targets if they are not measurable. If your target is measurable it makes it simpler to track progress and decide when the target is achieved.

Achievable. Is the target that you have set realistic? Is the objective something that you can reasonably accomplish? If it’s not achievable then why proceed?

Relevant. Is the target you are setting relevant to your role or organisation? It can help to have strategic goals for your organisation so that targets can be relevant to your organisation’s overall improvement.

Time-bound. We need to know what achieving this goal will look like and by when we would expect this to be completed. If the target is quite broad then we could break this down into key milestones, with dates for completion of each stage.

 

Our web-based software supports staff within schools, colleges and other organisations with their target setting. Indeed, you can set objectives for different types of roles within the organisation and set up templated reviews, which are focused on your key priorities.

 

If you’d like to discuss how to implement SMART targets within your organisation and manage them within a web-based solution simply call 0333 0433 450 or book a free no-obligation-to-buy demonstration.

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