Finally! I’m really scratching my own itch with this 1-pager on the SMART criteria. The sheer number of times I wanted to link to this only to realize that I never created a 1-pager on it. But now it exists in all its glory. By now you might be wondering what I’m raving on about:
SMART is an acronym to help you remember good criteria to check your plans and goal against to increase your chances of actually following through. As a facilitator I often see groups agreeing on a common goal but staying very vague on the plan to get there. I always urge them to get more concrete. From experience I know that if they specify the first step(s) they have vastly better chances of achieving their goal.
The acronym was first proposed by George T. Doran. Over the years different people have assigned different words to the first letters. The 1-pager shows my favorite interpretation. See Wikipedia for other possibilities.
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Content of 1-Pager:
If your goal (and the plan to get there) fulfill the SMART criteria, there is a much better chance you will execute the plan and reach the goal. Defining the first step helps building momentum, especially in teams.
“Many people think they lack motivation
when what they really lack is clarity.”
– James Clear
Specific
Who will do it? Do it how? When? The more specific
you are the more likely you are to actually do it.
Measurable
What will we measure to see if we are moving into the right direction? How will we know that we have achieved the goal?
Attainable
Is it achievable? How much influence do you have
on the outcome? Is this a realistic plan and goal?
Relevant
We’ve all got limited time and energy. Is this even
important? Why are we doing it?
Timely
When will it be done? When will we check progress? Prefer closer dates so that you have a short feedback loop.
Sources:
- SMART on Wikipedia
- The quote by James Clear is from this talk