Get SMART: How to Set Career Goals Using the SMART method
There are plenty of steps you can take to ensure your career stays on track, whether you’re just starting out or you’re moving up in the ranks at work. Many people set goals they never achieve because they don’t write down their goals or they aren’t specific enough with their intentions. You can make sure your career stays on the right path by setting SMART goals that lead to success and promotion.
The SMART method of goal setting uses specific criteria to help you figure out exactly what you want and how to reach it. It’s an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Using this method will help you set your career goals so that they take you where you want to go—instead of just floating around in the air like all those other ideas you’ve had but never followed through on.
Getting started
Before you can get SMART about your goals, you must decide what you want from your professional life first. Once you figure out what it is that you’re looking for, writing your goals becomes easier, and more effective.
If you don’t know where to start, try thinking about where you are now and where you want to be in five years. Narrow down your answers into a few specific goals. What do they look like? Where will they take place? How will they help others or benefit your company? These goals can be general, as you will be fine-tuning them when you write them out.
Write Your Goals Down
The first step in setting career goals is writing them down. Don’t worry if you don’t have any concrete ideas yet—this is just a starting point. When defining your professional goals, consider both personal and professional pursuits, such as job title or promotion, higher salary, project responsibility, working from home more often, or starting a new business venture.
Once you have your general goal written, evaluate your goals on the SMART criteria:
Is your goal Specific? Think of the five “w’s” from grade school – make sure your goal tells who, what, when where, why and/or how.
Is your goal Measurable? Ensure you have a clear method for measuring your success.
Is your goal Attainable? Your goal should be challenging, but achievable.
Is your goal Relevant? Does your goal reflect the path you want to take?
Is your goal Time-based? Set a solid date you would like to have achieved your goal.
An example of a SMART goal would be: “I want to increase the number of Radiant Career blog readers (Specific) over the next six months (Time Based) by 50% (Measurable), by posting a minimum of twice a week and using more effective keywords for SEO (Attainable and Relevant).
Share Your Goals to Create Accountability
Huzzah! You’ve set goals for yourself, now it’s time to create accountability and measure the success of each goal. One great way to create accountability is to share your goals with a colleague. Having an accountability partner can help you stay on track with your goals and overcome roadblocks – it helps to have someone you can use as a sounding board for your ideas. When looking for an accountability partner, choose someone who you:
Respect – you value their opinions.
Trust – you know that they have your and the company’s best interests in mind.
Can be objective – they reliably act on good judgment, leaving out personal feelings.
Know is reliable – they are consistent in their work and communication.
Once you’ve chosen your accountability partner you should decide together how often you want to check in to discuss your progress. Be certain to schedule recurring appointments in your calendar to ensure you are consistent with your follow-up.
Celebrate Your Successes
It can be easy to get swept up in the “go, go, go” attitude of today’s work culture. Now more than ever, it’s important to pause and celebrate your successes. Take the time to reflect on what you have achieved and reflect on how you can use what you’ve learned when setting your next goal. Remember to include those who’ve helped you – thank your accountability partner, manager, and anyone else who gave you a helping hand. Celebrating your success can give you the positive boost you need to keep growing and achieving.
We hope you found these tips helpful and would love to hear about your goals and your successes! Share your story with us on our Radiant Careers Facebook Page or connect with us on LinkedIn.