Practice Writing SMART Goals

For Performance Reviews

• Is the goal specific to results the

IS IT SPECIFIC? employee is expected to accomplish?

• How will you determine if the goal has

IS IT MEASURABLE? been met?

• Is it ambitious, but achievable?

IS IT ACHIEVABLE?
• How does the goal connect to improving
IS IT RELEVANT? your performance of job responsibilities?

• Does the goal have a time limit?

IS IT TIME-BOUND?

ACTIVITY:

 Draft an example of a SMART Performance Related Goal you would like to

achieve this calendar year.

 Draft an example of a SMART Professional Development Goal you would like to

achieve this calendar year.

Adapted from Performance Management Training Workbook, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009
 Goal-Setting Examples:
Performance Related
Not a SMART Goal
Send out welcome letters to incoming
freshmen.
Ensure facilities are clean.
Develop better cultural understanding of
international students.
Promote healthy living on campus.
Improve XYZ Conference attendance.
Answer department calls.
Professional Development
Not a SMART Goal
Take a training class.
Make connections with health center
colleagues on other campuses.
Become more aware of industry standards for
health centers on college campuses.
Work on presentation skills.
Meet Continuing Education requirements for
RN's and MD's.
Learn a new skill.
Adapted from Performance Management Training Workbook, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009
SMART Goal
Write and distribute signed welcome letters to
all incoming Marycrest freshmen by 8/1/2014.
Communicate with Stuart Hall Property
Manager daily to ensure that facilities are
cleaned and maintained in accordance with
established custodial procedures.
Schedule and attend a session hosted by
Center for International Programs that covers
international student concerns once each
academic semester for the 2014-2015 year.
In order to promote healthy living on campus,
hand out tips to each health center visitor with
information on how to create balanced meals
while on campus.
Achieve attendance of at least 250 guests at
the XYZ conference on 10/1/2014 by sending
a promotional email on 6/2/2014 and monthly
reminder emails to individuals on the
distribution list.
Provide excellent telephone customer service
daily by answering each call on the 2nd ring
with a smile and by following the established
department telephone procedures.
SMART Goal
Enroll in the Center for Leadership training
session entitled Customer Service: Developing
Customer Loyalty for Life on 5/6/2014 to
increase my knowledge of customer service.
Meet with health center employees at Wright
State once per academic semester in the
2014-2015 year to discuss best practices.
Renew membership in and attend one training
hosted by the American College Health
Association by the end of the 2014-2015
academic year.
Improve my presentation skills by presenting a
new topic during at least two staff meetings
during the 2014-2015 academic year.
Obtain continuing education credits by
attending one training or seminar by the end of
each academic semester in the 2014-2015
academic year.
Attend a budgeting workshop by January 2,
2015 to learn how to set and manage budgets.
 SMART Goals
For Performance Reviews

Goals should describe accomplishments, not activities. First, let’s look at what the
S.M.A.R.T. acronym means…

Specific: Goal objectives should address the five Ws…who, what, when, where, and
why. Make sure the goal specifies what needs to be done with a timeframe for
completion. Use action verbs…create, design, develop, implement, produce, etc.
Example: resolve accounting discrepancies within 48 hours.

Measurable: Goal objectives should include numeric or descriptive measures that

define quantity, quality, cost, etc. How will you and your supervisor know when the goal
has been successfully met? Focus on elements such as observable actions, quantity,
quality, cycle time, efficiency, and/or flexibility to measure outcomes, not activities.
Example: secure pledges from ten new donors by the end of each week.

Achievable: Goal objectives should be within the staff member’s control and influence;
a goal may be a “stretch” but still feasible. Is the goal achievable with the available
resources? Is the goal achievable within the timeframe originally outlined? Consider
authority or control, influence, resources, and work environment support to meet the
goal. Example: obtain the XYZ professional certification within two years.

Relevant: Goals should be instrumental to the mission of the department and the
division (and ultimately, the institution). Why is the goal important? How will the goal
help the department and division achieve its objectives? Develop goals that relate to the
staff member’s key accountabilities or link with the departmental goals that align with
the institutional agenda. Example: develop and implement a diversity recruitment plan
that increases the number of diversity candidates by ten percent.

Time-bound: Goal objectives should identify a definite target date for completion and/or
frequencies for specific action steps that are important for achieving the goal. How often
should the staff member work on this assignment? By when should this goal be
accomplished? Incorporate specific dates, calendar milestones, or timeframes that are
relative to the achievement of another result (i.e., dependencies and linkages to other
projects). Example: check the fire alarms and emergency lighting in all buildings every
six months.

More examples:
For an organization or department…
Not SMART “Improve our student service.”
SMART “Achieve and maintain an average student service rating of at least 4.0
(out of a possible 5.0) on our annual survey by 11-20-08.”

Adapted from Performance Management Training Workbook, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009
For an exempt staff member…
Not SMART “Create our 2008 strategic plan.”
SMART “Create our 2008 strategic plan, obtain final approval from the Budget
Committee, and discuss it with our department so individuals can begin
setting their performance objectives by 8-29-07.”

Not SMART “Improve project management skills.”

SMART “Take the Project Management Essentials workshop on 10-18-2007,
report what was learned to our team by 11-01-2007, and apply the
relevant concepts while implementing our 2008 marketing plan.”

For a nonexempt staff member…

Not SMART “Send out hire letters to our new students.”
SMART “Produce and distribute personalized welcome letters, error free, to all new
students in our department by 9-26-07.”

Not SMART “Be more receptive to coaching suggestions and feedback.”

SMART “At our 1-on-1 meetings, ask for feedback on what I am doing well and
what things should improve. Keep a notebook with this information, try out
the suggestions, and document each week what worked and what didn’t.”

For an exempt or nonexempt staff member…

Not SMART “Keep our department’s website up-to-date.”
SMART “Solicit updates and new material for the website from our department
managers on the first Friday of each month; work with appropriate staff to
publish this new material by the following Friday. Each time material is
published, review the website for material that is out-of-date and delete or
archive that material.”

Remember the S.M.A.R.T. acronym when establishing goals and objectives. This
formula for goal-setting helps ensure that both supervisors and employees share the
same understanding and clarity on goals set during the performance management
cycle.

Adapted from Performance Management Training Workbook, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009