Rialto Report:

How to set SMART Objectives

Contents
SMART Objectives ............................................................................................................. 3
Ten Steps to SMART objectives ........................................................................................... 5
Suggestions for Writing SMART Objectives .......................................................................... 6
'Metricating' your marketing objectives .................................................................................. 9
Some Examples of SMART Objectives ............................................................................... 12
Comparison of Good and Poor Objectives .......................................................................... 13
Examples of Action Words .................................................................................................. 14

Smart Objectives
By Garry Platt, Senior Consultant at Woodland Grange
Most of the managers I have ever spoken to know what the acronym SMART means in relation to
setting objectives. But equally, very few of them can actually write good objectives which comply with
all the criteria. I think this is because the definitions of SMART are actually quite vague when you start
to explore them. Clarifying what SMART means in precise terms really helps managers understand
and produce good effective objectives. So here it is, the definition of SMART.

Specific
Specific in the context of developing objectives means that an observable action, behaviour or
achievement is described which is also linked to a rate, number, percentage or frequency. This latter
point is extremely important - let me illustrate. 'Answer the phone quickly' can be said to be a precise
description of behaviour, you can clearly see whether someone answers the phone or not, but there is
no rate, number, percentage or frequency linked to it. So, if I state; 'Answer the phone within 3 rings' a
rate has been added and the behaviour is now much more specific.
Summary: Is there a description of a precise or specific behaviour / outcome which is linked to a rate,
number, percentage or frequency?

Measurable
This is very simple. A system, method or procedure has to exist which allows the tracking and
recording of the behaviour or action upon which the objective is focussed. Setting an objective that
requires phone calls to be answered in three rings is fine, provided a system exists which measures
whether this is actually being achieved. If none exists the manager must be prepared to set time aside
time to actually monitor the response rates to incoming phone calls. The only other alternative is to
get the person with whom the objectives are being set to measure their own progress; in some cases
and situations it may be acceptable to do this, in others maybe not - use common sense to decide
this.
Summary: Is there a reliable system in place to measure progress towards the achievement of the
objective?

Achievable
The objectives that are set with people need to be capable of being reached, put most basically; there
is a likelihood of success but that does not mean easy or simple. The objectives need to be stretching
and agreed by the parties involved. Setting targets that are plainly ridiculous does not motivate
people; it merely confirms their opinion of you as an idiot. They will apply no energy or enthusiasm to
a task that is futile. Consider sending a group of footballers out to play a game having told them the

final score already, and they've lost! What's the point? So don't do it. (Some people feel that Agreed
should stand for the definition of A in SMART. But as this relates to the process of communicating and
deciding the objective rather than a definition of the content it seems out of context in relation to the
rest of the criteria and consequently I do not use it. I concur however that objectives should indeed be
agreed between involved participants rather than enforced.)

Summary: With a reasonable amount of effort and application can the objective be achieved?
Relevant
This means two things; that the goal or target being set with the individual is something they can
actually impact upon or change and secondly it is also important to the organisation. Example: Telling
the cleaners that they 'have to increase market share over the next financial quarter' is not actually
something they can do anything about - it's not relevant to them. However, asking them to reduce
expenditure on cleaning materials by 50 over the next three months is entirely relevant to them. It's
what they spend their budget on every day. As to whether it's relevant to what the organisation is
trying to achieve, the manager has to decide this by considering the wider picture.

Summary: Can the people with whom the objective is set make an impact on the situation? Do they
have the necessary knowledge, authority and skill?

Time Based
This is probably the simplest of the lot. In the objective somewhere there has to be a date
(Day/Month/Year) for when the task has to be started (if it's ongoing) and/or completed (if it's short
term or project related). Simply: No date = No good.

Summary: Is there a finish and/or a start date clearly stated or defined?

Modernisation Agency
www.natpact.nhs.uk
National Primary and Care Trust
Development Programme

Ten Steps to SMART objectives

By Andrew Bell

Sort out the difference between objectives and aims, goals and/or targets before you start.
Aims and goals etc relate to your aspirations objectives are your battle-plan. Set as many
objectives as you need for success.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.

Don't try to use that order M-A/R-S-T is often the best way to write objectives.

Measurable is the most important consideration. You will know that you've achieved your
objective, because here is the evidence. I will know too! Make sure you state how you will
record your success.

Achievable is linked to measurable. Usually, there's no point in starting a job you know you
can't finish, or one where you can't tell if/when you've finished it.
How can I decide if it's achievable?

you know it's measurable

others have done it successfully (before you, or somewhere else)

it's theoretically possible (ie clearly not 'not achievable')

you have the necessary resources, or at least a realistic chance of getting them

you've assessed the limitations.

If it's achievable, it may not be realistic. If it isn't realistic, it's not achievable.
You need to know:
-

who's going to do it?

do they have (or can they get) the skills to do a good job?

where's the money coming from?

who carries the can?

Realistic is about human resources/time/money/opportunity.

The main reason it's achievable but not realistic is that it's not a high priority. Often something
else needs to be done first, before you'll succeed.

If so, set up two (or more) objectives in priority order.

The devil is in the specific detail. You will know your objective is specific enough if:

everyone who's involved knows that it includes them specifically

everyone involved can understand it

your objective is free from jargon

you've defined all your terms

you've used only appropriate language.

Timely means setting deadlines. You must include one, otherwise your objective isn't
measurable. But your deadlines must be realistic, or the task isn't achievable. T must be M,
and R, and S without these your objective can't be top-priority.

It is worth this effort! You'll know you've done your job well, and so will others.

Suggestions for Writing SMART Objectives

Some suggestions on what kind of information should be included within your objectives to make
them SMART, followed by examples.

Specific
Concrete
Use action verbs
Example 1:
Original objective: supports professional development for academic instruction librarians.
Specific objective: promotes study, research, publication and other development opportunities for
academic and research instruction librarians.

Example 2:
Original Objective: The Learning to Teach Virtual Task Force will facilitate continuing education for
instruction librarians.

Specific Objective: The Learning to Teach Virtual Task Force will create a web-based site for the
content of the Section's Learning to Teach Preconference that will be a continuing education
opportunity for instruction librarians.

Measurable
Numeric or descriptive
Quantity, quality, cost

Example 1:
Original Objective: The Conference Program Planning committee will increase attendance at its
program.

Measurable Objective: The Conference Program Planning committee will increase attendance at
its 2001 Annual Conference program by at least 10% over the previous year.

Example 2:
Original Objective: The Nominating Committee will encourage nominations by Section members
by creating a convenient Web-based nomination form that will be published on the IS Web site.

Measurable Objective: The Nominating Committee will receive at least five nominations by
Section members from the new Web-based nomination form that will be created and published on the
IS Web site.

Attainable
Feasible
Appropriately limited in scope
Within the committee's control and influence

Example 1:
Original Objective: The Instruction for Diverse Populations Committee will promote issues relating
to bibliographic instruction and diversity.

Attainable Objective: The Instruction for Diverse Populations Committee will complete an
annotated bibliography of library instruction publications related to diverse populations for the Section
web site.

Example 2:
Original Objective: The Education Committee will foster communication between practitioners and
graduate school faculty working in the area of library instruction.

Attainable Objective: The Education Committee will organize a discussion forum to be held at ALA
Midwinter Conference 2001, and invite both practitioners and graduate school faculty working in the
area of library instruction to come and discuss how graduate school can better prepare students for
careers in library instruction.

Results-focused
Measures outputs or results (not activities)
Includes products, accomplishments

Example 1:
Original Objective: The Teaching Methods Committee will identify and promote teaching materials
useful to practicing bibliographic instruction librarians.

Results-focused Objective: The Teaching Methods Committee will post discussion notes from
the ACRL Instruction Section Midwinter Discussion Forum 2000 "Share Your Teaching Toolkit: Best

Practices in Library Instruction" on its Web site to promote teaching materials useful to practicing
bibliographic instruction librarians.

Example 2:
Original Objective: The Emerging Technologies in Instruction Committee will promote and
facilitate the use of emerging technologies in bibliographic instruction.

Results-focused Objective: The Emerging Technologies in Instruction Committee will develop

documents that define, explain, and provide examples of uses of emerging technologies in order to
assist educators who are considering or have already started integrating them in their courses.

Timely
Identifies target date
Includes interim steps and a plan to monitor progress

Example 1:
Original Objective: The Communications Committee will update the "IS Publications Policies and
Procedures Manual," clarifying the various Section publications categories and the processes for
creating, approving, and disseminating those publications.

Timely Objective: The Communications Committee will update the "IS Publications Policies and
Procedures Manual" by Annual Conference 2001, clarifying the various Section publications
categories and the processes for creating, approving, and disseminating those publications.

Example 2:
Original Objective: The Revision of the Model Statement Task Force will revise the current Model
Statement published by the ALA/ACRL/BI Section published in Read This First: An Owner's Guide to
the new Model Statement of Objectives for Academic Bibliographic Instruction (1991).

Timely Objective: The Revision of the Model Statement Task Force will revise the current Model
Statement published by the ALA/ACRL/BI Section published in Read This First: An Owner's Guide to
the new Model Statement of Objectives for Academic Bibliographic Instruction (1991). The revision is
being conducted in accordance with the 1998 Final Report of the Model Statement of Objectives Task
Force with a targeted completion date of June 30, 2001. A draft of the revised Model Statement will
be posted on the Section's Web site and a public hearing on the draft will be held at ALA Annual,
2001.

'Metricating' your marketing objectives

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Be SMART about your marketing plan
Setting marketing objectives is the first step in your marketing planning. It is the logical first step
because objectives are what your plan is meant to attain.
The marketing plan gains a sharp focus and specific direction when its marketing objectives are
specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound; i.e., when you have S.M.A.R.T. objectives.
SMART objectives are metricated objectives.
One way of understanding the role of metrics in the setting of marketing objectives is by examining a
specific set of such objectives. Let's look at a specific case then.

A typical case
Here is a set of specific objectives that came from the marketing plan of a start-up company in the
personal digital assistant (PDA) or handheld computer category. The marketing plan is for a new
multifunctional PDA the company wants to introduce in the market where the major players are Palm
with over 60 percent market share, and Handspring with a 21 percent share. PDAs from Compaq, HP,
and Casio, which all run on the Windows CE operating system command less than 10 percent of the
market.
Our start-up company is confident that its PDA can gain an active participation in the category. It has
developed a PDA with four distinctive strengths. First, versus the leading brands, use of its PDA use
is more simplified because of its superior handwriting recognition system. Second, its PDA
incorporates valuable features found only in premium priced competing brands. Third, this PDA can
accept any Palm-compatible peripheral. Fourth, it's priced lower than comparable models.
This PDA's marketing plan set the following marketing objectives:
Achieve a first-year sales volume of 240,000, which represents a projected market share of 6 percent
with one model in the product line.
Generate 40 percent brand awareness within the consumer target market and 50 percent brand
awareness within the business target market by year end.
Arrange for distribution through Amazon.com and through the leading computer retailers in the top 50
US markets within three months, followed by distribution coverage in the remaining major
metropolitan areas within six months.

Test your marketing objectives

Tested against the SMART criteria for setting objectives, it's easy to see that all three objectives in the
sample case qualify as specific, measurable and time-bound. The first objective is specific to two
things: sales and market share. Because this objective is about sales and market share, it's also
specific to the entire marketing mix or program. As Marketing 101 teaches, because sales and market
share are both a function of the total marketing mix, setting objectives in terms of sales and market
share has specific reference to the total mix.
This tells us something about the criterion of "specificity." Setting a specific marketing objective must
call on our command of basic marketing concepts. Here the particular concept invoked is the concept
of matching target market response with the responsible ("causal") marketing tool or tools. The target
responses here are specified as sales and market share. Strictly speaking those are not market
responses because they refer to the marketer rather than the market. The market response
equivalent of sales is consumer purchases while that for market share is purchase or usage share.
Continuing with our analysis and proceeding now to the other two criteria, we can see that for the
"measurability" criterion, the unit of measure of sales is in volume, which is 240,000 pieces. Market
share's unit of measure is in percent, in this case, 6
percent. As to the criterion of "time boundedness," the sales and market share objectives' time line is
specified for both as one year, the first year.
The second objective is specific to the market response of brand awareness. However, the brand
awareness response has specific reference to two market segments. One is to the consumer
segment. The other is to the business segment. An additional specificity of this objective is the target
response's responsible marketing tool. Marketing 101 tells us that brand awareness is a function of
advertising media weight (the product of reach times frequency). Therefore, this objective is specific
to the marketing mix element of advertising media weight or investment. The objective's unit of
measure is in percent: 40 percent for the consumer segment, and 50 percent for the business
segment. Its timing is one year.
The third objective makes specific reference to the marketing mix element of "placement" or
distribution. It designates three specific placement outlets. First is Amazon.com. Second is the set of
leading computer retailers in the country's top 50 metropolitan markets. Third is the rest of the
computer retailer population in the remaining major metropolitan areas. The time line is three months
for the first two categories of retailers, and six months for the third category.

10

Does your plan have this weakness?

It's in the criterion of "measurable" where this third objective is not as metricated as the preceding
two. All that we have is a reference, for example, to "the leading computer retailers in the top 50 US
markets." How many leading retailers these are is left unspecified.
The more serious weakness of the three objectives we're analyzing is in the two important criteria of
setting "attainable" and "realistic" marketing objectives. What is an attainable and a realistic objective?
How do we know we've set an attainable and a realistic objective before we've formulated the
marketing programs necessary to attain that objective?

Define Objectives
Helpful Hints: Word Choice

Use concrete words. One way to avoid vagueness is to use concrete words. Pay particular
attention to the verb that describes participant performance.

Avoid vague verbs, such as:

Know

Understand

Appreciate

Show the ability to

Be aware of

Use action words, such as:

Assess

Examine

Operate

Clarify

Explain

Prepare

Define

Identify

Record

Determine

Inspect

Report

Demonstrate

List

Show

Establish

Notify

Test

Evaluate

11

Some Examples of SMART Objectives

1. Profitability Objectives
To achieve a 20% return on capital employed by August 2007.

2. Market Share Objectives

To gain 25% of the market for sports shoes by September 2006

3. Promotional Objectives
To increase awareness of the dangers of AIDS in France from 12% to 25% by June 2004.
To increase trail of X washing powder from 2% to 5% of our target group by January 2005.

4. Objectives for Surviva

To survive the current double-dip recession.

5. Objectives for Growth

To increase the size of our German Brazilian operation from $200,000 in 2002 to $400,000 in 2003.

6. Objectives for Branding

To make Y brand of bottled beer the preferred brand of 21-28 year old females in North America by
February 2006.
There are many examples of objectives. Be careful not to confuse objectives with goals and aims.
Goals and aims tend to be more vague and focus on the longer-term. They will not be SMART.
However, many objectives start off as aims or goals and therefore they are of equal importance.

12

Comparison of Good and Poor Objectives

Some examples of objectives are listed below

Good

Poor

Responders will establish an incident command post in the lobby of the highrise structure within 15 minutes after the initial call for service.
To get all of the emergency services to sit down in the same room together
and talk.
Demonstrate the ability to field a nuclear response team (fully equipped and
assembled) within 30 minutes following a terrorist incident.
Identify and activate an alternate communication system to be used as a
backup within 30 minutes of failure of the primary communication system.
To get the agencies to improve their disaster operations
The Mental Health Coordinator in the EOC will contact and deploy crisis
intervention teams to the incident site after notification of request.
To determine the capabilities of the fire/rescue department to effectively
perform fire fighting, rescue, hazardous materials containment, and similar
hazard abatement duties during a major emergency.
The warehouse manager will inventory and report to Central Processing the
available stores of protective building supplies within 2 hours of notification by
city officials.
To identify the primary reason for slow response of ambulance units.
Volunteers will be utilized.
Emergency management staff will initiate and complete a callback of EOC
personnel as prescribed in the emergency plan
Demonstrate the ability of the Emmit International Airport Fire Brigade to
respond to the farthest portion of the runway within 3 minutes of an alarm.
All facility personnel will respond properly to a chemical spill.

13

Examples of Action Words

Abstracted

Achieved

Acquired

Acted

Adapted

Addressed

Administered

Advertised

Advised

Advocated

Aided

Allocated

Analyzed

Answered

Anticipated

Applied

Appraised

Approved

Arranged

Ascertained

Assembled

Assessed

Assisted

Assured

Attained

Audited

Augmented

Authored

Bolstered

Briefed

Brought

Budgeted

Built

Calculated

Cared

Charged

Chartered

Checked

Clarified

Classified

Coached

Collaborated

Collected

Comforted

Communicated

Compared

Completed

Complied

Composed

Computed

Conceived

Conducted

Configured

Conserved

Considered

Consulted

Contracted

Contributed

Converted

Cooperated

Coordinated

Copied

Correlated

Counselled

Created

Critiqued

Cultivated

Dealt

Debated

Decided

Defined

Delegated

Delivered

Designed

Detected

Determined

Developed

Devised

Diagnosed

Directed

Discovered

Discriminated

Dispatched

Displayed

Dissected

Documented

Drafted

Drove

Edited

Enabled

Enforced

Eliminated

Empathized

Enlightened

Enlisted

Ensured

Entertained

Established

Estimated

Evaluated

14

Examined

Exceeded

Excelled

Expanded

Expedited

Experimented

Explained

Explored

Expressed

Extracted

Facilitate

Fashioned

Financed

Fixed

Followed

Formulated

Fostered

Founded

Gained

Gathered

Gave

Generated

Governed

Guided

Handled

Headed

Helped

Hosted

Identified

Illustrated

Imagined

Implemented

Improved

Improvised

Inaugurated

Increased

Indexed

Indicated

Influenced

Initiated

Inspected

Instituted

Integrated

Interpreted

Interviewed

Introduced

Invented

Inventoried

Investigated

Judged

Kept

Launched

Learned

Lectured

Led

Lifted

Listened

Located

Logged

Made

Maintained

Managed

Manipulated

Mapped

Mastered

Maximized

Mediated

Memorized

Mentored

Met

Minimized

Modeled

Modified

Monitored

Narrated

Negotiated

Observed

Obtained

Offered

Operated

Ordered

Organized

Originated

Overcame

Oversaw

Participated

Perceived

Perfected

Performed

Persuaded

Planned

Practiced

Predicted

Prepared

Presented

Prioritized

Produced

Programmed

Projected

Promoted

Proposed

Protected

Proved

Provided

Publicized

Published

Purchased

Queried

15

Questioned

Raised

Ran

Ranked

Rationalized

Read

Reasoned

Recorded

Received

Reduced

Referred

Related

Relied

Reported

Researched

Responded

Restored

Revamped

Reviewed

Scanned

Scheduled

Schemed

Screened

Served

Set goals

Shaped

Skilled

Solicited

Solved

Specialized

Spoke

Stimulated

Strategized

Streamlined

Strengthened

Stressed

Studied

Substantiated

Succeeded

Supported

Summarized

Synthesized

Supervised

Supported

Surveyed

Sustained

Symbolized

Tabulated

Talked

Taught

Theorized

Trained

Translated

Upgraded

Utilized

Validated

Verified

Visualized

Won

Wrote

This report has been produced by Rialto Consultancy Limited.

Rialto specialises in unique change management and transformation solutions which deliver
exceptional results.
We provide a range of services and interventions associated with the entire people agenda which
include: Transforming the Performance Culture, Executive Outplacement & Career Realignment,
Outplacement & Career Transition, Executive Search, Interim Management, Revitalising Leadership
and Talent Management.

The Rialto Consultancy

Central Court
25 Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lane
LONDON
WC2A 1AL
T: +44 (0) 20 3043 8640
E: [email protected]
www.rialtoconsultancy.com
The Rialto Consultancy All rights reserved

16

The Rialto Consultancy Ltd

25 Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lane
London WC2A 1AL
T: +44 (0)20 3043 8640
F: +44 (0)20 3043 8641
E: [email protected]
17
www.rialtoconsultancy.com