How can you help your team set and achieve their own SMART goals?

1 Step 1: Identify the desired outcome

The first step is to identify the desired outcome of the goal, which should align with the team's vision, mission, and values. You can use questions like: What do you want to accomplish? Why is it important? How does it contribute to the team's success? The desired outcome should be specific and relevant, meaning that it should state exactly what you want to achieve and why it matters.

2 Step 2: Break down the goal into actions

The next step is to break down the goal into actions, which are the steps or tasks that need to be done to achieve the outcome. You can use questions like: What are the main activities involved? How will you complete them? Who is responsible for them? The actions should be measurable and achievable, meaning that they should have clear indicators of progress and completion and be realistic and challenging.

3 Step 3: Set a deadline and milestones

The third step is to set a deadline and milestones for the goal, which are the dates or events that mark the completion of the actions or phases of the goal. You can use questions like: When do you want to achieve the outcome? How will you track your progress? What are the key checkpoints or deliverables? The deadline and milestones should be time-bound and specific, meaning that they should have a definite end date and clear criteria for success.

4 Step 4: Communicate and document the goal

The fourth step is to communicate and document the goal, which means sharing the goal with your team and other stakeholders and recording it in a written format. You can use questions like: How will you communicate the goal to your team and others? How will you ensure that everyone understands and agrees on the goal? Where will you store and update the goal information? Communicating and documenting the goal helps to create accountability, transparency, and commitment among your team and others.

5 Step 5: Monitor and support the goal

The fifth step is to monitor and support the goal, which means tracking the progress and performance of your team and providing feedback, guidance, and resources as needed. You can use questions like: How will you measure and report the results of the goal? How will you celebrate the achievements and address the challenges of the goal? How will you motivate and empower your team to reach the goal? Monitoring and supporting the goal helps to ensure quality, consistency, and improvement of your team's work.

6 Step 6: Review and evaluate the goal

The sixth and final step is to review and evaluate the goal, which means assessing the outcome and impact of the goal and learning from the experience. You can use questions like: Did you achieve the desired outcome? How did it benefit the team and the organization? What went well and what can be improved? How will you apply the lessons learned to future goals? Reviewing and evaluating the goal helps to recognize the achievements and challenges of your team and identify the areas of growth and development.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?