What are the best ways to set and achieve SMART goals during a facilitation session?

A facilitation session is a process to achieve an outcome. A facilitator should understand the process, and the desired outcomes, and skillfully steer the session to achieve these outcomes. In planning the session, the facilitator should use SMART to anticipate challenges to the process so that it can be dealt with effectively. This should be done seamlessly and without constraining the participation and creativity of participant with rules and constraints. During the session, the facilitator should steer the process without constraining the free flow of multiple perspectives during the session. Facilitation is about eliciting multiple perspectives to add value, while realizing the value added during the process and not only in the outcome.

I used many adult education group facilitation techniques successfully, such as Nominal Group Technique, but eventually developed my own system I called Coloured Paper, which was highly effective at allowing both individual and group activity. Getting sessions out of plenary and into small group work, in my view, is key to success to ensuring goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Sticking to SMART analysis, forces groups to focus and create important pathways for future success.

Without SMART goals, the organization doesn't accomplish what it needs to accomplish. The best way is to list goals, without worrying about SMART, then come back and methodically write them as SMART - testing well. Some groups gravitate to SMART easily, some not so easily.

The SMART framework is a great structure to develop your goals. Take your team through the specifics of what each letter of the acronym means. Provide examples of good SMART goals that are well thought out, developed and written. Avoid ambiguity, vague wording or nebulous statements, then let them go for it! Share examples in the group, tighten up where necessary - job done.

Setting and achieving SMART goals during a facilitation session involves clear communication and collaboration. Start by ensuring goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Encourage participants to define their objectives with precision, quantifying progress where possible. Foster an environment where goals align with broader objectives, ensuring relevance. Break down goals into manageable tasks, making them achievable within the given timeframe. Throughout the session, facilitate regular check-ins to monitor progress and adjust strategies as needed. By maintaining focus on SMART criteria and fostering open communication, participants can effectively set and achieve their goals.

It’s not just about writing a good SMART goal - that will only lead to doing more busy work that may or may not move you and/or the organisation forward. You must start with understanding the goals/strategy of the organisation, then consider how those goals translate into your business unit and then your team to truely understand what your contribution will be and in turn the raw ingredients for your SMART goal. Without this direct line of sight between what you are doing and how that enables the successful delivery of a broader strategy, your SMART goal becomes a beautifully curated sentence that potentially has no impact, adds little value and barely shifts the needle on culture and engagement.

On my personal opinion: For trainers, implementing SMART goals during training facilitation is essential for success. Firstly, they need to set specific objectives for each session, such as covering particular topics or achieving certain learning outcomes. These goals should be measurable, allowing the trainer to assess their progress and adjust their approach as needed. Achievability is crucial; trainers must ensure their goals are realistic given the available resources and time constraints. Goals should be relevant to the overall training objectives and tailored to the needs of the participants. Lastly, trainers should set time-bound goals, establishing deadlines for completing activities or reaching milestones during each session.

Leverage ChatGPT 4 and share your draft SMART objective and ask AI to give feedback and improve it. With some decent prompting you will be impressed with how nice a SMART goal you can end up with.

I like to draw upon my change management background and start with defining the change. Goals are ultimately about change, and the first thing we do in a change project is define the change. In order to create functional goals that appropriately guide you, you must know what your current state is and what you want your future state to be (gap analysis), i.e. I currently cannot finish a marathon / I want to be able to finish a marathon. the goal(s) are what gets you from the current state to the future state (could be one, could be several built upon each other in a progression.

In my experience, setting and achieving SMART goals during a facilitation session requires a structured approach: Specific: Clearly define the goals during the facilitation session, ensuring they are explicit and leave no room for ambiguity. Measurable: Help participants identify metrics or indicators that will signify progress toward the goal. Relevant: Goals should contribute meaningfully to the desired outcomes. Time-bound: Encourage participants to break down larger goals into smaller, time-bound tasks to maintain momentum and focus.

To effectively achieve SMART goals, I find the following approach beneficial: a. Develop a detailed timetable outlining milestones for achieving the SMART goals b. Delegate specific roles and responsibilities to team members based on their strengths and expertise c. Maintain open communication with the team, addressing any concerns promptly d. Establish regular review sessions to monitor progress and identify any deviations from the plan e. Remain flexible and willing to adjust schedules as needed to adapt to changing circumstances f. Conduct thorough evaluations to assess outcomes achieved against the predetermined criteria g. Express appreciation to team members for their contributions h. Celebrate achievements to foster team cohesion

I would recommend a different approach to a novice to prepare for achieving SMART goals in a facilitation session. There will be unexpected deviations from the planned activities, timing, and sometimes responsibilities. These all contribute to one's anxiety and may distract facilitators from focusing on the audience, content, and objectives. I find these two actions necessary to establish confidence and elevate a comfort level with the unknown. 1 - Stick to the original planning. It provides a sense of control and achievement in the end. It also allows assessing areas of descending from the plan. 2 - Keep the session objectives a priority. It encourages some unconventional, brave actions to continue progressing toward the results.

It’s important to not just view each goal individually but collectively. Just because one goal is achievable, it does not mean three different goals we set at once are still sustainable. Look at what resources are needed across goals, who is owning the work, and what urgency does each goal have. It’s viral we consider the attainability of the collection of goals in addition to the realistic nature of each individual goal.

One of the great ways to set SMART objectives in a facilitated session, is to set an IDOARRT in the beginning, simply setting a collective Intention, then listen to the team "Desired Outcomes", make sure all are well documented, then populate a collective "Agenda". Defining "Roles" and "Rules" will set norms for the group, and defining the "Timing" will make sure that everyone is informed and in consensus of the agreed timing, which will definitely set a pressure on everyone attending. The group agreement in the first 10min, will definitely yield better outcomes, and setting the objectives to be SMART, by also making sure the Roles are well described, will make them implementable.

In my view while setting SMART goals it is important to write them down, reflect, document again after any fine tuning. Defining the right target audience, number of sessions/hours, timeframe of completion of such planned sessions goes a long way to set and achieve SMART goals while facilitating any session.

Make your goals SMART but not too SMART. If they get too Specific then they may never be achieved If you are too obsessed with Measurement or it's too complex then you waste time and expend joy If it's too easily Achievable then there is no stretch If it's too relevant... [nope I've got nothing for this one ??] If you over focus on Time you may miss out on something that takes a bit longer to bloom but is totally worth it

Setting and achieving SMART goals during a facilitation session is critical to ensuring clarity, focus, and progress. I'm sharing here how to do it effectively. Start by defining the goals using the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). This provides a clear roadmap for what needs to be achieved. Break the goals into smaller, manageable tasks and create action plans with specific steps, deadlines, and responsibilities.This helps track progress and stay on course. Setting and achieving SMART goals during a facilitation session requires clear definition, actionable steps, and ongoing monitoring. By following these strategies, facilitators can help participants effectively set and achieve meaningful goals.

Consider what SMART model to use. I personally use the Ken Blanchard one which reads as STRAM (Specific, Motivating, Relevant, Attainable, Trackable). Though I made use of the traditional SMART model for quite a number of years, KB’s iteration ensures that the human aspect is considered in the design. The STRAM model also lines up perfectly with the experience elements : Ethos, Pathos, Logos, which if present assures a memorable experience through knowledge gain and emotional connection.