How do you use SMART goals to measure the outcomes and follow-up actions of your meeting?

1 What are SMART goals?

SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These are the criteria that you should use to define the goals of your meeting, and to evaluate the results afterwards. SMART goals help you to clarify the purpose and scope of your meeting, to align the participants on the same page, and to track the progress and impact of your meeting. For example, a SMART goal for a meeting could be: "By the end of this meeting, we will have agreed on the next steps for the project, assigned the roles and responsibilities, and set the deadlines and milestones for each task."

2 How to use SMART goals for your meeting agenda

Once you have defined your SMART goals for your meeting, you can use them to structure your agenda. An agenda is a document that outlines the topics, activities, and time allocation for your meeting. It should also include the date, time, location, and participants of your meeting, as well as any relevant information or materials that the attendees need to prepare or review beforehand. To use SMART goals for your agenda, begin with the main goal of your meeting and break it down into smaller sub-goals or questions that you need to address or answer during the meeting. Prioritize the most important or urgent sub-goals or questions and allocate enough time for each one. Group related topics together and use headings or bullet points to organize your agenda. Indicate the expected outcome or action for each sub-goal or question, and how you will measure or verify it. For example, use words like "decide", "review", "approve", "assign", or "report" to describe the outcome or action, and specify the criteria, indicators, or deliverables that you will use to measure or verify it. Lastly, include a time for feedback, questions, and summary at the end of your meeting to review the main points, clarify any doubts, and confirm the next steps and follow-up actions.

3 How to create a simple and effective agenda template

Creating an effective meeting agenda doesn't have to be a daunting task. You can create a template that you can customize and use for different meetings. To do this, choose a format that suits your needs and preferences, such as a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, or online tool. Include the basic sections like date, time, location, participants, objectives, topics, activities, outcomes, and follow-up actions. You can also add other sections relevant to your specific meeting. Additionally, use a clear and consistent layout for your template with fonts, colors, headings, bullet points, numbering or icons. Finally, save your template in an easily accessible format so you can edit and share with others or print it out for the meeting.

4 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?