How to Create SMART Goals for Professional Development

Annual goals are often thought of in the context of driving business results. However, creating SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) developmental goals are essential for your professional growth and career advancement. SMART goals provide clarity, focus, and a clear path to success in addition to ensuring that you are managing investments into your OWN brand portfolio of assets. Here's how to create SMART development goals for your professional development.

1. Specific: Define the goal clearly. Avoid vague objectives. Ask yourself what exactly you want to achieve and get out of this developmental opportunity. Ask: “will this goal help me in deepening functional expertise” (e.g., becoming more proficient in spreadsheets, MS TEAMs tool set, project management, leadership acumen etc.) or in my competency behaviors (ability to have difficult conversations, succinct communications, etc.)?

Use the 5 W's: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Be precise about the goal's purpose & scope and think about how it supports your development: 1) where you are now, and 2) how this might help you in your career forward.

Example: "Improve my project management proficiency and skills by learning to use MS Project software."

Example: “Taking an intermediate MS Excel class to become a power user with the ability to create macro scripts to automate recurring tasks in spreadsheet shared by work group.”

Example: “ Plan to step up to lead team meetings to develop facilitation experience.”

2. Measurable: Determine how you will measure your progress and success. Identify specific metrics or indicators. You want to have a way to track your growth and benchmark from where you started and how you moved the needle in doing this particular activity.

Quantify your goal, when possible. It helps you track your progress. Will this goal item add more efficiency in my work delivery? Increase confidence building? Improve my ability to influence? Ask, how will I measure this? Through feedback from stakeholders, trusted peers, or mentors based upon observation?

Example: "Increase my productivity by 20% by the end of the year through better time management”

Example: “Will craft an email or create an MS Form doc that I can send to my stakeholders asking for feedback with examples demonstrating when I did that “thing” well.”

Example: “Completed the Crucial Conversations Course offered by the Company’s Academy on xx date this year.”

3. Achievable: Ensure that your goals are realistic and attainable given your current resources, skills, and constraints. Look at your existing plate of work and strategize when you have the time to insert this “adder” into the mix. You want to ensure that you are positioned for success right at the very start of the process.

Conduct any research such as: locating and reviewing course catalogues and schedules, obtaining insights from others regarding recommended educational providers, best ways to study (if applicable) resources you might need and costs, etc. Confirm whether or not your company's Tuition Reimbursement benefit might cover this expense. Seek out and obtain approvals from Leaders, etc. ahead of time (in writing is a must) to garner the support needed to proceed, especially in cases where department budget will be used and especially if Tuition Reimbursement will be sought.

Consider your capacity, available time, and other competing priorities both personal and professional during the period of this activity and factor in any necessary prerequisites. Determine if you will need to take time off (i.e., days away from the office) use personal time, come in early to leave early, stay late, etc. to fit in with the goal, if applicable.

Example: "Complete a professional certification in my field (from X institution) in Q3 of this year. Will apply for Tuition Reimbursement and enroll by “x” date."

4. Relevant: Make sure your goal is aligned with your long-term career objectives and the needs of your current role or industry. I will caveat this by saying you want to conduct research first to determine and confirm if this skill building activity will be viable and deemed valuable in the broader job market.

By spending time, resources, and dollars on the acquisition of skills that will be relevant with current employer now and in the external market will ensure that your investment would bring more value to your brand versus rendering your skillset as outdated if you had to compete for new opportunities down the road apart from working at your present company.

Example: "Enhance my public speaking skills by joining Toastmasters and attend 1x/week for 6 months to better present project updates and proposals in my current job."

Example: “Completing certification course in “ai open-source code” technology via 3-week bootcamp course offered by X company, to support new business acquisition strategy at work.

5. Time-Bound: Set a specific deadline or timeframe for achieving your goal. This creates a sense of urgency. Adjust deliverable timelines if a greater priority or life event occurs-modify only and do not delete. Make every effort to accomplish by delivery date or sooner. Windows of opportunity close quickly, so if you are moved to complete a developmental item in the current year, make it happen to check it off as completed. Having a deadline helps you stay motivated and focused on your career activities to ensure it gets done.

Example: "Attain a leadership role within my department within the next two years. Will scope out two job descriptions on LinkedIn and on the internal Job Portal each month to be observant of my skills or knowledge gaps so that I can plan to take courses or gain exposure opportunities each quarter leading up to the target year to ensure that I am ready to compete when the time arrives.

6. Bonus: chart and track every achievement and accomplishment. Each development plan item completed can be credited to you as overall professional development and will have a story associated with it. Your ability to demonstrate aptitude for continuous growth and being proactive is an attractive quality showcasing your ability to learn, and adapt, all the while adding value to yourself and the organization. Ensure that any new skill earned is used in service of your job in some fashion to lock in the learning and quickly note that you have actual “work experience” using that new ability.

A general rule is to create 3-5 development plan items to complete over the course of the business year. Going back to school is an item to take overall credit for as well as the specific courses taken in the semester or quarter which can be itemized; this is a way to break down the bigger goal of completing the degree into sizable, independent, and measurable tasks.

Additionally, regularly review and adjust your goals as needed to ensure they remain relevant and attainable in the strategic planning of your professional development journey. If you are reading (listening to) business books, take credit-there are no small achievements here. There is room for flexibility, and it is ok to pivot if needed. If an item needs to be removed due to being “no longer relevant,” just be prepared to replace that item with something else.

Remember that SMART goals are not a one-time exercise; they represent a continuous improvement effort. By cultivating a growth mindset, aptitude to learn new things, and staying relevant, you ensure that you can be competitive internally as well as stay market relevant and ready. Keep your pulse on your industry or in the pivot area that you may be planning externally. This process of planning annual SMART goals will surely add value to your personal brand by the acquisition of a concrete skillset of assets that are transferable and are in demand.

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Sheryl Brinkley is a Women's Leadership Pipeline Builder & Sustainer and a Career Acceleration Catalyst Specializing in Hi-Potential & Mid-Level leader progression into Sr. Level & C-Suite positions. She is an Executive & Positive Intelligence Mental Fitness Coach supporting her clients in their holistic self-actualization pursuits while deepening self-awareness for maximal leadership impact.