Why Every Leader Needs SMART(ER) Goals to Avoid These 5 Mistakes
During Q1, many of us focus on setting goals for the year. But before jumping in, it’s crucial to understand what not to do and what makes a goal successful.
At NoLimits, we partner with organisations that rely on the SMART model, first introduced in 1981 by George T. Doran in his paper, “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives.” Since its inception, SMART goals have become a standard framework in leadership, performance management, and personal development because they’re practical, clear, and results driven.
However, we believe goals can be even more powerful with a SMART(ER) approach, which introduces two vital enhancements: E for Envision and R for Realise. This transforms goal setting from being only a logical, left-brain process to one that also taps into right-brain creativity and deeply connects with our identity, values, and emotions.
Why Does the SMART Model Work?
SMART goals are valuable because they provide a consistent, structured framework that everyone can use in your organisation, and it ensures clarity and accountability. Specificity eliminates guesswork, measurability tracks progress, realistic parameters ensure feasibility, and breaking down milestones into deadlines creates urgency. Together, these essential elements prevent the scattergun approach many people take when setting goals.
The challenge is that traditional SMART goals lack a vital element in making our aspirations come to life - the emotional component, which is key to maintaining motivation and alignment with your purpose. This is where SMART(ER) goals really are smarter.
How to Make Your SMART Goals SMART(ER)
At NoLimits, we’ve developed a smarter approach to managing goals by focusing on the following enhancements:
E: Envision: Visualise the future you’re creating. What does success look, feel, and sound like? Imagine yourself achieving your goal and the impact it will have on your life and work.
R: Realise: Connect this vision to your purpose, identity, and values. This step transforms abstract goals into meaningful aspirations that resonate deeply with who you are and who you want to become.
To implement these extra components, we redefine the A in SMART goals to include this E and R, replacing Achievable with Attractive. Attractive goals engage your senses and emotions. By imagining how success feels, looks, and sounds, you'll move beyond logic into creating a compelling vision that feels real and pulls you forward in achieving your goals.
These emotionally connected goals turn ordinary objectives into inspiring outcomes that energise and sustain your motivation.
A Personal Example
When I founded NoLimits in 2006, I envisioned walking into our first client's open-plan corporate office where employees recognised me and smiled as I passed by, and I smiled back. I imagined key contacts spontaneously inviting me into their offices to discuss leadership development training for their teams.
This vision was more than motivating - it became reality. I also remember securing additional, unexpected work opportunities through these informal interactions. By envisioning my outcome in vivid sensory detail, I reinforced my belief in the power of setting Attractive goals.
When you connect your goals to a clear and compelling vision, you don’t just plan - you create a future that inspires action and growth every step of the way.
The SMART(ER) Framework
This SMART(ER) approach transforms goal setting into a journey where both the process and the destination are enjoyable, personally rewarding and fulfilling.
Here’s how it works:
S – Specific: Define exactly what you want to accomplish. Clarity drives context and focus.
M – Measurable: Attach numbers or metrics to track your progress and success.
A – Attractive: E-Envision your success in detail by creating a mental picture of your goal and the deeper meaning of its impact that connects with your purpose, identity and values. How does it feel to R-realise your goal? What do you see, hear, or experience?
R – Realistic: Ensure your goal is achievable within your current context and aligns with your purpose. Stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone while remaining grounded.
T – Time-bound: Set clear milestones with actionable dates and an overall goal deadline to create urgency, structure and celebrate small wins.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
1. Being Vague Instead of Specific
What people do wrong: “I want to be healthier.”
How to fix it: Be precise. For example, “I want to run 5K in under 40 minutes in six months.”
Attractive: Picture yourself crossing the finish line with a sense of accomplishment and energy, celebrating with friends and family.
2. Ignoring Measurement
What organisations do wrong: Setting immeasurable goals like “We want to improve how our teams handle conflict” without a way to track progress.
How to fix it: Add measurable criteria. For example, “We’ll organise a conflict resolution workshop for all team leads within the next month. Each team will then conduct monthly discussions to practise the techniques, aiming to reduce conflict related delays by 20% and improve employee satisfaction scores by 15% over the next quarter.”
Attractive: Picture your organisation where your teams constructively manage disagreements using open communication and tackling challenges together. Envision stronger trusting relationships across departments, fewer disruptions, and a workplace culture where respect and mutual understanding are the norm. This approach ensures your organisational goals are clear, measurable, and aligned with a vision of improved teamwork and productivity.
3. Forgetting Emotional Connection
What people do wrong: “I want to network more.”
How to fix it: “I’ll schedule three coffee chats each month with colleagues and industry professionals to strengthen relationships and explore collaboration opportunities.”
Attractive: Imagine building trusting connections, having meaningful conversations, receiving valuable insights, and being sought after for opportunities because of your strong relationships.
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4. Writing Goals and Forgetting Them
What people do wrong: Storing goals in a desk drawer or computer file, only revisiting them during performance reviews.
How to fix it: Keep your goals visible, write them on sticky notes, use a? vision board and set reminders. Check in daily to track progress and make updates.
Attractive: Picture yourself looking at your vision board daily, feeling inspired as each milestone is achieved, and seeing you’re making good progress.
5. Being Unrealistic
What people do wrong: Overcommitting, e.g., “I’ll write a book in two weeks.”
How to fix it: Break goals into smaller, realistic milestones. “I’ll write 500 words daily and complete the first draft in three months.”
Attractive: Visualise holding your completed manuscript, feeling proud and fulfilled knowing your consistent effort paid off.
Examples of SMARTER Goals
Career Growth
Personal Development
Professional Development
The Benefits When You Implement SMART(ER) Goals
When you, your team and organisation make goals Attractive, you’ll help focus the brain’s reticular activating system (RAS)(1). The RAS filters information, prioritising what aligns with your purpose, identity and values. By visualising success and connecting it to your emotions, you’ll reinforce your neural pathways, making your goals feel achievable and intrinsically rewarding. (2)
This process also builds alignment across your teams and organisation. When everyone applies the SMART(ER) framework, it creates:
Whether it’s a professional milestone or personal ambition, adopting SMART(ER) goals ensures your aspirations inspire you daily and align with your growth.
Your Emotionally Compelling Call to Action:
Goals reflect your vision, purpose, and the impact you want to create as a leader.
When you make your goals SMART(ER), you’ll create clarity, motivation, and alignment for yourself, your team, and your organisation.
Ask yourself:
“Are my goals clear, meaningful, and emotionally compelling?”
“Do they inspire myself and my team to take action every day?”
Start today. Choose one goal - personal, professional, or team-focused - and make it SMART(ER).
Write it down, visualise its success, and commit to taking the first step.
What will your first SMART(ER) goal be?
For more information about our SMART(ER) goal setting training, leadership development programmes and our OwnMentor AI learnng tools, contact us at www.nolimitspartners.com
Download our SMART(ER) Goal Template including a clever AI tool prompt to help you develop one for yourself here: Download
References
(1) Doran, G. T. (1981). There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives. Management Review, 70(11), 35-36.
(2)??? National Library of Medicine Neuroanatomy, Reticular Activating System - Joseph H. Arguinchona;?Prasanna Tadi. July 24, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549835/
(3)??? ?Trauma Research UK – RAS (Reticular Activating System) Befriending Your Brain's Superhero. https://traumaresearchuk.org/ras-reticular-activating-system/
Be Who You Want to Be
1 个月When you finish using the AI prompt to write out your SMART(ER) goal, ask it to give you a final version so that you can cut and paste into a word document and print out your goal. Put it in a visible place for you to easily review your progress and keep on envisioning daily.