Smart Goals

A SMART goal is a criterion used during the goal-setting process in an organization. Goals provide a clear vision to employees while achieving desired objectives. It sets an attainable target and gives a sense of direction. Smart Goals is a concept that involves five components;

 S in the smart stand for Specific

M for Measurable

A for Achievable

R for Realistic

T for Time-bound

The concept is commonly attributed to Peter Drucker’s MBO (Management by Objectives) concept. The first known use of the term occurs in the November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran. Since then, Professor Robert S. Rubin (Saint Louis University) wrote about SMART in an article for The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. He stated that SMART has come to mean different things to different people.