SMART is a checklist for writing a single goal well: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It is not a planning system like OKRs or EOS but a quality test applied to each goal, ensuring it is concrete enough to act on and clear enough to know when it is met.
SMART works best as a final check, not a framework on its own. Once you have decided what matters, run each goal through the five letters: is it specific about the change, measurable in a number, achievable with the resources at hand, relevant to the strategy, and bounded by a date? If any letter is missing, the goal is not yet actionable.
The common critique is that SMART optimizes for what is easy to measure and achievable, which can crowd out ambition. Pairing it with a framework that allows stretch goals keeps it from quietly lowering the bar.
Not SMART: "improve customer support." SMART: "cut median support resolution time from 27 to 12 hours by September 30 using the new triage workflow."
Vindaris runs OKRs, KPIs, EOS, OGSM, SMART goals, the Balanced Scorecard, and Hoshin Kanri in one place, each goal linked to the traceable work moving it. Start free, no credit card.
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