The acronym SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It's a framework for setting goals and objectives that helps ensure they're attainable within a specific time frame.
Here's what each letter of SMART stands for:
- Specific: The objective is clear and states what will be done and who will do it.
- Measurable: The objective includes how the action will be measured, which helps determine if progress is being made.
- Achievable: The objective is realistic and can be achieved given the current circumstances.
- Relevant: The objective makes sense and fits the purpose.
- Time-bound: The objective includes a timeline for expected results.
George T. Doran introduced the SMART criteria in his 1981 paper, "There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives". In some business circles, the acronym has been expanded to SMARTER, which adds "assignable" and "evaluate".
