SMART Goal Writing

Use these prompts to help write SMART goals.

Specific

Please refer to the current context as defined in the Review Process, and the Position Description.

• Clearly define what needs to be achieved.
• Clearly define the connection to strategy, business needs and the employee’s position description.
• Ensure the emphasis is on the overall deliverable or end-product.
• Clearly define the performance  expectation that must be met to successfully execute the goal.

Measurable

Please review information on metrics below to complete this section.

• Decide how you will know that this goal has been accomplished, i.e., what success looks like.
• Decide how you will know that progress on this goal has been made, i.e., indicators or evidence.
• Determine whether qualitative or quantitative metrics work best to indicate progress and success.
• Integrate the metric/s into the goal statement.

Attainable

Please refer to the current context as defined in the Review Process, and the Position Description.

• Ensure the goal is within the scope of the employee’s position description.
• Identify circumstances beyond the employee’s control that could affect their performance.
• Identify the level of outcome that is not achievable by the employee.
• Ensure the employee has the opportunity to exceed solid performance on the goal.

Relevant

Please refer to Strategy as defined in the Review Process, and the Matching Process.

• Ensure the goal contributes to OSU and work unit Strategy.
• Ensure the goal contributes to the work unit’s business needs.
• Ensure the goal utilizes the employee’s unique connections and contributions, i.e., matches.

Timely

Please refer to business needs and employee workload in the Review Process, and the Position Description.

• Set a realistic, achievable and ambitious end-date for goal completion.
• Specify milestones or frequency of action.
• Ensure the employee can reasonably achieve the goal and milestones within the specified timeframes. 

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Metric - measure used to evaluate performance against the Performance Standard.  There are two types of metrics.

• Qualitative - performance is measured using observation of performance and outcomes.  Two types are process and outcome measures. 
  • Process Measure - decisions and actions required for successful performance. 
  • Outcome Measure - desired outcomes of successful performance.
• Quantitative - performance is measured using numerics or statistics.  Three types are quantity, frequency or percentage measures.