Soooo, I am not so fond of SMART goals.
Wait a second – what are SMART goals?
Ok so a very quick breakdown for those who don’t know (if you do skip to the next section)
The SMART framework is used to set Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound goals.
Specific – clearly defined outcome.
Measurable – a way to judge success.
Attainable – doable given the skills, resources, and energy available.
Realistic – we ain’t livin’ in lala land trying to build something that the laws of nature etc don’t allow
Time-Bound – there is a set time by which they will be achieved.
All that makes sense. And it sounds like a really good way to set clear goals that can be tracked.
So what’s my issue?
Don’t get me wrong, SMART goals have their place.
BUUUUT, they also tend to keep people in or close to their comfort zone.
They don’t make room for innovation.
They are pretty much pass/fail.
And they don’t create motivation for doing more than the goal outcome.
Got anything better?
Yes, but before we go there, let’s talk about another framework some people use – FAST goals.
FAST stands for Frequently Discussed, Ambitious, Specific and Transparent goals.
Let’s quickly break this one down as well (you know what to do if you’re familiar with this)
Frequently Discussed – we don’t just write them down and then forget about them. They are constantly being reviewed and monitored. This lets us understand how we are using our time and energy. It creates an environment for open feedback and dialogue on teams and with leaders.
Ambitious – it pushed people to move out of their comfort zone. It inspires people to work together (and even compete a bit). The focus here is to improve performance.
Specific – a clear definition of what needs to be achieved, by when, by who, with clear metrics for success.
Transparant – EVERYONE knows EVERYONEs goals and how they interconnect. It allows teammates to know who is working on what. It let’s managers and leaders find bottlenecks, track progress, and measure against team goals, objectives, and vision. Which is supposed to help with strategic alignment.
The FAST system is sometimes better than SMART goals, but it is more team oriented and harder for an individual to use.
Also, there is research that tells us the that the F of FAST goals – frequently discussing a goal – will make us less likely to achieve it (something to do with dopamine hits or something like that).
So, if we have Frequently Discussed + Transparent goals then there is a possibility that individual contributors will not hit goals because of how the brain translates those discussions into feelings of achievement and success.
So what systems do I teach in addition to SMART and FAST goal setting?
The first is OKRs – Objectives and Key Results.
Objectives represent the desired outcome of effect.
The Key Results are the measurable steps to achieving that outcome or effect.
While I often think of “Key Results” as the actual “goals” and Objectives as a larger stepping stone towards vision, this system is still useful if we consider “objectives’ to mean “goals”.
Why does it work? It connects the end result with more than one metric for success.
There are different key results that help achieve the goal.
This lets us see where we are having issues and focus.
It also gives us a sense of progress as we achieve different key results along the way.
Which helps keep us motivates.
This system works really well in organizations – especially when you use them in a clear building dynamic – Key Results (Goals) -> Objectives -> Vision.
But that isn’t my favorite, by far.
My favorite goal setting framework is the MTO system.
Why?
Because the MTO – Minimum, Target, Outrageous – goal system isn’t based on a pass/fail metric. It uses a spectrum metric for success.
And it gives you a way to push outside your comfort zone without the threat of hijacking by your Habenula – you know the part of the brain that beats you up when you fail and makes it harder to re-engage motivation for a goal.
There are some very important caveats for using this system.
- You have to know enough about yourself, your skills, your capabilities (or those of your team) to KNOW you can hit your minimum.
- You have to be OK with NOT hitting the target, but not accept the minimum as the expected outcome..
- You have to avoid pushing to hit the stretch goal. It is there to push you, not the other way around.
Why do I like this one so much?
It can be used by everyone in an organization and with every size group or organization.
Leaders can set MTOs but choose to only share the Target and Outrageous goals with their team. Keeping the Minimum goal close to the chest allows them to help people understand afterwards that their work was still worthwhile but at the same time mitigates the possibility that people will slack.
Although, in my experience that isn’t necessary.
Why?
Because the framing of the Target with a Minimum and Outrageous goal often makes people feel two things:
- I don’t want to just do the bare mimimum they expect of me.
- I really want to do better than the target they’ve set.
Setting MTOs allows everyone to understand the very minimum expectation but puts front and center the target and possibility of going above and beyond the target.
What is great is that we can still use SMART systems within MTOs.
The minimum might be a SMART goal. And that will also tell us the metrics and timeframe for success.
From there we can add the Target and have that be our focus with specifics, metrics, and timeframe about what that target looks like.
And we can use transparency as a way to help everyone understand what is being worked on without fear that we are engaging the systems in the brain that make us feel good because there is still the stretch goal which is pushing us to do even better.
Which helps people see how they can do more for the organization, team, and for themselves.
That gives them an opening to be strategic followers and engage courage, critical thinking, active engagement, and build trust.
Which is what we need to move the strategic needle and build success.
Want me to help your organization with their goals, leadership, and strategy? Reach out and let’s talk.
And let me know – What system do you use to set goals?
