Are Your 2012 Goals S.M.A.R.T.?
Hi Good People! McKinney & Associates hopes you enjoyed the holidays and your New Year has started well. We appreciate your reading of our "Comm in the Storm" blog and we'll work to continually provide you with helpful and insightful information throughout 2012.
Our December 20, 2011 blog post "To Be New, You Have to Do New" offered tactics for successful goal-setting. The New Year is here. We feel refreshed with new energy, goals and ideas; ready to conquer the world. However, you soon realize there's more involved to planning and your superhero belt and bracelet is defunct. Before you're off and running without a plan, let's make sure your goals and plans are S.M.A.R.T. !
Specific: Does the goal or idea clearly meet a specific need or solve a problem? Have you defined the "who, what, when, where, why and how" details? Does your goal or idea have substance?
Measurable: Can the goal or idea be measured against previous benchmarks or with an idea of what success will look like? ("Success will look like this if "x" number of people sign up or "x" happens by this date")
Actionable: Have the "who" in your goal or idea been assigned a role with a full understanding of their deliverable? Do they understand how, where, when and why to complete assigned deliverable? (Example: Send out newsletters, email supporters, secure venue, host fundraiser, etc.)
Results-Driven/Realistic: Does your goal or idea amplify how you want yourself or your audience to react, think or feel? Does the goal or idea support the business you're in? Is your goal or idea realistically attainable with the people and elements you have in place? Honestly assess this.
Timeframed: Is there an attainable, thought-out timeline and deadline attached to your goal or idea for successful completion? Is every action accompanied by a "due date"?
You may have already been familiar with S.M.A.R.T. yet a refresher is good for aligning our thinking. We hope this helps and wish you the best success.
