SMART goals:
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely.
Nothing apparently unreasonable there. And yet this whole approach jars. It feels very controlling, very blinkered, and very task-oriented. It is a method that allows managers to “objectively” assess their direct reports, and grade them accordingly, so finds great popularity with HR departments and the mindset prevalent in many organisations: you can’t manage what you can’t measure, and of course, above all else, we must manage.
I did a little research on SMART goals. Seems even the proponents themselves cannot agree, and often cannot articulate the concept in a useful way.
Specific
Take this from topachievement. For the “S” part they state: A general goal would be, “Get in shape”. But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week”.
They miss the most important point in both cases. There is no purpose to either of these goals. But on balance, I’d say that the former, more general, goal is the better goal because it leads you to ask a “why” question. The latter being entirely task-focused completely by-passes purpose.
And this is how we work in corporations, day after day. We do what we are told, or what we are tricked into thinking is a task we set for ourselves. Task after task, with no sense of purpose, except the purpose of keeping our job and/or getting promoted. And we wonder why there’s so little engagement in our corporations.
Measurable
For “M” we hear this from sbinformation: “A goal without a measurable outcome is like a sports competition without a scoreboard or scorekeeper.”
Yes. So what? Business isn’t sport. Building software is not a competition. Peddlers of management methodologies — the experts of quick fixes — churn out this trite nonsense as if it is wisdom. And we buy it. We’d be well to listen to some real wisdom on measurement, from Eli Goldratt:
“Tell me how you measure me, and I will tell you how I will behave. If you measure me in an illogical way, do not complain about illogical behavior.”
We measure so we can manage. I’d argue that we need to stop managing, and start releasing.
Attainable
For “A” projectsmart offer ‘agreed upon’ instead of ‘attainable’, suggesting that we get “agreement with all the stakeholders what the goals should be”. Good luck with that.
Agreement is a dangerous thing. The more power a person has, the more easily they can get someone to ‘agree’ with them. And what if we don’t agree? I’ll leave you to play that scenario forward for yourself.
Realistic
For “R” projectsmart offer “Within the availability of resources, knowledge and time”. Sigh!
Does anyone else see that this approach to action might be why there is so little true innovation in our industry? Setting only goals you know you can achieve is a very sad existence. Where’s the challenge? Where’s the threat? Where’s the failure…where’s the learning?
Do what you know. Be safe. Pick up your paycheck.
Timely
And finally, “T”. I’ll pick on projectsmart again: “Enough time to achieve the goal. Not too much time, which can affect project performance.” In other words, estimate accurately — even exactly — ahead of actually doing any of the work.
This advice can only come from someone who’s had his head buried in the sand for the past three decades. We don’t know how long something complex is going to take until we do it, or at least begin to do it and reflect.
Again, this limits our goals to only the things we know for sure we can do. I’ll offer a ray of hope for SMART from topachievement: “T can also stand for Tangible — A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing.” They spoil this lovely metaphor with their next sentence, but I’ll spare you that. Just enjoy this imagery.
So now what?
It’s all very well to criticise, but what should we do instead? I believe this: we should stop setting goals and start imagining possibilities. Goals are manageable, possibilities can only be nurtured, and guided.
I’m a proponent of the nurture approach to business. As an alternative to SMART goals I’ll offer VAGUE dreams: valuable, anarchic, genuine, unbounded, engaging.
VAGUE dreams
Valuable
In everything we undertake we must have a sense of the value it will provide to self, others or the world. We need purpose to make our work meaningful.
Anarchic
Stop playing safe. Challenge, confront, undermine the current status quo. Strive to discover the undiscoverable.
Genuine
Be true to yourself — abandon agreement in favor of passion, and then seek alignment. Don’t compromise.
Unbounded
Embrace not-knowing. Avoid forcing your ideas into someone else’s box. Let your possibilities grow wings, and soar.
Engaging
Keep your dreams vital, avoid repetition, continuously challenge yourself and those around you. Walk the edge.
If you are not quite ready to let go of goals and embrace dreaming, take a look at Forget SMART goals, try CLEAR goals — a good critique, and a less drastic step away from the dark side, and into the light.
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Image by Moyan Brenn
Good article – thought provoking – Thanks!
Amen to that. I once presented the anti-SMART view to a bunch of Team Managers. Very funny. It went something like:
1. The more specific a problem is defined, the more likely we are to miss the root causes. Look at the system first and narrow focus later in the knowledge that you can and should
2. Just because you can measure something does not mean its the right thing nor useful. Aren’t the most important things in business unknowable and unmeasureable?
3. Achievable is just about the best thing we need to reduce ambition and give rise to small, largely meaningless improvements. Lots of effort for little return. An anthem to the anodyne.
4. Realistic according to who? A value judgement couched in the status quo. How can this be better? This is just change for its own sake
5. Timely! A problem that has been there for 15 years does not Need to be solved in 3 months. If they could be solved we would rightly ask serious questions of senior executives as to why long standing problems were so easy to solve
And that would never do. Very funny Emyr
How many times does a goal get agreed upon because folks want to align themselves with seniority.?
A colleague once said to me “If a senior exec finds something interesting, you should find it fascinating” ….which was something I could never come to terms with
I’m afraid you have probably fallen into the trap of becoming a truth seeker Anish. Which is good for the soul, but maybe not so good for promotion prospects.
Promotion based on compliance is an empty reward. I hope you’re kidding here :/
Never more so