A new year brings fresh goals, new opportunities, and renewed energy and engagement in workplaces. But all that excitement — and the goals along with it — can quietly die by Q2, often victims of poor execution. For all the work that goes into business planning, research suggests only one in ten organizations successfully executes its strategies, according to a 2023 Harvard Business School article.
What separates successful goals from unsuccessful ones is a deliberate approach that keeps goals intentional, measurable, and realistically achievable. SMART goals provide that framework. Rather than setting a sweeping plan and hoping for the best, SMART goals give teams a clear road map for turning intention into results.
In this guide, we’ll break down the SMART goal framework, including why it’s effective and how it differs from objectives and key results (OKRs). We’ll also share SMART goal workplace examples by role and department and spell out when SMART goals are the right fit.
What are SMART goals?
SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound — the five parameters that comprise this popular goal-setting framework. Setting SMART goals encourages employees, teams, and organizations to detail how they will turn a vague aim into a trackable work goal.
The SMART goal framework has roots in management by objectives, a workplace strategy meant to improve business performance by aligning employee and management goals. The SMART acronym itself was first published in a November 1981 Management Review article by consultant George T. Doran. While the meaning of some letters in SMART has changed over the years, this goal-setting framework is still widely used today.
Every type of goal — from individual development goals to team-wide and company goals — can be written as a SMART goal statement using the framework’s five criteria:
One common criticism of the SMART framework is that it is inflexible. Some people prefer using the acronym SMARTER, which adds evaluate and revise as the final two steps. Those encourage individuals to reflect on and learn from their experiences, even when they fall short of their objectives.
Why SMART Goals Are Effective
Having any goal to aspire to can boost motivation, but the likelihood that an individual actually achieves what they set out to do depends on the goal’s effectiveness. For example, consider these two goals for a marketer:
1. Do better at my job.
2. Take a course this quarter to sharpen my digital marketing skills.
The first goal is vague and fails to define how success is measured, making it unclear if or when this individual will ever reach it. That can affect follow-through, said Jennifer Durbin Tuffy, executive coach and founder of Scoutenger Executive Coaching. “When we have vague or lofty goals, people look at them and go, ‘I don’t want to even start that because I know it’s not possible.’”
The second goal follows the SMART framework, specifying a feasible way to improve their skills within a defined timeframe. Concrete, measurable goals like these feel more doable, reducing ambiguity and providing built-in milestones that can drive motivation and morale.
Plus, “When you start talking about the specific goal, you’re also talking about not only what you’re going to do, but who’s going to do it — you’ve got built-in accountability,” said Tuffy.
Examples of SMART Goals in the Workplace
Both professional and personal goal-setting can benefit from SMART goals. Here are a few examples that illustrate how the SMART framework can be used to set goals for projects, HR teams, managers, employees, and professional development.
SMART Goals vs. OKRs
SMART goals and objectives and key results (OKRs) both provide a structured approach to setting goals and measuring progress, but these popular goal-setting frameworks differ in a few ways. Here’s how:
Format: OKRs are made up of one objective and 2-5 key results — the metrics against which you measure progress toward the objective. Key results break down a larger overarching goal into smaller tasks and milestones. SMART goals, by contrast, simply follow the SMART criteria. A team or individual can create as many SMART goals as needed.
Purpose: OKRs are intended for formal company-wide goal-setting and are often cascaded down throughout an organization to improve alignment. SMART goals are better suited for individual or project-level use. They can be more difficult to track for larger enterprises because they lack a cascading structure. OKRs also tend to be more aspirational, designed as stretch goals to push the organization, department, or individual beyond what they thought possible. SMART goals, by design, are practical and achievable.
Frequency: OKRs are typically set quarterly and revisited every one to two weeks in one-on-ones, department meetings, and company all-hands meetings. This allows OKRs to stay flexible and be updated as needed, while still providing clear guidance for the organization. SMART goals can be created at any time, for any scope.
OKRs vs. SMART Goals: A Comparison
Here’s an example of what these two goal frameworks would look like in practice.
When SMART Goals Work and When They Don’t
No single goal-setting framework fits every situation, and organizations often use them in combination. Big hairy audacious goals (BHAGs) set a long-range vision, looking ahead even decades, and push an organization beyond its current capabilities. OKRs translate that vision into annual or quarterly priorities. SMART goals turn priorities into concrete action plans. And key performance indicators (KPIs) measure progress throughout.
SMART goals work best when there’s a target to aim for. They would be a strong fit for employees with well-defined individual objectives or for customer-facing teams with clearly defined OKRs and KPIs.
Forcing SMART goals into the wrong environment, however, can backfire.
“SMART goals don’t work when success in the job and for the company doesn’t fit clearly into a time frame, when the goal is hard to measure, or when there are dependencies outside the control of the individual,” said Margaret Ruvoldt, chief human resources officer at LEARN Behavioral.
Startup cultures are one example when SMART goals may not be the right fit, Tuffy said. “You’re almost operating in a kind of survival mode, and you’re not at the point yet where you understand how important it is to pause and put this type of structure in place.”
Creative teams may express similar concern. “There are a lot of people who just do not work well under what they feel are really tight constraints,” Tuffy added. “They want to be creative and think outside the box, and they think this limits them.”
But, even on creative teams, SMART goals can hold value, particularly for those moving toward leadership. They can use the framework to help them evaluate their own ability to collaborate, motivate others, and navigate conflict.
“Sometimes vibes absolutely can be a measurable impact,” said Ashley Cox, a leadership mentor who works with women running boutique law firms. Are team members seeking each other out for feedback? Offering support unprompted? Cheering each other on in meetings? “As a leader, you have to be aware, you have to be paying attention, and you have to be engaged with your team,” Cox said.
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Pros and Cons of SMART Goals
Like any framework, SMART goals come with tradeoffs. The same structure that makes a goal clear and easy to track can also make it feel rigid when circumstances shift. Here's a quick breakdown of where the framework tends to deliver, and where it can fall short.
Pros
- Clarity and alignment: Specific targets give teams a clear understanding of the desired outcome, and they connect to broader company priorities.
- Measurable results: Milestones and metrics provide a tangible way to gauge success.
- Accountability and motivation: Clear ownership fosters enthusiasm and investment in outcomes.
- Improved decision-making: A shared understanding of conditions helps teams make more confident choices.
Cons
- Rigidity and tunnel vision: Goals fixed at the outset can become blinders, limiting flexibility as conditions change.
- Unrealistic expectations: Pressure to hit specific targets can push teams toward overly ambitious objectives, increasing the risk of failure.
- Challenging implementation: Complex, time-bound goals can drain resources and time, posing significant obstacles to success.
- Team cohesion: Individual goals can hinder collaborative efforts if not carefully aligned.
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Setting and Tracking SMART Goals With Lattice
SMART goals are most effective when they live inside the systems your team already uses — not in a separate document or spreadsheet. Lattice OKRs & Goals connects goal-setting directly to performance reviews, one-on-ones, and feedback, so progress stays visible inside manager workflows year-round.
Get started with our free SMART goals template, or explore how goal tracking can work across your organization with a Lattice demo.
FAQs
What is an example of a SMART goal for work?
Increasing sales by 15% to boost profitability by Q4, responding to customer service calls within 12 hours instead of 15 by the end of the month, upskilling by earning two new certifications by next month: All are examples of SMART goals for work. Each meets the SMART criteria of being specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
How do you turn a vague goal into a SMART goal?
To make a vague goal SMART, simply follow the framework. Start by determining what you want to accomplish, such as “become a better leader” or “improve my communication skills.” Then, work through each of the five criteria — make that goal specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. By the end, you will have turned that vague aim into a clear, actionable plan.
What is the difference between SMART goals and OKRs?
The SMART goal defines what someone wants to achieve within a specific timeframe. OKRs, which tend to be more ambitious and company-wide, add key results that are used to track progress toward the objective. The two can coexist and work well together. For example, SMART goals are useful for individual, one-off objectives that don’t fit neatly into existing OKRs or overarching business plans.
Do SMART goals work for creative or non-measurable roles?
Yes, they do. The key is shifting from numerical metrics to observable behaviors. A goal around skill-building might track certifications earned, and a leadership goal might measure how often someone steps up to support interns or junior employees. “There’s always something to measure,” Tuffy said. To uncover that angle, she suggested asking yourself, “How do I know I’ve done a good job?”
How often should SMART goals be reviewed?
Team-level SMART goals should be reviewed at least once a month with the team, Berg said. At the individual level, managers should use regular one-on-ones to review performance and course-correct so SMART goals stay on track, she added.
What tools help you track SMART goals?
Dedicated goal-tracking software keeps SMART goals visible and connected to the work happening around them. Lattice OKRs & Goals, for example, integrates goal-tracking directly into performance reviews, one-on-ones, and feedback cycles. With it, the ability to monitor progress lives inside the workflows that managers and employees use daily.
What is the SMARTER goal framework?
SMARTER adds two steps — evaluate and revise — to the typical SMART goal framework. Together, they serve as a reminder that goals shouldn’t stay static. They must be regularly reviewed and adjusted as conditions change, whether due to a shift in business priorities or a sudden lack of available resources.
Pro Tip: Not every goal is obviously measurable, but most can be quantified by zeroing in on the specific behavior that needs to change. Take “communicate better,” as an example, said Courtney Berg, president of HR consulting firm CourtSide Consulting.
The key is to identify the specific behavior driving the problem. Are email replies slow? Does the person rarely speak up in meetings? Are clients flagging tone in emails? Each answer points to concrete, measurable actions that a SMART goal can be built on.
How to Gain Employee Buy-In for SMART Goals
The right approach can fail without buy-in. Here are a few strategies that can help:
- Start at the top. A senior leader who champions the process can set the tone for successful implementation.
- Set goals as a team. Give employees a sense of agency and shared investment.
- Praise performance. Reinforce progress along the way.
- Emphasize sticky goals. Goals should feel meaningful enough that employees invest their time in them and build them into their routines.
