Employee Performance
Management and
Appraisals Demystified
SMART
GOALS/OBJECTIVES
The acronym
SMART is a commonly used
guide to constructing a good goal or objective. The letters
stand for the following words:
Specific
Measurable
Aggressive yet achievable
Realistic
Time-related
You need
to clearly understand the concept behind each word to ensure
you formulate good goals/objectives.
(a) Specific to the individual and taking account of
the particular role, circumstances and locality. The objectives
should focus on the specific contribution the employee can
make to the results required of the unit, and take into account
his/her:
- experience;
- knowledge; and
- ability
Specificity
is a reply to the questions: "what?", "for
whom?", and "by how much?"
(b) Measurable
results so that when they have been achieved they can be readily
identified. Success Indicators (Performance Standards or Metrics)
can be of quality or quantity, and most objectives will have
a combination of both. Some may be more objective and some
more subjective, but they must all be assessible. The greater
the subjectivity, and abstractness or ambiguity, the more
difficult the assessment and evaluation of successful achievement
will be.
