SMART goals: learn what they are and how they can help your business grow!

SMART goals: learn what they are and how they can help your business grow!

SMART goals help organize and grow your business. Keep reading to understand better!

Goals move our lives, whether personally or professionally, always directing actions and efforts towards an end or something desired, but, especially in the corporate world, it is essential to adopt goals compatible with the business and check how viable they are, as that they can help the company grow by improving employee productivity.

With this in mind, we developed this content to talk more about the SMART goals technique, widely adopted by companies and businesses of different segments and sizes, which objectively helps define guidelines and plans, also helping to achieve them.

The acronym SMART comes from the English Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. In short, SMART goals function as a form of checklist, where evaluations and verifications of each of these aspects are carried out at the corporate level to observe the viability of each goal, always aiming to achieve the objective sought by the business.

By following the five steps of the SMART goal technique, it is possible to create a methodology trajectory and obtain precise results, to which efforts will be directed to achieve them.

SMART goals: Specific (The plan must be specific)

As we saw previously, the S in SMART comes from the English Specific: in practice, all goals must be specific. Bringing it a little more into the context of personal life, there is no point in saying phrases like “I want to save my money” or “I want to do a degree”. Adopting criteria and means to achieve these objectives is necessary, ensuring the goal is clear.

In a business context, avoiding vague goals such as “increase sales”, “increase revenue”, and the like is essential. Having these vague phrases as goals says little about how this objective will be achieved. Therefore, before setting the goal, propose to answer some questions, such as what you want to achieve, what percentage of increase in sales you want to have, and how many people you have involved to achieve the goal, among others. Factors.

This makes it easier for goals to come true and not be mere wishes. So, instead of setting a goal of “increasing sales”, try to be more specific, adopting something close to “increasing sales by 20% in three months”. This will take us to the second letter of the SMART goals acronym.

SMART Goals: Measurable (The goal must be measurable)

Now that we understand the importance of established goals being specific, it is also essential to know that they need to be measurable. Still paying attention to the last example, a goal like “increase sales by 20% in three months” can be specific and quantifiable simultaneously.

By establishing how much you want to increase sales and for how long, it is easier to know how close your business is to achieving that result – or understand how much is needed to complete that objective. Therefore, indicators are strong allies of established goals, as is the case with Google Analytics, which helps us measure the results of the company’s website.

These indicators do not necessarily need to be numbers or metrics: any data that makes it possible to monitor development or changes in the situation is valid.

SMART Goals: Attainable (The goal must be attainable)

As important as the goal is specific and measurable, it is also achievable. Establishing viable numbers with your business’s current situation is possible, with enough employees or investment to reach x in y time. Having your feet on the ground is fundamental to establishing goals compatible with the company’s current situation.

Therefore, analyze the business history and consult your employees to check its viability.

SMART Goals: Relevant (The goal must be relevant)

Now that we know that goals need to be specific, measurable and tangible, it is worth highlighting that they must have some relevance to your business, always aiming to provide positive results and effects, whether in profit, number of customers, revenue, or increased sales, among other aspects.

Another factor that comes into question when we talk about the relevance of the goal is the engagement and commitment of the professionals involved: the more relevant the plan, the more employees will feel engaged and committed to it, doing everything they can to make it come true.

Metas SMART: Time-based (A meta deve ser temporal)

Lastly, any goal established must be temporal; that is, it must have a deadline to achieve it. Always consider other factors to avoid setting an extremely incompatible deadline and aim for great results in a short period. Still, the time for execution and direction of efforts must be defined.

This way, you will have a deadline so that time becomes manageable and the goals are achieved in a week, a month or a year, depending on their level of complexity.

Improve your business’s productivity using SMART goal techniques!

Considering these factors, it is essential to always think about the feasibility of the goal you intend to achieve, whether it is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound enough. When you complete this checklist, and your plan meets these requirements, it becomes easier to make it real and get it off the ground.

Now that you’ve learned a little more about SMART goal techniques and want to continue deepening your knowledge in strategy, management and content, you might also be interested in the articles below:

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2. How do I conduct a SWOT analysis for my business, and why is it important?
3. Why hire a digital marketing agency?