Hey everybody. Now first, really
really quickly,
this is NOT just another video
on how to set 'SMART' goals! I want to
add something
that very few videos about SMART goals add
and that is not just to explain
how to set a SMART goal, how to use
the model, but
WHEN, and when NOT and
WHY not when not! See I want to talk
about how to set SMART goals and
how it works,
but also when it DOESN'T! How to set
SMART objectives and when they suck!
So, by the end of this video you'll
understand those concepts and
hang around to the very end because I've
also got a FREE
tutorial which I think will be of
massive value to you, if you're
interested in this kind of subject.
And that is how to absolutely MASTER
your composure
in conflict, pressure and stress in the
moment. So hang around
to the end to find out how to access that.
[Music]
Now my name's Steve and I'm a
professional coach and trainer. I
work mostly with
professional people just like you
on combining
your personal brilliance with
unshakeable emotional wellness so that you
can create a happier AND more successful
experience of your life and work
at the same time, so for the best ideas
and topics
in that theme, please subscribe to this
channel and don't forget to hit the
notifications bell
so that you'll be notified when new
content arrives.
I first learned about SMART goals
probably 30 years ago
and I've used them in all kinds of
contexts
I've also experienced how they can
be limiting as well. You see
SMART goals are 'de rigeur' in coaching
and in the business world,
but for every testimonial you'll
read about
how SMART goals have helped people
really achieve
their goals (and they have!) you'll
also read
rebuttals of how SMART goals
suck! Let me read some of them out to
you. I've got them down here.
Number one is, "SMART goal setting is
training in how to be average." Number two
is, "SMART goal setting is the art
of aiming low!" "SMART goal setting
is the art of playing small."
And this one which you know is my
favorite of the rebuttals is,
"SMART is the art of starting the
conversation with
a big dream and finishing it
deciding to be an accountant!"
Well what's the problem with the SMART
model? Well maybe
it isn't with the model itself but when
we use it, when we try
and apply it, you see if you try
to use a spanner to drive a screw in
you're going to get crappy results but
it's not the spanner's fault!
So let's get into this and first quickly
recap the SMART acronym for goal setting,
what it means and how we use it. Now
there are different versions
of what SMART, the SMART acronym, actually
stands for, and I'll try and cover all
bases as I go through this.
The 'S' always stands
for 'specific', so the more specific
you can be about what the goal is the
easier it is
to plan for it and achieve it.
The 'M' always stands for 'measurable'.
Not just that we can measure that we've
achieved the goal
but that we can measure our progress
towards the goal
and figure out whether we're getting
closer or further away,
or on track or off track.
The 'A'. Some people say the 'A' stands
for achievable and
some people say the 'A' stands for
'action oriented'.
Well, if it's achievable, that doesn't
necessarily mean
aiming low, it just means it has to be
possible, it has to be within the realm
of possibility. It can still be a stretch
but still be in the realm of possibility.
If it's 'action oriented' then what
that means is
it's possible to put a plan around this
and put this into motion,
that the goal is something that you can
take action
towards achieving.
'R'. Some people say that the 'R' stands for
'realistic'. Well, we've kind of already
covered that when we talked about
'achievable'. And
some people say that 'R' means
'relevant'. In other words it counts,
it matters towards something, and that's
pretty important too.
Then the 'T' always means time bound.
That doesn't necessarily mean a
deadline, it just means that there's a
statement of when
we would like to achieve the goal by.
So for instance, a goal like this, "I
want to reduce my body weight from
12 and a half stone to 12 stone within
three months,"
is a lot SMARTer than just saying,
"I want to lose weight." It's pretty
specific, it's
measurable, because we can weigh
ourselves. It seems
achievable in three months, half a
stone. It
certainly seems action-oriented
because you can implement a plan
to achieve it. It's relevant and
realistic as we've already covered
and there is a time factor because we've
named the three months.
So that's what the model is and how to
use it is to keep
rewriting our goals until they cover off
all five points of SMART. Now SMART
is really wonderful in two particular
contexts.
First of all if I am agreeing
work goals with, for example, an employer,
and my bonus depended on me achieving them,
would I want them to be SMART? You bet!
I would want them to be
specific. I would want them to be
measurable. I want them to be definitely
achievable,
relevant and time-bound, because
that's how we avoid arguments
later about whether I achieve
the goals or
not. It's also a great way
of creating what I would call the
near-term, step-wise,
incremental goals that we have
in life.
By the way what's your experience
of working with
SMART goals? Do you have a story to tell?
Please leave it as a comment if you're
okay with doing so. I'll read
every comment you leave and I'll reply
to as many as I can.
So, when wouldn't you use the SMART model?
When does the model
not work well? Basically when it's
something that's really really important
to us
but you can't necessarily define all the
five points of SMART, at least not at the
beginning.
Let me point this out with an example.
It's 1939.
You are coaching the british Prime
Minister at the point that he declares
war on Germany. So, what's the goal?
To win the war.
The answer to those (SMART) questions might
be, "I don't know yet!
We just have to get underway with the
campaign and feel our way through this."
Does that make it a bad goal? As
coach, do you try to talk the Prime
Minister out of this goal because he
can't make it SMART yet?
The answer is probably not. You're a
coach in the 80s
and a young boy called David Beckham is
brought into your office.
He wants to be Captain of the England
football team.
He has no idea how he'll measure his
progress towards it.
He has no idea how long it will take.
So what do you do? You know that 99.9%
of boys who have this ambition are going
to be disappointed.
so do you tell David Backham, "Forget it
son, become an accountant?"
Some people have really big, huge goals
along the lines of, "I want to be part of
ending world hunger." "I want to be part
of beating cancer."
Look, these goals aren't SMART,
but they're incredibly important, and
they're how we
live big in life. Now if you haven't
spotted it yet the point is that not all
goals are made equal. In fact it's time
to STOP
talking about goals
like they are single, isolated,
disconnected things. We've got to start
talking about
goals like they're CONNECTED in a
SYSTEM that aligns with our values
and beliefs.
See, there are 'big chunk' goals. They are
the, "I want to be part of beating cancer,"
kind of goals, "I want to be part of
ending world hunger,"
kind of goals. Those goals,
they're like an
ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE for the whole
system of goals
within it. They're an organizing
principle for our lives.
They are how we live big. SMART is a
TERRIBLE framing model for those really
big chunk goals, those big dreams.
To use it at that level is a way of
aiming low and I want you to be
setting SMART goals without aiming
low. But you see the thing is these big
chunk goals are not necessarily
to be achieved in our lifetimes, they're
more like an organizing principle
for our lives,
an organizing principle for the whole
system of goals
which contributes to it. See
those big chunk goals decompose
into smaller, shorter term,
more tangible, more incremental goals,
that move us along our life's mission.
SMART is a GREAT
framing model for those goals!
So I want you to stop talking
about single,
individual, isolated goals and start
talking about the SYSTEM of goals,
which is organized by the principle of
that biggest chunk goal,
that is our life's mission. I want
you to use the SMART model
well with those decomposed, smaller chunk,
nearer term, incremental, stepwise goals,
that move us along our life's mission,
but to not go
anywhere near the SMART model when it
comes to defining
those biggest chunk goals, those
organizing principles
over the whole system. Now if you'd
like to explore
how we can create transformational
results together in your life and work,
then please get in touch. I would love to
hear from you.
Please like this video if you did
like it, because it tells
YouTube that this is worth showing to
other people. Please share it with
your friends.
Share it on Facebook. Share it on Twitter.
Show people who might be served by
this video but
most of all, do leave a comment,
and please
subscribe to the channel, because there's
lots more good stuff like this coming!
Now I also mentioned at the top of the
video a tutorial which I think will be
of massive value to you.
It's how to absolutely master
your composure when
you're facing conflict, pressure and
stress in the moment, and to access
that tutorial,
all you need to do is go down to the
pinned comment below this video, go
find that,
there's a link in there that will allow
you to get access to that tutorial.
It's absolutely free,
so please help yourself, and other than
that I'll see you next week.
[Music]