Don’t Limit Your Growth By SMART Goals

(Photo by Andreia)

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound . . . What is wrong with this goal?

I’ve lived in the corporate world many years, where the SMART goal setting is used in performance review. It was full of hypocrisy, but that’s just the corporate world, I thought. At finding out this approach used for personal development, however, I feel obligated to write how it can belittle you and fail you to achieve your big dream – like finding joy and passion in your own business.

SMART goal setting is for project management.

As Wikipedia says, SMART goal setting was initially developed for project management. When you manage projects over a period of time, you do need Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals. You figure out what specific steps you need to take to reach your big goal, assign time frame for each step, review periodically to measure how much you have progressed. Each step must be broken down to relevant achievable mini-steps. This way, the big goal is less overwhelming and more actionable . . . so far so good . . .

How SMART goal setting is used in performance review

In Corporate America, you are supposed to come up with SMART goals like this:

(As a Quality Manager) I will reduce quality issues (specific) by 20% (measurable – and let’s say this is achievable) by purchasing and installing the new high-tech test machine by May (time-bound).

(I don’t understand why anyone would set irrelevant goals. I think “relevant” has to be there to make it a cute sounding acronym SMART.)

Notice that the goal is about project management, not about the person, the Quality Manager. You can’t evaluate a person this way. This manager may be a great team organizer who is trusted by his subordinates, follow up with customers well and keep them happy despite the quality issues, yet may fail to install the new machine in time for a haphazard reason. . . Or he may be a horrible micro manager, and the only reason his subordinates stay at work is that there are few other employment opportunities in the area, the team spirit is low and there is really no aspirations to do a good job, yet he may manage to achieve the SMART goal.

His boss may add other SMART goals to address this contradiction, like keeping the retention rate low. Well, the nice manager may fail this goal, too, because even though his subordinates were happy working with him, several of them had life changes and just had to leave the company. . .

SMART goal setting is based on linear thinking and its scope is too narrow.

The reality is when people (especially many people) are involved, nothing is really linear. There are multiple factors affecting multiple factors in multiple aspects. And a person cannot be evaluated by several narrow-scope criteria.

(The biggest hypocrisy of performance review in corporate America, however, is not even about the inadequacy of evaluation method. It is the fact that, no matter how well you score in the evaluation, you don’t get the reward, such as pay raise, based on the evaluation result. The reward is set prior to the performance review based on company finance and the temperament of the top management. For example, they decide that everyone gets 3% raise, with the few exceptions for those who have direct impact on company survival, such as key sales personnel. So even if you did outstanding job, you get no more than 3% — your manager is not allowed to give any more. And this is why your manager nitpicks at review – he needs an excuse for granting shabby reward. If the top is mean, they might even pick the non-assertive, more “understanding” employees and tell them the company cannot afford to give a raise this year, while providing the standard 3% raise to others.)

Your potential is bigger than SMART goals.

Let’s say you want to start a business. As a step, you decide to read two business books a month and start writing business plan in three months. This kind of specific goal is good as it gives you something to work on. But what if, after reading the first great book, you are so inspired that you find yourself ready to test your business idea? Will you call the potential venders now, or do you follow your initial SMART goal and keep reading more books? Or why not do both – start talking with potential business partners while reading and studying more? This will probably bring in more insights, and in three months, you may achieve far more – or quite different – results.

You are a person, an organic being, not linear. You have resilient body, world-reaching mind, and eternal spirit. You don’t need to be broken down to small pieces and managed, even by yourself. You are the person who is in charge of your projects.

Dream big and start doing something about it!

The biggest problem of SMART goal setting is it advocates “achievable” goals. Achievable goals are small goals that can be measured in certain time frame. But who decides what is achievable?

If you are interested in something, start doing it now. Taste it a little bit, and then decide if you want to proceed further. You can set goals as a way to the means, but don’t let SMART goals to limit you.

Thanks to Alex for including this post in Personal Development Carnival.