SMART criteria

The term was first proposed by George T. Doran in the November 1981 issue of Management Review,[1] where he advocated for setting objectives that are specific (or Simple), measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-bound—hence the acronym S.M.A.R.T.

[3] Proponents of SMART objectives argue that these criteria facilitate a clear framework for goal setting and evaluation, applicable across various contexts such as business (between employee and employer) and sports (between athlete and coach).

This framework enables the individual setting the goal to have a precise understanding of the expected outcomes, while the evaluator has concrete criteria for assessment.

It showed that individuals who wrote down their goals and outlined action steps had a 76% success rate in achieving them, especially when they shared weekly updates with a friend.

[23] Criticisms focus on its lack of scientific basis and empirical support, suggesting non-specific, open-ended goals might be more beneficial for some individuals.

Swann et al. highlight the original SMART framework's absence of theoretical or empirical foundation, contrasting with broader goal-setting research.