Be S.M.A.R.T.
with Your Goals
Coined by George T. Doran in the November 1981 issue of Management Review,
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym
for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. A S.M.A.R.T. goal
is a well-defined
goal. You probably won’t have all the information you need to develop comprehensive
S.M.A.R.T goals for
your interview, but you should try to come as close as possible. Also, questions interviewers
ask are typically
related to S.M.A.R.T issues, so you will be prepared to answer the questions.
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Specific
You’re more likely to accomplish a specific goal than a general one. To set a specific goal,
answer the six “W”
questions:
• Who? Who is involved?
• What? What do I want to accomplish?
• Where? Where is the location?
• When? What is the timeframe?
• Which? Which requirements and constraints do I need to consider?
• Why? What are the specific reasons, purposes, or benefits of accomplishing the goal?
For example, a general goal would be getting to know the customers. A specific goal would
say, “Within the
first 60 days, schedule a customer meeting at our headquarters location with the top 10
revenue-producing
customers.”
Measurable
Establish criteria for measuring progress toward attaining each goal you set. When you
measure your
progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the achievement that
motivates you to
continue the effort required to reach your goal.
To determine whether your goal is measurable, ask questions such as how much? How
many? How will I
know when it is accomplished? For example, meeting with the top 10 revenue-producing
customers in 60
days is a measurable goal. Becoming 100 percent proficient on company-specific
information systems in 30
days is a measurable goal.
Attainable
Attainable goals are achievable, acceptable, and action-oriented. As a strategy for your
strategic action plan,
focus on smaller attainable goals rather than larger, more audacious goals. For example,
restructuring the
department’s workflow is probably too large, but identifying and fixing one workflow
bottleneck is not.
Also, be sure to make your goals active rather than passive. For example, reach out to
customers as opposed
to waiting for sales numbers to be reported.
Realistic
A realistic goal is one you are willing and able to work toward. The goal is probably realistic
if you truly
believe you can accomplish it. Also, you know your goal is realistic if you have
accomplished something similar
in the past; ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal. For
example, if you
have been able to implement a new training program or you participated in a training
program that had a
positive impact in a prior position, implementing that program in a new position may be a
realistic goal.
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Active Interviewing: Branding, Selling, and Presenting Yourself to Win Your Next Job
Timely
A goal should be grounded within a timeframe to give it urgency and “trackability.” When
you have a timeframe,
it focuses the goal and makes progress measurable. As suggested earlier in this chapter,
the recommended
timeframes for strategic action goals are 30 days and 60 days. These timeframes will make
your
goals timely. For example, “In the first 30 days, I will meet with all the department heads
that this position
supports and identify their most critical needs.”
Simple Beats Bold
Some of my clients want to use the strategic action plan to impress the hiring manager with
bold goals that
will leave the hiring manager dying to hire them. For example, “Within the first 60 days, I will
implement a
plan to increase shareholder value by 27 percent while increasing revenue by 40 percent
and reducing product
error rates by 60 percent.” Small, attainable goals are more realistic in a short timeframe,
and they portray
you as a more conservative, well-grounded employee.
No company wants someone—even a CEO—shaking up the company in the first 60 days.
A good 60-day
goal for any level of position is “listen 80 percent and speak 20 percent.” (Some candidates,
particularly
entry-level ones, actually put this goal in their interview presentation. Hiring managers like
junior employees
to be aware that they need to learn a lot.) Also, one of the primary objectives of the strategic
action plan
is to create a goals conversation. Goals do not have to be big, bold, and risky to stimulate a
conversation—
small realistic goals work just fine.
Strategic Action Plan Goal Examples
I have included some examples of goals broken down by professions. Just as they would be
listed in an interview
presentation, the goals are just “headlines,” and you would add the S.M.A.R.T. detail during
the interview
conversation.
General management position goals:
• Listen, observe, and ask questions.
• Review people’s workloads, priorities, and demands.
• Schedule meetings with key decision makers.
• Ask people what they need.
• Review the departmental budget.
• Build internal credibility.
Marketing position goals:
• Identify critical industry trends.
• Initiate advertising agency review.
• Read competitors’ annual reports.
• Review performance indicators.
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Chapter 12 Your Strategic Action Plan
• Review prices, values, and customer perceptions in the market.
• Initiate brand review.
• Position marketing as a value-added service.
Technical position goals:
• Become fully computer-literate in company programs.
• Develop a complete understanding of current projects.
• Learn capabilities of the department and company.
• Make early decisions on small, quick fixes.
• Review team competencies.
• Define applications and have customer-strategy sessions.
HR position goals:
• Analyze level of HR operational success.
• Define HR as a strategic partner.
• Evaluate turnover rates.
• Forecast workforce needs.
• Review policy and procedure manuals.
• Review recruiting process.
• Review position descriptions.
People-related position goals:
• Learn co-workers’ styles.
• Meet and build relationships with members of the team and key personnel.
• Visit existing clients and develop rapport.
• Establish support systems.
• Establish success metrics.
• Begin to build an internal network.
A Strategic Action Plan Will Fix Your Interviews
When is the last time you presented a strategic action plan in an interview or, if you were
interviewing, had
a plan presented to you? Probably never! Developing a strategic action plan and presenting
it during your
interview is a very powerful strategy. It communicates a high level of motivation and
interest, knowledge of
the job, and the awareness you have to provide value quickly. As you discuss the goals,
you will get additional
valuable information about the job and your fit with the company. The hiring manager will
learn more about
your background and skills and how you will apply them to the job.
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A strategic action plan has the following benefits:
• It presents an implementation plan that helps the hiring manager visualize you on the job
and understand
how you will perform and fit the company culture.
• As you present your strategic action plan, you may elicit information about pressing insider
issues that
would not have been discussed otherwise.
• Being proactive with your strategic action plan helps poor interviewers get valuable
information they need
to make a good hiring decision.
• A strategic action plan generates a goals-based conversation, which enables you to have
a greater understanding
of the job requirements.
• The interviewer’s receptivity to your suggested goals will give you insight into the hiring
manager’s management
style and the company culture.
• Setting realistic goals is a critical job skill. Your strategic action plan will demonstrate your
goal-setting
capabilities.
• A strategic action plan communicates a willingness to be bold, self-directed, and a
contributor to the company’s
success.
