by Carol Williams
“You can’t always get, what you want…You can’t always get, what you want…but if you try sometimes…you get what you need….”
OK; we all know that song. Right? “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is a song by the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album Let It Bleed.
Is it true? Yes and no.
The SMART goal framework is strict enough to help form a backbone for any project but also flexible enough to be applied to any Project Management strategy. The Project Management structure can be reflected in the set of SMART goals created for any project member.
When you go to a physician, what does the nurse do before you meet with the doctor? Simple, they take your vital signs. Temperature, blood pressure, pulse and yes, sometimes they make you get on the scale. The reason the nurse does this is, just like the gauge on the outside of a pressure cooker, it gives the physician clues as to what’s going on inside your body.
Your business can be viewed, measured and monitored the same way by identifying and measuring the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of your business. KPI’s in a business, no matter what size, specifically measures how well a company is performing. Now, depending on the business model, KPIs will vary from company to company.
Like many entrepreneurs, Tedd Benson says he founded his company almost “inadvertently.” After being hired for a string of freelance building jobs in the early 1970s, Benson opened up his own shop with few resources and a big dream: to revitalize timber framing — a bygone building technique used to fashion historic homes and structures in the mid 19th century.
One of my clients recently sent me an e-mail. They stated that some employees are posting things on Facebook that they don’t find appropriate and wanted a policy in regards to that subject.
Inherent in the structure of SMART goals; goals which are Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, there tools for tracking them. If a SMART goal is written correctly, the degree to which it succeeds will be reflected in the outcome. SMART goals can be used to act as benchmarks in your strategic plan and with all the technological support available, tracking them has never been easier.
