SMART Goals template
The SMART Goals template allows you to set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely goals that you’ll be more likely to achieve. This template was created by Ayoa CEO and creative thinking expert, Chris Griffiths, and is featured in his book, The Creative Thinking Handbook.
What are SMART goals?
Setting goals is vital for productivity, but are yours actually achievable – and will they benefit you in the long-run? Using this popular decision-making framework will help you determine if you’re setting the right goals by assessing whether they are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely).
Although this framework can be used to set personal goals, it is most commonly used by project managers and other leaders to help them make decisions and set clear objectives for their team to work towards.
Why should you set SMART goals?
The SMART goals framework should be used when setting any goal as it helps to ensure that your objectives are always clear. When working on a group project, this will help to keep everyone on track as they will know exactly what needs to be achieved and by when. It will also help you measure your results and determine if you have been successful.
Assessing whether a goal is SMART can also help you decide if completing a specific task is worthwhile or if that time will be better spent working on something else.
How to use our SMART Goals template
Setting SMART goals for any project is easy as A, B, C with our simple SMART Goals template. To get started, follow the steps below:
To access the template, sign up to Ayoa. Once you've signed up, navigate to the homepage to create a new whiteboard, mind map or task board and choose this template from the library.
Take stock. Take a moment to consider the problem you’re trying to solve and the core purpose of your goals. What are your intentions? Add any ideas as sticky notes into the ‘Consider Intentions’ section of the template.
Have a rough goal in mind? It’s time to make it specific. Outline what your objective is, who it involves, where and why you have this goal. This will ensure that everyone knows exactly what needs to be achieved and why.
Now it’s time to define how you will measure your results. How will you determine whether you have been successful or not? What metrics will you look at? Try to outline specific numbers and percentages.
Check that your goal is actually attainable by asking yourself if it’s realistic for you to achieve. Do you have access to sufficient support and resources to help you achieve your goal?
For a goal to be worthwhile, it needs to be relevant. At this stage, ask yourself how does this goal fit in with your longer-term goals and the bigger picture? Will it help you reach them? Will achieving this goal bring other benefits?
Finally, you need to ensure that your goal is timely. This can be as simple as setting a date for when you want to achieve this goal by – just make sure you’re being realistic! You could also set mini deadlines for significant milestones along the way.
Now that your goals are SMART, you can start working on it in Ayoa! Use a mind map to brainstorm ideas with your team, then create a task board to define your tasks and track your progress.
