How to Set SMART Goals Work Productivity

kIANIOctober 10, 2024

5 7 minutes read

No matter what type of business you run, setting goals is important for achieving peak work productivity. Goals drive you both as a team and as an individual.

However, you have to set them with proper groundwork otherwise you might not be able successful to achieve them and this is where SMART goals come into play.

That’s where the SMART goal-setting technique comes in. It is a five-point matrix that lets people formulate goals more effectively. You can also use this technique to gain high productivity. In this article, I will share 10 SMART goals examples for work productivity to help you understand this technique better. Let’s start.

Table of Contents

What is a SMART Goal?

A SMART goal is a Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound target set by a person or a team. It is a framework designed for achieving both short and long-term goals with a calculated approach.

Here is a complete breakdown of the components of a SMART goal:

Specific: It is targeted towards a specific area of improvement.
Measurable: The goal and the progress must be quantifiable. It can be in terms of percentage increase or decrease. Or it can be maintaining or achieving certain level of sales, revenue etc.
Attainable: The goal has to be realistic and practically achievable.
Relevant: It should be relevant to your broader objectives or ambitions.
Time-bound: It focuses on completing within a certain period of time.

SMART Goals Examples for Work Productivity:

I have listed these examples below:

Example 1 – Increasing Sales:

Increasing sales is one of the primary goals of any business in the world. People usually make teams to run projects so that they can hit a targeted number of sales in a month or a year. Here’s how this target will look like in the SMART framework:

Specific:

Four sales teams will work on learning new techniques to increase sales.

Measurable:

The business aims to increase sales by double in the upcoming months.

Attainable:

The teams have the experience and potential to achieve this target. They already have shown a lot of work in increasing monthly sales. Sales teams can easily double with proper work.

Relevant:

Doubling the sales will help me expand my business to an international level as well.

Time-bound:

My teams will start working on sales by Monday. They will divide the target on a monthly basis and will double the sales exactly after 6 months.

Example 2 – Becoming a Better Project Leader:

Regardless of the business type, everyone wants to be a better project leader in the workplace. Since leadership is earned by hard work and completing tasks, the SMART goal-setting technique can be applied here. Here’s how it works:

Specific:

I want to be a better leader so that my team members can get inspired and enjoy working with me.

Measurable:

I’ll regularly conduct feedback and surveys to measure my connections with the team.

Attainable:

I’ve worked hard to put my team together and achieve tasks on time. I’m sure I can be an even better leader by learning teamwork skills.

Relevant:

As a better project leader, I, one day, will be able to run my own company competitively.

Time-bound:

I need to start handling projects better in 6 weeks. Otherwise, my team will waste time on surveys and feedback.

Example 3 – Waking up earlier:

Whether you’re a businessman or an employee, waking up earlier can help you achieve work productivity easily. It’s a proper target that can be broken down in the following way:

Specific:

I should wake up earlier to have time for a workout and answer my emails.

Measurable:

I’m going to note the exact time I wake up each day. In this way, I’ll know if I’m moving towards achievement or not.

Attainable:

Waking up is just a habit. If I can make my brain get used to waking up earlier for a few days, I’ll achieve my target easily.

Relevant:

Waking up earlier will help me get in shape, complete my work earlier, and be more organized in life.

Time-bound:

I will wake up 10 minutes earlier than yesterday, I’ll achieve my target of waking up at 5 AM in 2 weeks.

Example 4 – Increase Savings:

In this tight economy, it’s important to have some money saved for rainy days. However, increasing the amount of savings can be difficult without a SMART goal. Here’s how it will work:

Specific:

This new year, I’ll be saving enough money to buy a new apartment.

Measurable:

To save such an amount, I’ll have to save at least $300 or more each month.

Attainable:

I already have purchased a bike with my savings. So, the target can be achieved with a little tight budgeting easily.

Relevant:

By purchasing my own apartment, I will not have to pay rent every month.

Time-bound:

I’m going to increase my savings every week and be able to purchase the apartment in a year.

Example 5 – Increase communication between teams:

Communication between teams is an important factor that can make a workplace successful. Just like every other thing, it can also be achieved by setting specific targets. Here’s how it works as SMART goals examples for work productivity:

Specific:

The management teams are going to work together to improve the communication between them.

Measurable:

They’re going to use online tools like Slack to check out how often they interact with each other.

Attainable:

All the teams are already aware of using online tools for performing tasks. Using these tools for communication seems like an attainable goal.

Relevant:

Communication is an important thing for the company. Better connections of teams will increase overall productivity to a great extent.

Time-bound:

Teams have to overcome the challenge and hit the target within a month. The company cannot afford to spend a lot of time just building communication between them.

Example 6 – Starting a side hustle:

Many people aspire to start a side hustle to generate an extra stream of income. It is a very difficult goal to achieve if you’re busy with your main work. So, you need a more specific approach to hit the target. Here’s a breakdown:

Specific:

I am going to start my side hustle of selling t-shirts on my e-commerce website.

Measurable:

I’ll spend 3 hours each day and work on promoting my products online.

Attainable:

I’ve started and established a proper e-commerce website already. If I put in extra hours, I can easily establish the whole business as well.

Relevant:

Starting a successful side hustle will contribute to my main goal of having multiple streams of income.

Time-bound:

By spending 3 hours a day on the hustle, I’ll achieve the target in 3 months easily.

Example 7 – Personal Growth:

There is nothing more important to increase work productivity than personal growth. It includes learning new skills, and languages, or simply getting in a good physical shape. Here’s how it will be done in the SMART mechanism:

Specific:

I will read self-help books in order to increase my knowledge about various fields.

Measurable:

I’ll dedicate 30 minutes of my morning time to reading a relevant book with total focus and concentration.

Attainable:

Spending 30 minutes a day reading books is a very easy and attainable goal.

Relevant:

Reading books will help me broaden my knowledge about different fields. It can be useful in becoming a master of my work.

Time-bound:

By spending 30 minutes a day, I aim to complete one book each month.

Example 8- Earning a promotion:

Each office has different criteria for achieving promotion. It usually depends on showing high efficiency by completing tasks on time. It can also be considered one of the best SMART goals examples for work.

Specific:

I plan to earn a promotion to senior data analyst in my company.

Measurable:

It requires completing 3 main tasks and working 2 hours on weekends to be eligible for sending an application for a senior position.

Attainable:

Keeping in mind that I was promoted from my previous job, going for a senior analyst position looks like a possible goal to hit.

Relevant:

Getting the promotion will help me climb one step on the ladder to becoming the CEO.

Time-bound:

I have to keep on working according to the criteria for 6 months to apply for the promotion.

Example 9 – Landing a dream job:

Landing a dream job requires a lot more than having relevant experience in the field. It involves a lot of steps that can be difficult to complete without a specific goal framework. The dream job landing example is discussed below:

Specific:

I love sports journalism and have relevant experience as well. I’m going to apply for a job in different TV channels for casting sports news.

Measurable:

I’ll find 3 new TV channels that are hiring and apply for the position daily.

Attainable:

I have good experience in the field. I’ll find the job for sure if I keep on applying.

Relevant:

Being a sports journalist will contribute to my vision of owning my own TV channel.

Time-bound:

By applying for 3 channels daily, I’ll be able to land a job in around 3 months.

Example 10 – Achieving a work-life balance:

Working constantly without enjoying life can cause burnout. It’s not a very good thing for professionals. So, they have to maintain a proper work-life balance for better work results. It sounds like an easy thing but it’s really not. You have to strategize your target properly.

Specific:

I need to spend more quality time with my friends and family.

Measurable:

I’ll be in a very good mood by spending around 3 quality hours with my people. I can spare this time by finishing up my work by 7:00 PM.

Attainable:

Spending this time with family/friends is possible if I finish my work on time.

Relevant:

Having a work-life balance is good for my physical and financial long-term goals.

Time-bound:

If I keep on finishing my work by 7 every evening, I’ll create the habit of work-life balance in just a week.

Conclusion:

Goals are important for both businesses and individuals to achieve success. Simply setting goals can create confusion and you might not be able to achieve them. SMART goal-setting technique can help you formulate a perfect and calculated goal that is actually achievable. The SMART goals examples for work discussed above can help you understand how you can use the technique in different situations.