What are SMART Goals in Project Management?
SMART Goals in Project Management?
Goals are vital aspects of project management simply because they dictate your aim. The project could not start without well-defined goals, and if it does, your team will be wandering around aimlessly because you do not know what you want to achieve.
SMART goals are your best bet when it comes to project management because they offer a unique set of advantages that can help you push toward the project’s completion with efficiency. Know more about it here.
What are SMART Goals?
SMART goals are those that qualify in the SMART criteria. It is an acronym that aid in formulating well-defined, realistic, and actionable goals. SMART refers to goals that are:
- Specific
The best way to set a goal is to make it pertain to a particular objective instead of a more wide-ranging one. Remember, the aim is not just to complete the project, but to do so successfully. Hitting targets or reaching specific goals is your definition of success as a project manager.
Specific goals are those with particular or details aims such as a measurement, deadline, or amount.
- Measurable
A measurable goal has metrics for evaluating its success. This can be in the form of measurements like a percentage, timeline, and amount.
- Achievable
Any project manager aims to see the full realization of the goals they set. While it is tempting to set easy goals to increase success rates, more challenging but attainable ones are the best choice.
- Realistic
It can be easy to mistakenly interchange achievable and realistic goals. However, an essential difference is that achievable goals may be within reach, but they should be within reasonable expectations.
For example, it may be attainable to set goals to increase weekly outputs by 100%, but only if your team works more than 60 hours per week to achieve it, making it unrealistic.
- Time-Bound
Having clear time goals is your best way to make sure that everything is wrapped up in time. In fact, it is vital because, without time goals, it can continue to go on for as long as it can until your finish your creeping deliverables. By then, your project will be suffering from scope creep and other issues.
How Haplen Helps You Create SMART Goals
Haplen is a project management platform that lets you outline your project’s goals through various management approaches like Gantt Charts, Kanban Boards, and more. You can set your objectives using calendars and schedules, helping create time-bound items.
Plus, it has a report-generation feature that lets you get measurable insights into your previous and current projects. Combined with specificity, achievability, and reality, you can easily create SMART goals and push your project toward success.
Haplen also has integrated services that make collaboration, communication, and file-sharing more accessible. Services include Dropbox, Zoom, Slack, Google Drive, Calendar, and GitHub. SMART goals are your best bet toward achieving peak productivity and success for your project. With the help of Haplen, your project management process can be easier and more convenient.
