# SMART Method Reference

**A framework for expressing measurable, achievable objectives**

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## Overview

The SMART method is a widely-used framework for transforming vague ambitions into concrete, actionable objectives. Originally attributed to George T. Doran's 1981 paper "There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives," this approach has become a standard in business planning, project management, and strategic design.

In WDS, strategic objectives are expressed using the SMART method, providing measurable evidence that your vision (visionary statements) is being realized.

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## The SMART Criteria

Each objective should meet all five criteria:

### S - Specific

**What it means:**
- Clear and unambiguous
- Answers who, what, where, when, why
- No room for interpretation

**Bad example:** "Increase user engagement"  
**Good example:** "Increase daily active users in the mobile app"

**Why it matters:** Specific goals give clear direction and prevent confusion about what success looks like.

### M - Measurable

**What it means:**
- Quantifiable with numbers or clear milestones
- Progress can be tracked objectively
- You can answer "how much?" or "how many?"

**Bad example:** "Improve customer satisfaction"  
**Good example:** "Achieve an NPS score of 50 or higher"

**Why it matters:** If you can't measure it, you can't manage it or prove you've achieved it.

### A - Achievable

**What it means:**
- Realistic given your resources and constraints
- Challenging but not impossible
- Within your team's capability

**Bad example:** "Become the #1 app in the world in 30 days" (with a team of 2)  
**Good example:** "Reach top 10 in our category in the App Store within 6 months"

**Why it matters:** Unachievable goals demoralize teams. Achievable goals motivate action.

### R - Relevant

**What it means:**
- Aligned with broader business objectives
- Matters to your organization's success
- Worth the investment of time and resources

**Bad example:** "Get 1 million Twitter followers" (when your customers aren't on Twitter)  
**Good example:** "Build an email list of 10,000 qualified leads in our target market"

**Why it matters:** Irrelevant goals waste resources on metrics that don't drive business success.

### T - Time-bound

**What it means:**
- Has a clear deadline or timeframe
- Creates urgency and accountability
- Enables progress tracking

**Bad example:** "Increase revenue eventually"  
**Good example:** "Increase monthly recurring revenue to $50K by Q4 2024"

**Why it matters:** Without deadlines, goals become wishes. Timeframes create commitment and enable planning.

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## SMART in WDS Workflow

### Vision to Objectives Flow

In WDS Trigger Mapping (Workshop 1: Business Goals), you work through this progression:

**1. Start with Vision (Soft Goals)**
- Aspirational and motivational
- Example: "Make remote work sustainable and healthy"

**2. Ask "What Will We Observe?"**
- Bridge from vision to measurable reality
- "When this vision is realized, what will we see in the world?"

**3. Define SMART Objectives (Hard Goals)**
- Transform observations into SMART format
- Example: "Achieve 5,000 active teams by Q4 2024"

### Why Both Levels Matter

**Vision (Soft Goals):**
- Provides motivation and direction
- Easy to set, hard to measure
- Inspires the team

**SMART Objectives (Hard Goals):**
- Provides accountability and tracking
- Harder to set, easy to measure
- Proves progress

**Together:** You get both inspiration and accountability.

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## Generic Examples

### Example 1: SaaS Product

**Vision:** "Be the top-of-mind solution for team collaboration"

**Bridging Question:** "When we're top-of-mind, what will we observe?"

**SMART Objectives:**
- **S**pecific: Increase paid team subscriptions
- **M**easurable: Reach 10,000 paid teams
- **A**chievable: Based on current growth rate and market size
- **R**elevant: Directly supports revenue and market position goals
- **T**ime-bound: By Q4 2024

**Result:** "Reach 10,000 paid team subscriptions by Q4 2024"

### Example 2: Mobile App

**Vision:** "Fastest growing health app in our category"

**Bridging Question:** "What would prove we're the fastest growing?"

**SMART Objectives:**
- **S**pecific: Daily active users in the health & fitness category
- **M**easurable: 100,000 daily active users
- **A**chievable: Based on current trajectory and marketing budget
- **R**elevant: Growth directly supports market leadership goal
- **T**ime-bound: Within 6 months of launch

**Result:** "Achieve 100,000 daily active users within 6 months of launch"

### Example 3: E-commerce Platform

**Vision:** "Most trusted marketplace for sustainable products"

**Bridging Question:** "How would we measure trust?"

**SMART Objectives:**
- **S**pecific: Customer retention and repeat purchase rate
- **M**easurable: 70% of customers make repeat purchase within 90 days
- **A**chievable: Industry average is 40%, we're targeting above average
- **R**elevant: Repeat purchases indicate trust and satisfaction
- **T**ime-bound: Achieve by end of fiscal year

**Result:** "Achieve 70% repeat purchase rate within 90 days by end of fiscal year"

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## Common Mistakes

### Mistake 1: Vague Objectives

**Problem:** "Improve user experience"  
**Why it fails:** Not specific or measurable  
**Fix:** "Increase average session time from 5 to 8 minutes by Q3"

### Mistake 2: No Numbers

**Problem:** "Get more customers"  
**Why it fails:** Not measurable  
**Fix:** "Acquire 1,000 new paying customers by end of quarter"

### Mistake 3: Unrealistic Targets

**Problem:** "Become profitable in 2 weeks" (for a startup)  
**Why it fails:** Not achievable  
**Fix:** "Reach break-even point within 18 months"

### Mistake 4: Irrelevant Metrics

**Problem:** "Get 100,000 Instagram followers" (for B2B enterprise software)  
**Why it fails:** Not relevant to business goals  
**Fix:** "Generate 500 qualified enterprise leads through LinkedIn"

### Mistake 5: No Deadline

**Problem:** "Increase revenue someday"  
**Why it fails:** Not time-bound  
**Fix:** "Increase MRR from $20K to $50K by December 31, 2024"

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## Testing Your SMART Objectives

Ask these questions for each objective:

**Specific:**
- Can everyone on the team explain what this means?
- Is there any ambiguity about what we're trying to achieve?

**Measurable:**
- Can we track progress with a number or clear milestone?
- Will we know definitively when we've achieved this?

**Achievable:**
- Given our resources, is this realistic?
- Have similar organizations achieved similar goals?

**Relevant:**
- Does this directly support our vision and business goals?
- Is this worth the investment of time and resources?

**Time-bound:**
- Is there a specific deadline?
- Can we create a timeline for progress milestones?

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## SMART Objectives in Trigger Mapping

Once you have SMART objectives from Workshop 1, they become the foundation for:

**Workshop 2: Target Groups**
- Which user groups can help you achieve these objectives?

**Workshop 3: Driving Forces**
- What psychological drivers would motivate those groups to act?

**Workshop 4: Prioritization**
- Which groups and drivers have highest impact on objectives?

**Workshop 5: Feature Impact**
- Which features best support achieving these objectives?

**The chain:** SMART objectives → Target groups → Psychological drivers → Prioritized features

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## Historical Context

### Origins

**George T. Doran** first published the SMART criteria in the November 1981 issue of *Management Review* in his article "There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives."

### Evolution

Over time, various interpretations have emerged:
- **A** has been interpreted as Attainable, Assignable, or Action-oriented
- **R** has been interpreted as Realistic, Results-oriented, or Resourced
- **T** has been interpreted as Timely, Time-based, or Trackable

The core principle remains: goals should be clear, measurable, and actionable.

### Modern Application

SMART goals are now standard practice in:
- Business strategy and planning
- Project management (Agile, Scrum)
- Personal development
- Marketing and sales
- Product development
- Strategic design (like WDS)

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## Further Reading

**Original Source:**
- Doran, G. T. (1981). "There's a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management's Goals and Objectives." *Management Review*, Vol. 70, Issue 11, pp. 35-36.

**Related WDS Resources:**
- [Phase 2: Trigger Mapping Guide](../method/phase-2-trigger-mapping-guide.md)
- [Module 05: Trigger Mapping](../learn-wds/module-05-trigger-mapping/module-05-overview.md)
- [Lesson 3: The Five Workshops](../learn-wds/module-05-trigger-mapping/lesson-03-five-workshops.md)

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## Key Takeaways

✅ **SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound**  
✅ **Transforms vague ambitions into concrete objectives**  
✅ **In WDS: Vision (soft goals) + SMART Objectives (hard goals)**  
✅ **Bridge question: "What will we observe when vision is realized?"**  
✅ **Foundation for all strategic decisions in Trigger Mapping**  
✅ **Created by George T. Doran in 1981, now industry standard**

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*Part of the WDS Models & Frameworks collection*
