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SMART Method Reference

A framework for expressing measurable, achievable objectives

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.

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.

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.

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:

  • Specific: Increase paid team subscriptions
  • Measurable: Reach 10,000 paid teams
  • Achievable: Based on current growth rate and market size
  • Relevant: Directly supports revenue and market position goals
  • Time-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:

  • Specific: Daily active users in the health & fitness category
  • Measurable: 100,000 daily active users
  • Achievable: Based on current trajectory and marketing budget
  • Relevant: Growth directly supports market leadership goal
  • Time-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:

  • Specific: Customer retention and repeat purchase rate
  • Measurable: 70% of customers make repeat purchase within 90 days
  • Achievable: Industry average is 40%, we're targeting above average
  • Relevant: Repeat purchases indicate trust and satisfaction
  • Time-bound: Achieve by end of fiscal year

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

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"

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?

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

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)

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:

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

Part of the WDS Models & Frameworks collection