295 lines
9.0 KiB
Markdown
295 lines
9.0 KiB
Markdown
# SMART Method Reference
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**A framework for expressing measurable, achievable objectives**
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---
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## Overview
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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.
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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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---
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## The SMART Criteria
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Each objective should meet all five criteria:
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### S - Specific
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**What it means:**
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- Clear and unambiguous
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- Answers who, what, where, when, why
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- No room for interpretation
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**Bad example:** "Increase user engagement"
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**Good example:** "Increase daily active users in the mobile app"
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**Why it matters:** Specific goals give clear direction and prevent confusion about what success looks like.
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### M - Measurable
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**What it means:**
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- Quantifiable with numbers or clear milestones
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- Progress can be tracked objectively
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- You can answer "how much?" or "how many?"
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**Bad example:** "Improve customer satisfaction"
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**Good example:** "Achieve an NPS score of 50 or higher"
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**Why it matters:** If you can't measure it, you can't manage it or prove you've achieved it.
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### A - Achievable
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**What it means:**
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- Realistic given your resources and constraints
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- Challenging but not impossible
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- Within your team's capability
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**Bad example:** "Become the #1 app in the world in 30 days" (with a team of 2)
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**Good example:** "Reach top 10 in our category in the App Store within 6 months"
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**Why it matters:** Unachievable goals demoralize teams. Achievable goals motivate action.
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### R - Relevant
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**What it means:**
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- Aligned with broader business objectives
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- Matters to your organization's success
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- Worth the investment of time and resources
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**Bad example:** "Get 1 million Twitter followers" (when your customers aren't on Twitter)
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**Good example:** "Build an email list of 10,000 qualified leads in our target market"
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**Why it matters:** Irrelevant goals waste resources on metrics that don't drive business success.
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### T - Time-bound
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**What it means:**
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- Has a clear deadline or timeframe
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- Creates urgency and accountability
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- Enables progress tracking
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**Bad example:** "Increase revenue eventually"
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**Good example:** "Increase monthly recurring revenue to $50K by Q4 2024"
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**Why it matters:** Without deadlines, goals become wishes. Timeframes create commitment and enable planning.
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---
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## SMART in WDS Workflow
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### Vision to Objectives Flow
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In WDS Trigger Mapping (Workshop 1: Business Goals), you work through this progression:
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**1. Start with Vision (Soft Goals)**
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- Aspirational and motivational
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- Example: "Make remote work sustainable and healthy"
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**2. Ask "What Will We Observe?"**
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- Bridge from vision to measurable reality
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- "When this vision is realized, what will we see in the world?"
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**3. Define SMART Objectives (Hard Goals)**
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- Transform observations into SMART format
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- Example: "Achieve 5,000 active teams by Q4 2024"
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### Why Both Levels Matter
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**Vision (Soft Goals):**
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- Provides motivation and direction
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- Easy to set, hard to measure
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- Inspires the team
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**SMART Objectives (Hard Goals):**
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- Provides accountability and tracking
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- Harder to set, easy to measure
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- Proves progress
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**Together:** You get both inspiration and accountability.
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---
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## Generic Examples
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### Example 1: SaaS Product
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**Vision:** "Be the top-of-mind solution for team collaboration"
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**Bridging Question:** "When we're top-of-mind, what will we observe?"
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**SMART Objectives:**
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- **S**pecific: Increase paid team subscriptions
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- **M**easurable: Reach 10,000 paid teams
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- **A**chievable: Based on current growth rate and market size
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- **R**elevant: Directly supports revenue and market position goals
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- **T**ime-bound: By Q4 2024
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**Result:** "Reach 10,000 paid team subscriptions by Q4 2024"
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### Example 2: Mobile App
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**Vision:** "Fastest growing health app in our category"
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**Bridging Question:** "What would prove we're the fastest growing?"
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**SMART Objectives:**
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- **S**pecific: Daily active users in the health & fitness category
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- **M**easurable: 100,000 daily active users
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- **A**chievable: Based on current trajectory and marketing budget
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- **R**elevant: Growth directly supports market leadership goal
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- **T**ime-bound: Within 6 months of launch
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**Result:** "Achieve 100,000 daily active users within 6 months of launch"
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### Example 3: E-commerce Platform
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**Vision:** "Most trusted marketplace for sustainable products"
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**Bridging Question:** "How would we measure trust?"
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**SMART Objectives:**
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- **S**pecific: Customer retention and repeat purchase rate
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- **M**easurable: 70% of customers make repeat purchase within 90 days
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- **A**chievable: Industry average is 40%, we're targeting above average
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- **R**elevant: Repeat purchases indicate trust and satisfaction
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- **T**ime-bound: Achieve by end of fiscal year
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**Result:** "Achieve 70% repeat purchase rate within 90 days by end of fiscal year"
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---
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## Common Mistakes
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### Mistake 1: Vague Objectives
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**Problem:** "Improve user experience"
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**Why it fails:** Not specific or measurable
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**Fix:** "Increase average session time from 5 to 8 minutes by Q3"
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### Mistake 2: No Numbers
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**Problem:** "Get more customers"
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**Why it fails:** Not measurable
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**Fix:** "Acquire 1,000 new paying customers by end of quarter"
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### Mistake 3: Unrealistic Targets
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**Problem:** "Become profitable in 2 weeks" (for a startup)
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**Why it fails:** Not achievable
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**Fix:** "Reach break-even point within 18 months"
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### Mistake 4: Irrelevant Metrics
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**Problem:** "Get 100,000 Instagram followers" (for B2B enterprise software)
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**Why it fails:** Not relevant to business goals
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**Fix:** "Generate 500 qualified enterprise leads through LinkedIn"
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### Mistake 5: No Deadline
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**Problem:** "Increase revenue someday"
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**Why it fails:** Not time-bound
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**Fix:** "Increase MRR from $20K to $50K by December 31, 2024"
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---
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## Testing Your SMART Objectives
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Ask these questions for each objective:
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**Specific:**
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- Can everyone on the team explain what this means?
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- Is there any ambiguity about what we're trying to achieve?
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**Measurable:**
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- Can we track progress with a number or clear milestone?
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- Will we know definitively when we've achieved this?
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**Achievable:**
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- Given our resources, is this realistic?
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- Have similar organizations achieved similar goals?
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**Relevant:**
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- Does this directly support our vision and business goals?
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- Is this worth the investment of time and resources?
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**Time-bound:**
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- Is there a specific deadline?
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- Can we create a timeline for progress milestones?
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---
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## SMART Objectives in Trigger Mapping
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Once you have SMART objectives from Workshop 1, they become the foundation for:
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**Workshop 2: Target Groups**
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- Which user groups can help you achieve these objectives?
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**Workshop 3: Driving Forces**
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- What psychological drivers would motivate those groups to act?
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**Workshop 4: Prioritization**
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- Which groups and drivers have highest impact on objectives?
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**Workshop 5: Feature Impact**
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- Which features best support achieving these objectives?
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**The chain:** SMART objectives → Target groups → Psychological drivers → Prioritized features
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---
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## Historical Context
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### Origins
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**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."
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### Evolution
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Over time, various interpretations have emerged:
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- **A** has been interpreted as Attainable, Assignable, or Action-oriented
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- **R** has been interpreted as Realistic, Results-oriented, or Resourced
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- **T** has been interpreted as Timely, Time-based, or Trackable
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The core principle remains: goals should be clear, measurable, and actionable.
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### Modern Application
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SMART goals are now standard practice in:
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- Business strategy and planning
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- Project management (Agile, Scrum)
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- Personal development
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- Marketing and sales
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- Product development
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- Strategic design (like WDS)
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---
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## Further Reading
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**Original Source:**
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- 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.
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**Related WDS Resources:**
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- [Phase 2: Trigger Mapping Guide](../method/phase-2-trigger-mapping-guide.md)
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- [Module 05: Trigger Mapping](../learn-wds/module-05-trigger-mapping/module-05-overview.md)
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- [Lesson 3: The Five Workshops](../learn-wds/module-05-trigger-mapping/lesson-03-five-workshops.md)
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---
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## Key Takeaways
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✅ **SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound**
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✅ **Transforms vague ambitions into concrete objectives**
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✅ **In WDS: Vision (soft goals) + SMART Objectives (hard goals)**
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✅ **Bridge question: "What will we observe when vision is realized?"**
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✅ **Foundation for all strategic decisions in Trigger Mapping**
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✅ **Created by George T. Doran in 1981, now industry standard**
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---
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*Part of the WDS Models & Frameworks collection*
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