8 Professional Smart Goals Examples To Set For Work

SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely objectives. By creating objectives with these criteria in mind, you can eliminate vague, general and uninspiring objectives and increase the likelihood of achieving your goals. SMART goals provide focus and direction on the path to success. Applying SMART goals to your workplace will help you clearly define what you need to do to reach desired outcomes.

Setting Professional Goals

Before you create your SMART goals, determine who needs to be involved in determining what outcomes should be achieved, who should be developing the goals, and who should be participating in the process of attaining them. Possessing a general understanding of the scope of the work and the timeline involved will help you properly set professional goals that are realistic and within your organization’s capability and situation.

Applying SMART elements to your professional goals:

Specific

Your objective should get it right to the point and provide as many details as possible. Having a specific goal will help you know exactly what to focus on and be able to measure progress.

Measurable

Make your goals quantifiable and measurable. This will help you keep track of your progress and have a better understanding of how long it will take to reach your desired outcome.

Attainable

Set goals that will challenge you and push you to grow, but also be realistic and attainable. Make sure that your goals are feasible and achievable within the allotted time frame.

Relevant

Your objectives should align with your organization’s mission, values and overall goals. Relevant goals help to make sure there is steady progress when working towards a larger goal.

Timely

Set goals with deadlines and timelines. By giving yourself a deadline and plan, you are more likely to stay on track and motivated.

Examples of Professional SMART Goals

Marketing SMART Goals

Increase Website Traffic: Achieve 10,000 website visitors per month by the end of the next quarter. This could be achieved through search engine optimization, content marketing, paid advertising, or a combination of these methods.
Create Social Media Presence: Establish a social media presence with 10,000 followers by the end of the quarter. This could involve strategies like consistent posting, engaging with followers, influencer marketing, or social media advertisements.

Sales SMART Goals

Increase Customer Acquisition: Increase customer acquisition by 20% by the end of the year. This goal could be achieved through more targeted marketing campaigns, improving the conversion rate of the website or improving the product offering.
Increase Customer Satisfaction: Improve customer satisfaction by 10% by the end of the quarter. The sales team can work towards this goal by enhancing the buying process, providing excellent customer service, or resolving customer issues promptly.

Operations SMART Goals

Reduce Overhead Costs: Achieve a 25% reduction in overhead costs by the end of the year. This could be achieved through strategies like finding more cost-effective suppliers, streamlining processes (with tools like Hive Automate), or reducing waste.
Improve Efficiency: Implement a system that improves efficiency by 15% by the second quarter. The operations team can achieve this through strategies like adopting new technologies, eliminating unnecessary processes, or enhancing existing systems.
Reduce Downtime: Decrease downtime by 10% by the end of the year. This could be accomplished by maintaining equipment, training staff to avoid errors, or improving supply chain reliability.

Human Resources SMART Goals

Increase Employee Engagement: Increase employee engagement by 20% by the end of the year. The HR team can work towards this goal by enhancing communication, recognizing employee achievements, or offering professional development opportunities.