SMART Goals example SMART goals are designed to help you identify if what you want to achieve is realistic and determine a useful deadline. When writing SMART goals use clear language, but include relevant information. These are designed to help you succeed, so be positive when answering the questions. INITIAL Write the goal you have in mind GOAL I want to improve my design skills. I would like to be more involved with the product development team helping with the testing sessions in schools. What do you want to accomplish? Who needs to be included? When do you want S SPECIFIC to do this? Why is this a goal? I need to complete a safeguarding course and get my UK Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate this month. This will mean I can be included i n future testing. This is a goal because I would like to have more experience with user testing to help my own design work. M How can you measure progress and know if you’ve successfully met your goal? MEASURABLE Completed online safeguarding course and certificate. Valid DBS certificate Do you have the skills required to achieve the goal? If not, can you obtain them? What is the motivation for this goal? Is the amount of effort required on par with A ACHIEVABLE what the goal will achieve? I can complete a free online course with the UK charity the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). This will take two evenings. I can bring in all the relevant paperwork so that the human resources (HR) department can start my DBS check. This can take up to three weeks. Page 1 of 2 Why am I setting this goal now? Is it aligned with overall objectives? R RELEVANT To help improve my design skill and be allocated more responsibility, I need to see products in use by children. This will help me see how they actually use something rather than how I think it will be used. What’s the deadline and is it realistic? T TIME-BOUND I need to have completed this in a month, as that is when the next round of testing starts Review what you have written, and craft a new goal statement based on what the SMART GOAL answers to the questions above have revealed To join the product testing team, I need to bring in my documentation for a DBS check next week. I need to complete my online safeguarding course within the next three weeks. Page 2 of 2
