Are S.M.A.R.T. Goals D.U.M.B.?

We have read, heard and been emphatically taught that the only way to reach our objectives is to set S.M.A.R.T. goals.

To be able to stay on track and then monitor our progress we should eliminate vagueness, avoid large goals that seem insurmountable and frame them over time.

Hence the mnemonic S.M.A.R.T. goals:
Specific – clear and unambiguous (what, why, who, where and which attributes);
Measurable – concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of the goal;
Attainable – neither out of reach nor below standard performance;
Realistic – representing something towards which you are both willing and able to work;
Time bound – grounded with a time-frame.

There are surely advantages to S.M.A.R.T. goal setting – we get direction, focus our energy, keep a clear vision, have a sense of purpose and control over the future. As a result we remain positive in our outlook.

However, what if S.M.A.R.T. goals limited our creativity? What if they prevented us from thinking out of the box, being willing to take risks and collecting big rewards? What if they prevented us from being brilliant?

Remember… ‘neither out of reach nor below standard performance’…

What if they were really D.U.M.B. goals?
Delimiting – drawing boundaries and limits;
Understated – playing safe, uncomplicated;
Marginal – compared to our real and full potential;
Boring – not challenging enough and therefore not being worth fighting for.

When I was responsible for the budgeting process of a large publisher I knew which Magazine Directors were going to set unattainable goals and which ones were the ‘five percenters’ (5% more than the previous year).
After a while I could ‘translate’ their figures into a coherent overall budget.

Goals should no doubt be S.M.A.R.T., but they should challenge us, make us surpass ourselves, require for us to learn a new skill or develop a certain competency.
They should be flexible enough so that we take calculated risks and have room for us to fail, because if we don’t fail somewhere along the line, then the goal was not worth pursuing and we end up without having grown and learnt enough.

Finally, there should be emotion in the process. The vision of what it will be like when we attain the goals should motivate us to be creative, resilient, to course correct along the way and to feel like WINNERS when we achieve them.