How do you ensure SMART goals and KPIs are relevant and realistic for your organization and industry?

Performance management is a process of setting, measuring, and improving the performance of individuals and teams in an organization. It involves defining clear and specific objectives, providing feedback and coaching, and rewarding achievements. But how do you ensure that the goals and indicators you use are relevant and realistic for your organization and industry? In this article, we will compare and contrast SMART goals and KPIs, and offer some tips on how to align them for effective performance management.

1 What are SMART goals?

SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. SMART goals are designed to help you set clear and realistic expectations for yourself and others, and to track your progress and results. For example, a SMART goal for a salesperson could be: Increase the number of monthly leads by 20% by the end of the quarter.

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Kristy McQueen

Passionate about helping individuals and teams to learn and grow.
What's missing for me as a leader from SMART goals is transparency and ensuring they are frequently talked about. Goals should not be your best kept secret.
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Kate Sotsenko ⏱️

Freeing up 30% of your time from bad busy work for time after work | Productivity & Leadership Coach for mid-senior leaders | Lessons from 15 years in corporate roles → TheGoodBusy.com ⏱️🏆
SMART goals are performance driven. While SMART goals are helpful, sometimes specificity is not enough. Intrinsic motivation helps to achieve results. RAW = realistic, achievable, worthwhile (what's in there for me) MMM = measurable, manageable, motivational (what's in there for me) #TheGoodBusy
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Kenneth Nowack

President/Senior Research Officer at Envisia Learning, Inc.
SMART Goals might not be so smart..... http://files.envisialearning.com/articles/Urban_Talent_Myths_Exposed_Talent_Management_Magazine_Nowack_2015.pdf https://icfsverige.se/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Facilitating-successful-behavior-change-Beyond-goal-setting-to-goal-flourishing-by-Nowack-2017.pdf
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2 What are KPIs?

KPIs, or key performance indicators, are quantifiable measures that reflect the performance of an individual, team, or organization in relation to a specific objective or outcome. KPIs help you monitor and evaluate your performance over time, and identify areas of improvement or success. For example, a KPI for a customer service team could be: Reduce the average response time to customer inquiries by 10% within six months.

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Kate Sotsenko ⏱️

Freeing up 30% of your time from bad busy work for time after work | Productivity & Leadership Coach for mid-senior leaders | Lessons from 15 years in corporate roles → TheGoodBusy.com ⏱️🏆
KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are measurable values to track progress towards the goals. At the same time, they can distract from the goal, if: 1) Overemphasis on metrics: leads to a narrow focus and "check-the-box" effect 2) Misaligned metrics: wrong metrics not aligned with the broader goal can also be misleading 3) Complexity: too many indicators, multiple targets, data sources, etc. create lack of clarity. 4) Tunnel vision: over-relying on KPIs narrows focus at the expense of the goal itself I suggest to prioritize standards instead of KPIs. Standards = metrics that attest the successful achievement of the goal #TheGoodBusy
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3 How are SMART goals and KPIs different?

SMART goals and KPIs are both useful tools for performance management, but they have some key differences. SMART goals are usually set at the beginning of a project or period, and define what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. KPIs are usually established after you have defined your goals, and reflect how well you are performing and progressing towards them. SMART goals are more specific and detailed, while KPIs are more general and broad. SMART goals are more focused on the actions and behaviors of individuals or teams, while KPIs are more focused on the results and outcomes of the organization or department.

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4 How to align SMART goals and KPIs?

To ensure that SMART goals and KPIs are consistent, coherent, and complementary, you need to start with your vision and mission. Define your strategic objectives and break them down into SMART goals. Identify the key performance indicators that reflect your performance and progress. Additionally, it's important to communicate and collaborate with stakeholders, managers, peers, and subordinates to ensure everyone is on the same page. Furthermore, you should solicit feedback and input from them to help achieve common goals.

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Alokita Shankhar

Head of Organisational Development I Hogan Coach I Expertise in Tech & Fin Services
When managers and leaders create a culture of transparency and share their KPIs with others in the team, it furthers the trust within the team and adds credibility to the practice. There is also a sense of camaraderie and understanding that all individuals (regardless of level) are working towards & driving a common purpose.
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Kate Sotsenko ⏱️

Freeing up 30% of your time from bad busy work for time after work | Productivity & Leadership Coach for mid-senior leaders | Lessons from 15 years in corporate roles → TheGoodBusy.com ⏱️🏆
1) Ensure goals are clearly defined and communicated. 2) KPIs measure progress towards the intended outcomes. 3) Benchmark each KPI to track progress. 4) Regularly monitor KPIs and make adjustments as needed. 5) Foster communication and collaboration among team members 6) Use data and insights from KPIs to inform decision-making 7) Provide regular feedback and recognition to motivate & align efforts. 8) Keep an agile mindset and be open to revisiting and refining goals as change in business is also a constant. #TheGoodBusy
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5 How to review and adjust SMART goals and KPIs?

Performance management is an ongoing cycle of planning, executing, monitoring, and improving, thus necessitating a regular review and adjustment of SMART goals and KPIs to ensure they remain relevant and realistic. To ensure your SMART goals and KPIs are aligned for effective performance management, consider if they are clear, specific, and measurable; achievable and challenging; relevant and meaningful; time-bound and timely; communicated and shared; monitored and evaluated; rewarded and recognized; and updated and revised. By following these steps, you can achieve the desired results and outcomes.

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How do you ensure SMART goals and KPIs are relevant and realistic for your organization and industry?

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4

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1 What are SMART goals?

2 What are KPIs?

3 How are SMART goals and KPIs different?

4 How to align SMART goals and KPIs?

5 How to review and adjust SMART goals and KPIs?

Performance Management

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How do you ensure SMART goals and KPIs are relevant and realistic for your organization and industry?

1

2

3

4

5

1 What are SMART goals?

2 What are KPIs?

3 How are SMART goals and KPIs different?

4 How to align SMART goals and KPIs?

5 How to review and adjust SMART goals and KPIs?

Performance Management

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