Setting SMART(IE) Goals

Last week I was working with a colleague to develop a short training on SMART goals. You are probably familiar with them: 

S-Specific 

M-Measurable 

A-Achievable 

R-Realistic 

T-Timebound 

But have you heard of SMARTIE goals? 

One of the goals I set for myself this year, was to be more intentional about our work with communities to achieve equity in all its forms. 

So, I was excited to learn about SMARTIE goals. I only wish I had come up with SMARTIE goals! I found them when I came across a post from The Management Center. 

They define SMARTIE as Strategic, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable. 

This approach can help your organization’s commitment to racial equity and inclusion explicit and directs you to actionable steps.

They also share a SMARTIE Goals Worksheet to help you get started. They offer specific tips for ensuring an inclusive and equitable focus and for checking for unintentional and disparate impact. They even have a tracking tool to help you monitor your progress. 

For example, if your group writes this goal: “We will disseminate X number of community resource guides by the end of the year” you might rewrite it to be more inclusive and equitable. The SMART goal becomes SMARTIE by saying explicitly: “We will consult with X community members in the neighborhoods we serve to get feedback before finalizing our resource guide.” 

Take care friends-

Ann

P. S. Helping communities build their evaluation capacity brings me a special kind of joy. Curious about your nonprofit, foundation, or community coalition’s evaluation capacity? I have a free capacity assessment for you.
Let me know if you would like me to send it to you.