S.M.A.R.T. Goals

The "SMART" acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results. It has since been used everywhere from strategic planning to weight loss programs to self help resources. SMART is defined a little bit differently by each industry, but having used SMART for many years in the corporate sector, Anne and Jan defined it for educators as: S=Specific and Strategic, M=Measurable, A=Attainable, R=Results-based, T=Timebound. They used the term with their first clients over 10 years ago to support school improvement planning. Coupled with the graphic organizer, the Tree Diagram, S.M.A.R.T. goals become powerful motivators for continuous improvement.

Sample Tree Diagrams appear below. In addition, you will find a Tree Diagram template (Excel spreadsheet format) that you can download and use to support the development and use of your S.M.A.R.T. Goals. The third attachment is an article that contains greater detail and sample goals in Tree Diagrams.