Setting SMART objectives is stupid

Tasks are SMART, but tasks do not improve anything

If you give each of your team five of these SMART tasks and if every team member achieves them, what will be the result?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but very few managers get objectives right. And it is not the manager’s fault.

The fault lies with the old rule that objectives must be SMART, as in specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed.

SMART has been around for many years, but that does not make it right. In fact, SMART is quite stupid when it comes to setting objectives.

Let’s look at some examples ...