SMART Goals for Better Time Management
Meeting after meeting, a ton of emails, the phone ringing unexpectedly, files piling up… We’re bombarded by so much that it can be difficult to concentrate on the task at hand and determine our priorities. Did you know that a great way to organize your work and improve your time management is to set goals? But not just any goals… SMART goals. What’s a SMART goal? How can you use the concept to better manage your time? Let’s find out!
Qu’est-ce qu’un objectif SMART ? Comment pouvez-vous appliquer ce concept pour mieux gérer votre temps ? C’est ce que vous allez découvrir.
Setting a SMART goal
A SMART goal describes precisely what you need to do to bring about a specific change or result. It consists of 5 essential characteristics: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Specific: A specific goal is more likely to be achieved than a general one. Use the following questions as a guide:
- Who’s involved?
- What do you want to achieve?
- When? Establish a timeframe.
- Why? Determine the specific reason, purpose, or benefits of achieving your goal.
Measurable: Measuring your progress helps you stay on track, meet deadlines, and feel a sense of accomplishment.
Achievable: Breaking your goal down into steps prevents you from getting overwhelmed. Each step brings you closer to your goal.
Relevant: We all have a tendency to underestimate the work required to reach our goals. Avoid setting an unrealistic goal, and make sure to consider all the factors that might affect its achievement, including organizational constraints, the external environment, fatigue, your physical and psychological well-being, and your professional and personal obligations.
Time-bound: Clearly define the start and end points of your goal. That way, you’re less likely to set it aside when urgent day-to-day matters inevitably arise.
Develop an action plan
Let’s say your goal is to establish a daily framework that includes time to coach your team members, work on your current projects, and upgrade your skills, all while maintaining a good work-life balance. You want to achieve this ambitious goal in 90 days. You’ll definitely need a well-crafted action plan.
Step 1: Measure the data
- How much time do you spend putting out fires rather than working on your projects?
- How often do you get distracted by a colleague, an email, a phone call, or social media?
- Consider situations when an employee interrupts you. Do they really require your immediate attention? Could they have found the answer to their question or the solution to their problem independently?
- What time of day are you most efficient?
- How much time do you spend striving for perfection? This might look like drafting a long-winded reply to an email or spending hours to get a layout just right.
- How much time do you spend on your family, friends, and hobbies? Are you satisfied with that?
Step 2: Establish the steps to take
It’s time to break down your goal into smaller pieces, specify the steps to follow, and define the measures that need to be taken. Next, you’ll need to come up with a realistic timetable. Remember, there are only 24 hours in a day. Don’t cut into your sleep in an effort to reach your goal!
It’s also important to identify the resources you’ll need, such as a tool to track your time, training on managing time or emails, or reading material to enhance your coaching skills (to help your employees gain more autonomy, for example).
Step 3: Take action
Setting out a plan is a great start, but you’ll need to put it into action to achieve your goal.
Step 4: Monitor your progress
Are you on the right track? Are you behind schedule? Are there extra steps you need to add? You can adjust course at any time.
Now, you have all the information you need to optimize your time management with SMART goals. So, what do you say to improving your efficiency, productivity, and quality of life?
