As we define Goals or Objectives we need to make sure they are concrete, and that you can easily answer whether you hit the goal or not. SMART is a simple mnemonic to help you ensure that your Goals or Objectives have the characteristics that make them concrete:

• Specific: Make your goals narrow to something that is specific, significant, and simple.
• Measurable: Make sure you know how you will know whether you have achieved the Goal or not. This usually involves tracking a metric. Making the metric meaningful will also mean it is motivating to those involved in the work.
• Achievable: Make sure the Goal is achievable in the time-period, that it is attainable. For Teams, this means ensuring everyone is in agreement with the Goal.
• Relevant: Make sure your Goal aligns with your over strategy and objectives.
• Time bound: Make sure you have an end-time when you validate your result. For Teams working in Iertations (Sprints) this often defaults to “the end of the Iteration (Sprint)”.