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SMART Action Planning
The SMART model was developed by psychologists as a tool to help people set and reach their
goals.
S—Specific
M—Measureable
A—Agreed
R—Realistic
T—Time-bound
Specific
Is your goal well defined? Avoid setting unclear or vague objectives; instead be as precise as
possible.
Instead of: To get all equipment in a good state
Make it specific: Contact the maintenance company to repair centrifuge with label
NRL10034
Measurable
Be clear how will you know when you have achieved your goal. Using numbers, dates and times is
one way to represent clear objectives.
Instead of: To get better results
Make it measurable: Bring down the false positivity rate in EQA to max 3%
Agreed
Actions need to be carried out by someone. It is therefore crucial to assign each SMART action
point to a specific person. This person can be held accountable for timely implementation of the
action point and this makes follow-up easier for the manager.
Realistic
Setting impossible goals will only end in disappointment. Make your goals challenging, but
realistic.
Instead of: Become accredited in 16 months’ time
Make it attainable: Achieve completion of LQSI tool phase 1 in nine months’ time
Time-bound
Set a time scale for completion of each goal. Even if you have to review this as you progress, it will
help to keep you motivated.
Instead of: Do the Facility and Safety assessment
Make it time-bound: Do the Facility and Safety assessment before the 27
th
of February
2012
An example of how you can formulate a good action point
Deadline : Person assigned : Specific action : Date of formulating action point.
Example:
27-11-2013 : O. Anujuo : Complete the Facility and Safety assessment and develop an action plan
based on its outcome : 16-09-2013