If you’ve gone through any sort of leadership or management training, chances are, you’ve heard of SMART goals. 

The practice has been around for decades and while different people and organizations might explain the letters in different ways, the concept remains the same.

The acronym SMART generally stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. 

People are encouraged to use these 5 pillars to write clear and compelling expectations for their work. 

• Most leaders agree that writing down SMART goals lays the foundation for future feedback-oriented conversations and for summarizing performance. 

But something’s wrong here. 

Writing SMART goals is a waste of time. 

I think it’s a safe assumption to say that anyone who’s tried to write a goal using all of the SMART components thinks it’s a waste of time. 

There’s no reason a leader or an employee needs to write a paragraph or several sentences before getting started on a task or goal. 

We need 1-2 sentences on what we’re trying to achieve and how we’re going to measure it. That’s it. 

SMART goals barely scratch the surface when it comes to performance management

Writing SMART goals can be helpful when preparing for a goal setting conversation and can be useful for self leadership.

But they completely neglect two things:

• Goal setting requires collaboration and input from our team members.

• In order to achieve a goal, it’s important to check in throughout, not just at the beginning. 

Discussing a goal is one just one part of the process. The goal needs initial input and ongoing support in order to be achieved. 

STRAM: a model for writing goals and a structure for talking about them.

Most leaders I’ve worked with struggle with the performance management process. 

Taking a note from leadership consultant and author, Ken Blanchard, I shook up the SMART method to help provide some direction when it comes to communicating about setting and achieving goals. 

“M” now stands for Motivating instead of Measurable 

“T” stands for Trackable instead of Timely 

The preferred order is STRAM, not SMART. 

Write down the S (specific) and the T (trackable) when establishing or realigning on a goal or task.

• Specific - What does a good job look like and by when?

• Trackable - How are we going to track and measure performance? 

It’s important to have these written down so everyone is aligned.

Discuss the R (relevant), A (achievable) and M (motivating) at the beginning and during check-ins.

• Relevant - How does this task or goal contribute to the vision, or something meaningful within the organization?

• Achievable - Do you feel you have the experience, skills, authority, and resources necessary to be successful? What other support do you need?

• Motivating - Does working on this add or drain your energy? Is there anything we could change to make it more energizing?

Discussing the RAM when delegating a goal or task lets the leader know how much support and direction they need to provide. Because things can shift after the initial discussion (something may be more difficult than it seemed, motivation might be lost), it’s important to check in periodically. 

Writing down expectations, tracking metrics, and agreeing on a timeline provides people with the structure they need to win at work. 

Staying in touch on the value, the progress, and the enthusiasm helps leaders and employees stay on the same page, while offering support and direction when needed to achieve the goal.

Enough theory. Let’s look at the STRAM model in action.

Specific

• Purpose: Ensure all parties are aligned and on the same page about what a good job looks like, including key outcomes and timing.

Example:

What does the word “training” mean to you? 

I recently moderated a panel for the Microsoft Channel Partner Conference where this exact question came up.

The conflict was between a software application developer and a reseller. 

The developer thought “training” meant providing webinars and other passive resources so resellers understood how their product worked. The reseller, on the other hand, saw training as more hands-on. He said he expected the developer to demonstrate the product in person and to be there to answer questions. 

The lack of specificity around the word “training” had caused confusion and resentment between both parties and in some cases, had even soured relationships. 

Using specifics to clarify what “training” meant to each person, as well specifying a timeframe in which training should take place, could have saved some serious time and built far more trust between both parties.

Trackable

• Purpose Foster agreement and understanding of how progress and success are tracked and measured.

This is the accountability piece of the puzzle. How many times have we left a meeting with a plan, but with no way to track it? For projects to be completed, agreements must be made as to how and when measurement and tracking will take place.

Example:

Let’s look back to our training example. Assume that both parties came to an agreement on what training entails and when it needs to happen -- great! 

Now, they need to agree on what it takes to complete a training and successful training looks like. 

They could review participant feedback surveys, delivery reports for webinars, or mentor’s reports. Whatever they decide to use, they need to agree upon it and write it down so they can refer back to it if they need to.

Relevant

• Purpose: Connect your goal or task to a larger vision or purpose whenever you can –  and make sure that connection is clear.

Often we forget to communicate why we’re assigning a goal or task up or why it’s important. 

As humans, we need to understand and maintain a connection to the why. It’s how we derive a sense of meaning and what helps us prioritize high impact activities from time sucks. 

Example:

In our example, understanding that the importance of training ultimately impacts customer satisfaction, helps to clarify meaning on a larger scale.

This doesn’t need to be written down but having a shared understanding of the importance hugely impacts motivation and successful implementation.

Attainable

• Purpose: Everyone needs to agree that the expectations are realistic. If a task is a ‘no-can-do’ from one party and you fail to discuss what can be done instead, you’re setting your team members up for disaster. Some things to consider when assessing attainability include time frame, experience, authority, and resources. 

Example:

If the reseller requests that the developer fly out for an 8-hour in-person training each time a new product is released, it may not be realistic for the developer. 

Therefore, it’s important to discuss whether the expectations are actually realistic and attainable for both parties. If they’re not, continue discussing until you find something that both parties can commit to.

Motivating

• Purpose: Determine whether the goal creates energy and interest, or zaps it. Continue to check in on motivation because this is often the pulse of your project, letting you know that something else needs addressing. 

Ask whoever is accountable for achieving the goal how excited they are to take it on. Ask if it adds or drains energy for them. The answers will give you a good sense of where the person is energetically on the goal or task.

Example:

If either the reseller or the developer say that the reason they’re following through with the training is because they have to and it’s part of their job, you can interpret that as low quality motivation. 

Low-quality motivation warrants a conversation. 

Ask them how they interpret the value of the training, if there’s any additional support they need, and what would make it worth it for them.

On the other hand, if they see training as an exciting way to get more customers and boost ratings which will make their job more fun, you can tell they’re motivated to do a good job.

Conclusion: Want to manage performance better? Use STRAM!

SMART goals have been taught in leadership training for decades because they’re a useful framework. But it totally neglects shared communication and ongoing support. 

By reordering and revamping SMART to STRAM, we can start out on a better foot and open the door to better communication and performance. 

To use STRAM:

• Write Specific goals with shared definitions and outlines of what a good job looks like.

• Write Trackable metrics to assess progress and success.

• Discuss how the project or task is Relevant to the company’s larger goals.

• Discuss if the goal is Attainable and expectations are realistic

• Discuss the quality of the Motivation behind the work.

Remember to write the S and the T when setting, assigning, or reestablishing goals and to discuss the R, A, and M. Then, as the work progresses, check in on the R, A, and M to see if anything has changed.. 

Starting on the same page and uncovering roadblocks early on, sets people up for success and helps them feel valued and supported.. 

Are you looking for better ways to set expectations and manage performance?  Schedule a time to chat with us about how we can help.