SMART Goals Have No Life. SMART-ER Goals Do.

4 days ago

2 min read

Goals that end

SMART goals have no life. They end.

You write the goal, check every box, and file it. Then the organization keeps moving, and the goal stays exactly where you left it.

That's why I add two letters. SMART-ER goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Evaluated, and Revised. Those last two keep the process going, so the goal can move with the organization and with the times.

What SMART gets right, and where it stops

SMART is a solid starting point. A good goal is:

Specific: clear about what you're trying to do
Measurable: you can tell whether you got there
Achievable: realistic with the people and money you have
Relevant: tied to the mission and to what matters now
Time-bound: it has a deadline

The catch is that a SMART goal is a snapshot. It's built on the budget, the staff, and the conditions you had on the day you wrote it. Any of those can change before the deadline arrives.

When the ground shifts

Two sentences show the gap fast.

"The world has shut down." In March 2020, a goal to grow in-person attendance by the end of the season could pass all five SMART tests. Within a week it no longer made sense, and nothing in SMART said what to do next.

"The funding is cut." A grant that paid for a program disappears mid-year. The goal tied to it is still specific, measurable, and time-bound. It just isn't achievable anymore, and it may not be relevant either.

Most changes are smaller than these. A key staff member leaves. A revenue projection comes in low. Policy shifts at the city, state, or federal level. Any one of them can quietly turn a good goal into the wrong one.

Adding the E and the R

Evaluate. On a regular schedule, hold the goal up against what's true right now. Is it still achievable? Is it still relevant? Is the deadline still right?

Revise. Change whatever needs changing: the target, the timeline, the resources, or the goal itself. Then the cycle starts again.

Revising a goal isn't failing at it. Holding on to a goal the world has outgrown is.

How often should you evaluate? It depends on your organization. Match the cadence you already use for your projections: per show, per month, per quarter, or for board presentations. Don't make more work. Make the work count.

What to look at when you evaluate

Look at anything that can affect the organization:

Budget
Staffing
Funding, including grants and any cuts
Revenue projections, and how actuals compare
The political and policy environment
Major outside events, like a pandemic

If any of these has moved since you set the goal, the goal needs a second look.

Goals that keep living

SMART gives a goal its shape. Evaluate and Revise give it a life. The process doesn't stop at the deadline; it keeps going as long as the organization does.

Move Fast. Change Frequently.