Goals and Objectives
Once your organization has completed writing Mission and Vision statements and listing Values, the next stage is to create goals and objectives, as well as action steps to achieve each. There are many tools and techniques your organization may use to create goals and objectives, and you may choose the technique that fits your team best.
Developing goals and objectives should be an organization-wide process. Themes for goal writing should incorporate work performed by and planned for by all functional areas of the organization — i.e., departments, divisions, programs, schools, centers, institutes, et al – depending on the individual organization’s structure.
What is a Goal?
A Goal should be how your organization will realize the changes expressed in your Vision statement. Goals answer the question “How do you want your organization to evolve in the next planning cycle?”
What is an Objective?
What is a Strategy?
Strategies are composed of the approaches and tactics related to the completion of Objectives. Strategies indicate how you plan to complete an Objective. Tactics indicate what you will do in service of that Strategy to complete an Objective. There can be multiple Strategies per Objective.
What is a Tactic?
Tactics are the individual efforts that go into the implementation of a strategy. There will be multiple Tactics per Strategy. These will be assigned to individuals in your organization.
Writing Goals and Objectives & Introduction to the SMART Technique
Many attempts at strategic planning fail through setting Goals and Objectives which lack specificity. One historically successful, evidence-based method of generating a plan with more concrete aspects is to use the SMART technique. This goal-setting technique can be found in Peter Drucker’s 1954 book, Management by Objectives, and has been adopted by and adapted into multiple fields of industry, including higher education.
The SMART technique provides a potential guide for providing clarity and focus about what an organization is trying to accomplish. While SMART can always be applied to Goals, it has applicability to the other related elements of the plan. Remember, Goals should be reflective of the aspirations in your Vision statement — they should not simply focus on improving existing processes.
The following table provides definitions and explanations of the SMART acronym:
| Definition | Used particularly for | Explanation | |
| S | Specific (simple, sensible, significant, strategic, specific) | Goals, Objectives, Strategies | What will be accomplished? What actions will be taken? Why is it important? Who is involved? |
| M | Measurable (meaningful, motivating) | Objectives, KPI’s, Metrics | What data will measure the goal? How does it reflect your organization’s change? How to know if it is accomplished? |
| A | Achievable (agreed, assignable, attainable, aligned, ambitious) | Goals, Objectives, Strategies | Is the goal realistic/doable? Do you have the necessary skills and resources? Is the proper person involved? |
| R | Relevant (reasonable, realistic, resourced, results-based) | Goals, Objectives | How does the goal align with your organization’s broader vision? Why is completing this part of your plan important? Is it current and worthwhile? |
| T | Time-Bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive, timeframe) | Goals, Target Dates in Objectives, Strategies | What is the time frame for accomplishing the goal? Are timelines included for smaller tasks? |
How to incorporate SMART criteria in strategic planning
If your organization wishes to use the SMART process in writing Goals and Objectives, we expand a bit on the various elements as a resource for building your Goals in the following section:
As stated, a lack of specificity is the major flaw in many failed strategic plans. As you design your Goals, asking many of the “basic W” questions can help inform you. Consider:
- Who needs to be involved to achieve the outcome? Strategy assignments can be made from this consideration.
- What are you are trying to accomplish?
- Where will this take place? (Locale, positional responsibility, event – this question may not always apply, but if there is a location or relevant event, identify it.)
- Why is this Goal, Objective or Strategy important enough to be included in the plan?
- There should be a source of information to measure or determine whether a Goal has been achieved in service of the change your organization is striving to make.
- Ensure that the information you need is available, and that the person responsible for reporting on it has access. (If you need help locating data, contact OPAIR.)
- Measurements can be qualitative or quantitative.
- Data collection efforts needed to measure Goals and Objectives can be included in the metrics for related Strategies. For instance, consider the process of requesting budget or enrollment data, knowing such information is rarely accessible immediately.
This step focuses on how important an Objective or Strategy is to your organization and what can be done to make it attainable. The plan is meant to inspire motivation, not discouragement. Think about:
- What resources will be required (funding, personnel, time frame) to accomplish the desired outcome?
- Are sufficient resources available?
- Is the outcome realistic within these constraints? (If not, what additional resources are necessary?)
- Is the outcome of the Goal or Objective worth the resources and time required to attain the intended results?
- Does the outcome align with the original intent of the organization’s Mission and Vision, or is there “mission creep?” – the term for a gradual expansion of a organization’s responsibilities or aspirations beyond its mandate – often leading to an extraneous use of resources and/or a failure to complete more applicable tasks.
Providing a target date for deliverables is important to ensure that progress towards the Goal does not stagnate. Consider the outcome deadlines and what can be accomplished within that time. For instance, If the outcome will take three years to complete, consider defining checkpoints – perhaps spaced 3-6 months apart – to track progress throughout the process. While the strategic plan may last several years, you may set Goals and Objectives that go beyond the plan cycle window, if progress is continual.
- Work backwards from your final deadline to determine check-in points.
- A good rule of thumb is to check in at 25/50/75% intervals of the total length of time you are giving your organization to achieve a particular Goal.
Template for writing a SMART based Goal
When writing Goals, use concise language but include relevant information. Goals should be inspiring and motivational to unite your organization in striving towards its Vision. Objectives and Strategies should be more detailed than Goals.
Initial Theme (Write the theme of the goal you have in mind.)
Specific (What do you want to accomplish? Who needs to be included? When do you want to do this? Why is this a goal?)
Measurable (How can you meaningfully measure progress and know when your goal is met?):
Achievable (What resources are required to achieve the goal? Can you obtain them? What is the motivation for this goal? Is the amount of effort required on par with what the goal will achieve?):
Relevant (Why am I setting this goal now? Is it aligned with Unit/University mission and vision?):
Time-bound (What is the deadline for completion? Is it realistic? Are there milestones for longer-term outcomes?):
SMART-Based Revised Goal (Review what you have written, and craft a new broad goal statement based on what the answers to the questions above have revealed):
Add Objectives for the new Goal: Objectives are high-level enough to encompass the core outcomes for which your organization is striving, and specific and clear enough so you will be able to measure success.
Objectives (What does your organization need to do to reach the Goal?)
Target Date/milestone dates
Related KPI (measures of performance that focus the organization’s attention on what matters most for measuring success of its Objectives)
Add Strategies as needed for each Objective: Strategies are specific enough to describe how your organization will know an Objective is achieved and can direct tangible action towards reaching the organization’s Objectives.
Strategies (approaches and tactics related to the completion of Objectives.)
Responsible Party (department or position title that will oversee this strategy, not an individual’s name.)
Target Date/milestones (these are shorter-term dates)
Related Metrics (indicators that will be used to determine if this strategy is successful.)