Dump Your SMART Goals and Get MEAN

I'm getting frustrated with the constant promotion of SMART goals on LinkedIn by individuals and companies who haven't fully considered why this framework is ineffective. Too often, people jump on the bandwagon of using SMART goals simply because it's popular. But in reality, SMART goals are not as clever as they seem; in fact, they can be quite foolish. By blindly following the SMART goal methodology, critical thinking is removed from the process of setting meaningful goals that will drive business growth.

You’re probably accustomed to the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timebound) goal framework, but I want you to discard it and focus on MEAN goals instead. The problem with SMART goals is that they hold you back from reaching higher. If you’re using SMART goals, your perception of what is quantifiable (measurable) and within your abilities (achievable) fails to consider your team’s potential.

Before you lies a world of unexpected possibilities that can emerge when you expand your perspective. Empower your employees by eliminating the notion of achievable. SMART goals overlook the impact of cooperative, analytical thinking or the valuable achievements that your leaders and their teams can attain by pushing themselves outside their comfort zones.

According to a study by Leadership IQ involving 16,000 people, a mere 15% of employees feel strongly that their goals are capable of propelling them toward great things. Additionally, only 13% of employees have confidence that their goals for the year will allow them to reach their full potential.

MEAN stands for meaningful, exact, actionable, and necessary. Let’s break down what this means in the context of your key goals:

• Meaningful: Ensure your goals contribute to employee, customer, or societal significance, aligning with your values and contributing to your greater purpose. Don’t prevent your leaders from reaching high. Make your goals heartfelt and challenging.

• Exact: Define your goals with precision, leaving no room for ambiguity, and specify exactly what you intend to achieve. Empower your team by enabling them to picture the outcome and how great it will feel when the goals are achieved.

• Actionable: Make your goals actionable so your leaders and managers can break them down into specific, manageable steps that lead to progress. Be bold and open to learning—and possibly failing. You can adjust along the way.

• Necessary: Ensure that your goals are essential and relevant to your overall objectives, eliminating distractions and focusing on what truly matters. Empower your leaders to do the critical thinking. Will this goal get you closer to achieving your mission? Using the word necessary prompts your team to consider if the goal will align with the company's forward progress.

Ensuring your key goals adhere to the MEAN criteria creates a framework that promotes clarity, meaning, and accountability for what truly matters. The MEAN goal framework becomes a signpost for your organization, helping everyone understand what needs to be achieved, how, and when—and why their work matters.