Because mobile users tend to use our product longer, the aim of growing our app usage is to ultimately increase profitability. This will be accomplished by optimizing our app store listing and by creating targeted social media advertisements for three social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Grow monthly users of CompanyXYZ’s mobile app by 1,000 users per month. Here’s an example of a specific goal Cameron might come up with: Thinking through those prompts will help you set a realistic goal that lays out what you’re aiming for and gives that vital context. What steps will you take to achieve it?.What objective needs to be accomplished?.In order for a goal to be effective, it needs to be specific – don’t be afraid to dig into those nitty-gritty details. So how can this acronym help with goal setting? Let’s work through each component, using Cameron and her team as an example. This approach eliminates generalities and guesswork, sets a clear timeline, and makes it that much easier to track progress and identify missed milestones. Writing a SMART goal entails working through each of those five components to build a measurable goal that encompasses exactly what needs to be accomplished and when, and how you’ll know when you’re successful. SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goals are established using a specific set of criteria that ensures your objectives are attainable within a certain time frame. This time around, Cameron plans to leverage SMART goals for setting an action plan and staying the course. Nobody has a clear understanding of what success looks like, progress isn’t closely monitored, and soon, that important objective slips to the back burner (before toppling off the stove entirely). But when she’s set team-wide goals like this in the past, things have quickly fallen off track. She knows she’ll need all hands on deck to make this happen. She’s a product manager at a mid-sized tech company, tasked with increasing usage of their mobile app. Get stories about tech and teams in your inbox Subscribe

Smart task acronym