As stated in “Goal Setting for Thriving Teams,”  “When teams set meaningful, strong goals and then diligently pursue them, really good things happen in both what the team produces and what the team becomes.” Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals is one way that leaders and teams can self-evaluate — enabling you to know whether you are achieving your goals or just spinning your wheels. Here’s a little more on what we mean by goals that are S.M.A.R.T.:

Specific. Define the who, what, where and when with precision. You must know exactly what you are attempting to do and who is responsible to make it happen.

Measurable. Articulate precise criteria for assessment at particular time intervals. At first glance, it might be difficult to measure your goal, but if you stick with it, you’ll likely find a way to measure what you are trying to accomplish.

Attainable. Ensure this is something your team can actually do. If the goal is too hard, you’ll likely grow discouraged, but if it is too easy, your team will slack.

Relevant. Make sure the goal is something that really matters — that by doing it you accomplish your team’s unique purpose and serve the mission of the organization. Just because you can measure it doesn’t mean you should pursue it.

Time-bound. Give yourself a deadline. On this date (if you made sure your goal is specific and measurable), you’ll know whether you reached your goal.

For example, rather than saying, “we need to increase the number of leaders serving in children’s ministry,” a related S.M.A.R.T. goal could be, “Our target is to recruit an additional 15 children’s ministry leaders who will sign up to work at least two Sundays during February.”

(Note: This is a lag measure; the advanced move is to think about the levers — lead measures — you can employ to make this happen and then regularly measure them, too.)