---
name: smart-criteria
description: Use when asked to write or check a goal/objective/task against SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relatable, Timely) or its SMARTER/FAST extensions — grounded in joelparkerhenderson/smart-criteria, as a quality check that pairs with OKRs (see objectives-and-key-results) and KPIs (see key-performance-indicators).
---

# SMART Criteria

SMART is a checklist for writing a goal, objective, plan, or task well —
each letter is a quality dimension to check a stated goal against, not a
separate goal-setting method on its own. It pairs naturally with
[[objectives-and-key-results]] (SMART checks the quality of an
objective) and [[key-performance-indicators]] (SMART checks the
quality of a target metric).

## The five letters

- **Specific** — target one area clearly and precisely. Ask: what's in
  scope vs. out of scope? What are the inputs, people, processes,
  outputs? Is the terminology unambiguous? Can it be phrased positively,
  with action verbs? *Alternative reading: Strategic.*
- **Measurable** — quantify progress using metrics. Ask: what metrics,
  and why those? What are the KPIs, leading indicators, lagging
  indicators? How do stakeholders access the numbers? *Alternative
  reading: Motivating.*
- **Actionable** — achievable: able to be started, sustained, and
  completed. Ask: who's working on it (roles/responsibilities)? What
  resources are needed (budget, approvals)? What are the risks,
  assumptions, issues, dependencies? *Alternative readings: Achievable,
  Assignable, Agreed, Action-oriented, Ambitious, Aligned.*
- **Relatable** — explain causal/logical connections to other work. Ask:
  can you summarize the purpose and rationale? How does it connect to
  participants' roles and goals? How does it interconnect (positively or
  negatively) with other work? *Alternative readings: Relevant,
  Realistic, Resourced, Reasonable, Results-based.*
- **Timely** — occurs at a favorable, bounded time. Ask: when does it
  start and finish? Why does the timing matter (a hard deadline vs. a
  flexible window)? Where's the timeline visible? What precedes or
  follows it? *Alternative readings: Trackable, Time-based/time-boxed,
  Time-sensitive, Testable, Transparent.*

## SMARTER: two more letters

- **Evaluate** — examine work in progress and afterward, and adjust as
  needed; ask what was learned and what changes are recommended, both
  during and after the work.
- **Rewardable** (or Reward) — recognize success and acknowledge
  achievement when milestones are reached — including asking participants
  what reward would actually be meaningful to them, rather than assuming.

## FAST: a related, distinct criteria set

FAST is not SMART with different letters for the same ideas — it targets
a different failure mode (goals that are technically SMART but never
actually discussed or acted on):

- **Frequently discussed** — the goal shapes ongoing key conversations
  about getting work done, not a document filed away.
- **Ambitious** — set to satisfy high aspiration, genuinely challenging.
- **Specific** — same meaning as in SMART.
- **Transparent** — open and shared with the team and organization, not
  private to whoever set it.

## Using SMART as a review checklist

The most practical use: take an already-drafted goal and check it against
each letter as a question, not just a label — "is this Specific?" is less
useful than actually asking the specific sub-questions above (scope,
inputs, terminology) and revising the goal statement until the answers
are clear. A goal that passes all five (or seven, with SMARTER) letters
is meaningfully more likely to survive contact with real execution than
one that was never checked.

## Common pitfalls

- **Treating SMART as a labeling exercise** — writing "S: yes, M: yes..."
  next to a goal without actually answering the underlying questions each
  letter poses produces the appearance of rigor without the substance.
- **A goal that's Measurable but not Actionable** — a well-quantified
  target nobody has the resources or authority to actually pursue is not
  a usable goal, however precisely specified.
- **Confusing SMART (a per-goal quality check) with OKRs (a goal-setting
  and tracking system)** — see [[objectives-and-key-results]]; SMART
  can and should be applied to the objectives and key results an OKR
  system produces, but SMART alone doesn't provide the cadence,
  transparency, or nesting structure OKRs add.
- **Ignoring FAST's distinct concern** — a goal can be perfectly SMART on
  paper and still fail because nobody discusses it regularly or it's kept
  private; FAST's "Frequently discussed" and "Transparent" address a
  different, real failure mode SMART doesn't cover.

## Learn more

- [joelparkerhenderson/smart-criteria](https://github.com/joelparkerhenderson/smart-criteria) — the source for this skill.
- [Wikipedia: SMART criteria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria)
- [[objectives-and-key-results]], [[key-performance-indicators]] for the goal-setting and measurement systems SMART is used to quality-check.