Most managers with any management training know the concept of setting SMART goals for their organization. Though apparently having unknown origins, the strategy of SMART goals has been widely written about and used to help make organizations better.
I work with lots of church plants and young ministry ventures. I also have numerous occasions to speak with entrepreneurs in our church. I love the enthusiasm and momentum an organization has early in its life. I hope to always be a part of starting something. As I’ve gotten older, however, I’m equally as concerned about sustainability. The right energy and vision will create growth fast, but building an organization that lasts requires having a plan for maintaining viability.
Think about the goals you are setting for your organization and consider applying the SMART goals strategy to them. You will most likely find your goals have a better chance of becoming reality.
SMART Goals
- S – Specific- Clearly define what, who and how the goals will be achieved.
- M – Measurable – You must have built in the ability to measure a win. What will it mean if you accomplish your goals? An old saying goes, “You can’t manage what you cannot measure.”
- A – Attainable – I believe in and have big dreams. Goals should stretch the organization. Having unattainable goals, however, can kill momentum and eventually destroy an organization’s momentum.
- R – Reliable/Relevant- If you accomplish these goals will they be helping your organization reach its overall mission? Energy spent in achieving irrelevant goals wastes an organization’s resources.
- T – Timely – To be sustainable, goals need to have timeframe for completion.
What goals do you currently have for yourself or your organization? After reading this, do you need to reevaluate some of those goals?
Hi Ron,
I'm working on some goals with my church leadership and we are struck by the strange need to create spiritual goals. This is a troublesome concept for us, because we believe that relationship with God us unique and often not quantifiable. For example, time in prayer or reaching out to hurting people in a one-on-one basis. How do churches have SMART goals without becoming wrapped up in number of people in a program instead of genuine spiritual growth?
I would appreciate any insight!
Thanks,
Kimber
That's a great question, but honestly, I wonder if you're over-thinking it. You can set a goal to increase baptisms, for example, and use SMART as your approach. Set a specific number, it will be measurable, make it attainable, it certainly helps your mission, and just make sure you give yourself time to reach the goal. Setting goals helps you be more intentional…it puts it in your schema, so that you're constantly thinking baptism (continuing with that example). Obviously God is in charge of results, but setting SMART goals allows you to be strategic in attaining what Christ has already commanded us to do.