Developing SMART Goals and Individual Plans

1.

Astana IT University
School of General Education Disciplines
Academic Writing course
Week 1 Seminar 2
Developing SMART Goals and
Individual Plans

2.

Warm-up activity
What is an effective highperformance team?

3.

What are some of the most common challenges you’ve
had working in teams? Please reflect for a moment. Can
you continue the list with at least 3 ideas?
• members who don’t show up for meetings or who don’t show up prepared
• members who dominate the conversation
• members who don’t participate in the conversation
time wasted by off-task talk
…
…
...

4.

A common way to promote more constructive and productive teamwork is to have the
teams create a set of guidelines for the group, sometimes called group norms.
Take a minute and list some things (attitudes, behaviors, and so on) that you have found
or think that would help a group be more effective. Then compare your list with your small
group members.
Work in your group and add at least 3 more to the list of Group Norms:
1. EVERY member is responsible for the team’s progress and success.
2. Attend all team meetings and be on time.
3. Come prepared.
4. Carry out assignments on schedule.
5. Listen to and show respect for the contributions of other members; be an active
listener.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

5.

Learning Objective: writing the project goals
utilizing specific, measurable, achievable,
relevant, time bound method

6. What Are SMART Goals?

7.

1. What does the 'Specific' criterion in SMART goals require?
A. Setting a deadline for the goal
B. Clearly defining the goal
C. Ensuring the goal is realistic
D.Tracking progress towards the goal

8.

2. Why is it important for a goal to be 'Measurable'?
A. To make sure the goal is challenging
B. To align the goal with your project
C. To track progress and success
D.To set realistic expectations

9.

3. Which of the following best describes an 'Achievable' goal?
A. A goal that matches your time and tools available
B. A goal that is broad and flexible
C. A goal that has a strict deadline
D.A goal that is unrelated to the project

10.

4. How should a 'Relevant' goal relate to your research project?
A. Be easy to accomplish
B. Include many different topics
C. Have no deadlines
D. Support the main research question

11.

5. What is the purpose of the 'Time-bound' element in SMART
goals?
A. To make goals more flexible
B. To improve the quality of work
C. To set deadlines for completion
D. To increase the difficulty of tasks

12.

6. Why should you avoid overambitious targets when setting
Achievable goals?
A. Because they are easier to meet
B. Because they require less planning
C. Because they are always irrelevant
D. Because they can cause stress and failure

13.

7. What is a recommended practice to stay on track with SMART
goals?
A. Keeping a research journal or log
B. Ignoring feedback from others
C. Working without breaks
D. Avoiding goal reviews

14.

8. What is the benefit of breaking complex tasks into smaller steps
under Achievable goals?
A. It makes the goal more vague
B. It makes the goal more manageable
C. It removes deadlines
D. It reduces the importance of the goal

15.

9. How does regularly reviewing your goals help your research
project?
A. It delays task completion
B. It increases distractions
C. It keeps progress on track
D. It removes the need for deadlines

16. SMART goal task

Instructions:
Discuss your project’s SMART goals within your small groups and complete
all sections of the SMART Goals Worksheet with details specific to your
project.
Be sure to download the worksheet file before entering any information.
You may also need to refer to the course syllabus while completing this
task.
Groups will have the opportunity to present their goals during this session.
Note: Your goals may be revised or updated as your project develops.
Time limit: 10 minutes

17. Individual Plan

Individual Plan
Individual Plan is document where you can distribute the load among
your team-mates and set the deadlines. Please download before you
insert your information. You will also need to change the information
for your own.
You will not be assessed on SMART Goals
because they are aimed at better organizing and successfully
completing your group project.

18. References:

Lawlor, K. B., & Hornyak, M. J. (2012). Smart Goals: How the Application of
Smart Goals Can Contribute to Achievement of Student Learning Outcomes.
Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 39, 259260.
www.englishforacademicstudy.com
https://www.englishforacademicstudy.com/edition2012/sampleunits.php

19. Thank You! 

Thank You!