Objectives vs Goals

 Although the terms “goals” and “objectives” are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between them:

Goals

•General

•Intangible

•Broad

•Abstract

•Strategic—long-range direction, set by senior management

Objectives

•Specific

•Measurable

•Narrow

•Concrete

•Tactical—short-range, set by managers to support the accomplishment of goals

we set SMART Objectives:

S   Specific

M   Measurable

A   Achievable

R  Realistic

T   Time-oriented

Specific objectives are:

•Concrete

•Detailed

•Focused

•Well-defined

•Straightforward

•Action-oriented