Do you use SMART Goals?

General discussion about learning languages

Do you use SMART Goals?

Specific – target a specific area for improvement.
9
21%
Measurable – quantify an indicator of progress.
6
14%
Assignable – specify who will do it.
3
7%
Realistic – state realistic result.
6
14%
Time-related – specify when result can be achieved.
7
17%
Goals shmoals
11
26%
 
Total votes: 42

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luke
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Do you use SMART Goals?

Postby luke » Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:19 pm

Acronym loving goal setters may love SMART goals.

Even if you don't like goals or SMART goals, you may be using some piece of these anyway.

Sometimes employers like to throw this sort of thing at you, but sometimes you put it on yourself:

Specific – target a specific area for improvement.
Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.
Assignable – specify who will do it.
Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.
Time-related – specify when the result(s) can be achieved.

Not sure how Assignable will apply to language learners, unless it's something your partner or someone has assigned you ;)

The poll lets you chose up to 5.
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Le Baron
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Re: Do you use SMART Goals?

Postby Le Baron » Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:47 pm

In the 'updated' version assignable is achievable; since in the case of a language learner we already know who is assigned with the job of learning. Yet to me this has so much overlap with 'realistic' and 'time' that the whole thing seems to me like late '70s management gobbledegook for the sake of an acronym - which is actually what it is.

Yes, I chose 'specific', because at the most I will look to see what might need improvement, then make a note about it (so I can start next month, after the holidays). So that at least is one thing. I chose another one too...but which? ;)

The very worst development of projecting management culture onto general society (and the structure of the modern economy as reflecting the whole of 'society', rather than it being one subordinated aspect) has turned people in target-setters and management consultants and accountants and statisticians of daily life. It also robs culture of things, repackages them and sells them back to you as 'systems' like the above. After all sitting down to 'take stock' is not really all that magical, everyone does it. Some do it better, fair enough, but to have it appropriated as some sort of mechanical managerial therapy is abominable really.
3 x

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Re: Do you use SMART Goals?

Postby AllSubNoDub » Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:52 pm

My definition of assignable might be picking resources.

All right, who's got this one? TY? Hugo's? Pimsleur, sit down, you've already had your turn.
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Re: Do you use SMART Goals?

Postby Monty » Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:56 pm

Absolutely not.

I have enough of such HR crap at work. Don't need this in my language learning as well.
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Re: Do you use SMART Goals?

Postby gsbod » Tue Oct 26, 2021 6:24 pm

As far as language learning goes, goals shmoals.

SMART goals are for the day job - they help me justify why people should pay me (and I'm very much in favour of getting paid), but I wouldn't let them anywhere near my hopes, dreams and hobbies.
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Le Baron
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Re: Do you use SMART Goals?

Postby Le Baron » Tue Oct 26, 2021 6:54 pm

I'm starting to like this thread.
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luke
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Re: Do you use SMART Goals?

Postby luke » Tue Oct 26, 2021 6:56 pm

Le Baron wrote:In the 'updated' version assignable is achievable; since in the case of a language learner we already know who is assigned with the job of learning.

The very worst development of projecting management culture onto general society (and the structure of the modern economy as reflecting the whole of 'society', rather than it being one subordinated aspect) has turned people in target-setters and management consultants and accountants and statisticians of daily life. It also robs culture of things, repackages them and sells them back to you as 'systems' like the above. After all sitting down to 'take stock' is not really all that magical, everyone does it. Some do it better, fair enough, but to have it appropriated as some sort of mechanical managerial therapy is abominable really.

Two breaths of fresh air.

Yeah, Achievable and Relevant would be better than what I quoted from Wikipedia.

But assignable does go well with your lament that, all in all you're just a 'nother brick in the wall.

I guess I could revise the poll while it's still young, but we'll let it ride.

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Re: Do you use SMART Goals?

Postby Steve » Tue Oct 26, 2021 8:33 pm

Effort x Method = Results You get to choose which two to define. Choose wisely. ;) (Insert image of old knight in the holy grail Indiana Jones movie.)

My goals are now more related to setting the effort and making a judicious selection of method. E.g. I'm going to do 30 minutes of extensive reading in language X at bed time. I used to do things like deciding I would read X number of pages per day or over the next month. The net result was usually my daily time started skyrocketing or I started rushing and being more worried about quantity of pages read rather than the quality of my reading.

My observation is that much of SMART goal setting for many people seems to end up being choosing the method and the results and then letting effort tend toward infinity as needed.
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