2023 is looming, so it’s time to consider your career goals. We know people with goals are much more likely to have career success. Ironically, research tells us only 8% of the workforce actually achieves the goals they set for themselves.
Community healthcare is filled with opportunities, but your approach affects your chance of success. Here’s how the SMART goals framework can help you have a better chance of achieving what you set out to do in the New Year.
What Are SMART Goals?
SMART goals are a framework to help you first set goals and, second, achieve them. SMART goals start with establishing goals that make them measurable and attainable. Part of the problem with not achieving career goals is that you pick the ones that are simply unattainable.
The SMART framework starts with the acronym itself. SMART stands for:
- Specific goals that spell out what you want to do and why. The goals must be clear and specific to help you stay focused and increase your chances of achieving them.
- Measurable goals will help you know that you’ve achieved them. Saying “I want to be promoted” is less effective than “by the end of first quarter, I want to do X job at X pay rate.” Then it must outline how you will reach this goal.
- Attainable goals are the only ones to set for yourself. How frustrating to set goals that are vague, unfocused, and unachievable. Set your career goals based on what you can realistically achieve within a certain time frame next year.
- Relevant goals are those that are connected to the team or department. How will your goal affect others? How can your team help you achieve the goal? If the goal is tied to both organizational and personal benefits, this fits within the SMART criteria.
- Time-bound goals are measured by when you expect to achieve them. Don’t set a date too far away—that deferred reward won’t get you through first quarter. Instead, give yourself one overarching career goal for 2023 and then break it out into measurable increments that are time-bound for each quarter next year—or whatever time-centric approach works for you.
Tips for Setting SMART Goals
Here’s a good example of how to set a SMART goal:
Daily Monthly Yearly
Every day I will see Each month, I This year I will
X to X number of will see X patients increase my practice
patients in my dental and achieve X volume by X% to bring
practice. revenue goal. in X revenue for the FQHC.
Daily Monthly Yearly
Every day I will respond Each month, I will track At the end of the year review,
to customer service patient/customer feedback I will share a positive track
issues from the past on resolved customer record of resolved customer
24-hours. service complaints. service issues. At that time, I
will ask for a 5% raise.
If your goal next year is to find a new job, the SMART approach is to talk with UHC Solutions. We have a proven track record of helping candidates find better career opportunities in the community health field. Call on us to find out how we can help you achieve your career goals in 2023.
