If you’ve ever been in a business meeting, read a self-help book, or taken a management course, chances are you’ve heard of SMART goals. The acronym has become a universal shorthand for setting goals that are clear, trackable, and achievable.
But who actually came up with SMART goals? And how did this idea spread from a single article to nearly every corner of business, education, and personal development?
The First Appearance: George T. Doran (1981)
The first known use of the SMART acronym came from George T. Doran, a consultant and former director of corporate planning for Washington Water Power Company. In November 1981, Doran published an article in Management Review titled “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives.”
In that article, he introduced SMART as a practical framework for managers. His breakdown looked like this:
S – Specific: target a clear area for improvement
M – Measurable: define indicators of progress
A – Assignable: designate who is responsible
R – Realistic: ensure the goal is attainable with resources at hand
T – Time-related: set a timeline for completion
Doran’s purpose wasn’t to coin a timeless productivity buzzword. He was writing for managers who needed straightforward guidance on how to set goals that could actually be executed. But the simplicity and clarity of the acronym made it memorable, and it spread quickly.
How the Acronym Evolved
Over the years, the letters in SMART have been reinterpreted. Today, you’re more likely to see A defined as Achievable or Attainable instead of Assignable. R often means Relevant rather than Realistic, which ties goals more directly to broader organizational or personal objectives. T has been refined to Time-bound instead of Time-related, giving it a sharper emphasis on deadlines.
These changes made SMART flexible and applicable far beyond corporate management. Teachers, coaches, HR professionals, entrepreneurs, and students now use it regularly. Its adaptability is one reason the framework has lasted more than four decades.
The Intellectual Roots
SMART did not appear out of nowhere. It was built on earlier management and psychology theories. In 1954, Peter Drucker introduced the concept of Management by Objectives, which emphasized clarity and alignment in organizational goal-setting.
In the late 1960s, psychologist Edwin Locke developed Goal-Setting Theory, which demonstrated that clear and challenging goals improve performance. Later research with Gary Latham expanded this work and showed that clarity, difficulty, feedback, and commitment all play roles in successful goal achievement.
Doran’s SMART framework distilled these ideas into a simple and memorable checklist. By linking management theory with an easy-to-apply tool, he bridged the gap between research and practice.
Final Thoughts
Even though others helped spread SMART and earlier theories set the stage, Doran deserves credit as the creator. Without his contribution, the letters might never have been strung together into such a practical and lasting format.
SMART goals remain popular because they work. Whether you’re managing a corporate team, planning a fitness routine, or setting personal resolutions, the framework forces clarity.
What started as a tool for corporate planners has become one of the most widely applied frameworks in productivity and personal growth. And it all traces back to George T. Doran’s short article in 1981 that turned five simple letters into a lasting guide for success.
