Start >Setting Objectives >SMART objectives

When setting the objectives with the mentee it is also important to check that they have been developed using the SMART principles. SMART objectives provide additional guidance for the mentor in ensuring that the objectives benefit the mentee by pinpointing the goals accurately.

OBJECTIVES

	pecific
	clearly identifies the task which needs to be achieved by the mentee
	easurable
	a method of identifying how the level of success needs to be established
	greed chievable
	it is essential that the mentor and mentee are aware of the goals to be achieved. It is also important that the mentee takes ownership of the objectives as it is his/her development.
	ealistic
	need to check that the goals are not set too high or too low. Need also to ensure that there are the relevant resources available to undertake them. If these aspects are not correctly dealt with it will result in the mentee being de-motivated and the whole mentoring process will become ineffective.
	imebound
	there needs to be a time limit on objectives otherwise there will be no urgency and can leave them open to misunderstanding/misinterpretation of when they should be achieved.