Does your staff cringe when you talk about goals? Do your coworkers roll their eyes when you discuss your objectives for the coming year?

If this is the case in your organization, it may be time for a new way of thinking about your aims—one that is well established, motivating, and clear.

Try using the SMART framework to make your goal setting more effective. SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. This technique can add clarity, structure, and motivation to your organizational goals.

Specific: What do you want to accomplish? What actions should you take? Be detailed, use numbers, and define results.

Measurable: How will you know if you’re successful? How will you assess progress and know if you’re on track? Will you measure quality, quantity, or both? You might need to build a way to collect data so that you can measure your results.

Achievable: There’s no sense in setting a goal that’s so lofty that it’s unattainable. Your goal should be a stretch and a challenge, but defined and doable. Also, make sure you have the resources you need to achieve your goal.

Relevant: Each goal should matter. It should fit with and support other goals and move the organization forward. It should match your nonprofit’s current needs and future aspirations and be meaningful to your team.

Time Bound: When’s the deadline for accomplishing this goal? How long will it take? Are there intermediate steps that can be scheduled to encourage progress? A deadline keeps your work focused.

Using the SMART framework, your goalsetting exercises will result in a more realistic vision for your organization’s future and inspire your team to targeted action.