S.W.O.T & Smart targets

SMART

• 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.

SWOT

• Strengths: characteristics of the business or project that give it an advantage over others
• Weaknesses: are characteristics that place the team at a disadvantage relative to others
• Opportunities: elements that the project could exploit to its advantage
• Threats: elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project

S.M.A.R.T is a proven and successful way to plan a way to achieve a goal or objective. It is a good way to understand the process of making productive decisions with your work or area of expertise. I would use it to perhaps increase my work rate or to see where I am missing vital steps. It is also a good way to keep your time keeping in check. For example, by planning the way you work you get to see an entire workflow and can manage it easier. This way you can easily determine whether a target is achievable or too ambitious. 

S.W.O.T is a method used to self evaluate yourself. It is more of a personal way to identify where you could improve as well as seeing where your strengths lie. By identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats you can then use that information to better yourself. Rather than just using other peoples criticisms, it is important to know that only you know where your true strengths and passions lie, as well as where your weaknesses are. By getting these things out in the open to yourself you can find that you will work much more efficiently then if you had just kept all of these points in the dark to yourself.