Ever felt like your organisation’s training goals are too broad to tackle?
Budgets are getting tight and you need to complete training on multiple topics. You might work for an organisation that has companies operating in multiple sectors.
You’ve got the challenge of custom courses and off the shelf courses? They might be the solutions, but only if your goals are SMART. Is your team ready? Are you ready?
Why does this matter? Well, because:
- 90% of high performers thrive with clear goals (Locke and Latham).
- Elearning with measurable goals improves completion rates by 15% (Brandon Hall Group).
- Relevant training boosts information retention by 45% (eLearning Industry).
- Time-bound goals lead to a 24% faster course completion (Docebo).
SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) help you align training needs with organisational objectives while making the most of your budget.
In this latest insight we’ll look at this proven framework and how it can transform off-the-shelf-courses into a strategic advantage.
Specific Goals for Targeted Learning
Broad goals like “improving skills” just won’t deliver the results that you need Instead, you need to look into specifics:
- “We need a cybersecurity course to train all employees in phishing awareness.”
Off-the-shelf-courses excel here because they focus on universal topics—just pick the one that fits your needs.
Scott Hewitt asks: Are your training projects stalling because you don’t have a clear strategic plan? SMART Goals can break this cycle, helping you move from planning to action and keeping projects on track.
Projects fail because you don’t have a strategic plan in place and you are moving from one idea to another. It is easy to be distracted from the latest piece of technology or what you’ve heard from a colleague but you need to be working from a plan.
Measurable Progress for Visible Impact
How will you know the training worked? Set measurable targets:
- “Complete the cybersecurity course by all staff within 30 days, aiming for a 90% quiz pass rate.”
Tracking progress through your LMS ensures results aren’t just theoretical—they’re quantifiable. People are quick to dismiss tracking and set up metrics, but if you start measuring and reviewing data you’ll quickly start to get an insight, even at the basic level.
Achievable Goals for Practical Rollout
Off-the-shelf courses let you scale training easily without the long lead times of custom development. Break goals into steps:
- “Roll out three courses per month to reach 500 employees by the quarter’s end.”
Scott Hewitt reflects: In our localisation project, SMART Goals have transformed how many off-the-shelf courses we deliver each month. They’ve also expanded the number of reviewers actively participating, showing how these goals enhance both efficiency and collaboration.
Relevant Training for Organisational Growth
SMART goals ensure your training aligns with business priorities:
- “Focus on productivity and remote working skills to support our hybrid model.”
With a range of ready-made options, you can select content tailored to today’s challenges.
Time-Bound Objectives for Efficient Deployment
Deadlines matter. Off-the-shelf courses are perfect for time-sensitive training needs:
- “Launch health and safety training this week to meet compliance deadlines.”
Because these courses are pre-built, they’re ready to upload and deploy in minutes.
Scott Hewitt asks: How can you bring stakeholders together to align efforts and expectations? SMART Goals provide a framework that ensures everyone is on the same page, significantly increasing the likelihood of completing projects on time.
Strategic View
Off-the-shelf Elearning courses, paired with SMART goals, make a powerful combination. They’re:
- Cost-effective: No need to spend heavily on custom development. Off-the-shelf courses help you plan and manage budgets.
- Scalable: Train large teams quickly with minimal resources.
- Expert-led: Built on up-to-date knowledge and best practices.
- Diverse: Cover a wide range of essential topics like cybersecurity, productivity, and teamwork.
So, whether you’re onboarding new employees or addressing compliance gaps, combining SMART goals with off-the-shelf-courses ensures every course has a clear purpose and measurable impact.
What training goals could you transform with a SMART approach today?
Q&A
- How do SMART objectives make the lesson more focused?
SMART objectives break lessons into clear, actionable steps, helping both trainers and participants know exactly what to achieve. This focus ensures lessons align with specific goals, track progress, and deliver results that matter. - What are SMART goals for learning and development?
SMART goals for L&D are objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. They guide the design and delivery of training programmes to ensure they meet organisational needs, enhance skills, and improve outcomes. - What are the SMART objectives in lesson planning?
SMART objectives in lesson planning define clear outcomes for what participants should learn. For example: “By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to identify three phishing tactics with 90% accuracy in a quiz.”
