Why SMART Goals Are Outdated: How the HEART Model Can Transform Your Team in 30 Days
Burnout, disengagement, and missed targets aren’t always about underperformance—they often stem from misaligned goal-setting. While SMART goals are useful, they don’t address the human side of achievement.
That’s why I teach teams to use HEART Goals—a modern framework that connects productivity with purpose. Here’s how it works—and how you can introduce it in your next team meeting.
What Are HEART Goals?
HEART stands for:
Holistic: Considers personal and professional context
Engaging: Inspires ownership and motivation
Aligned: Matches team, individual, and company values
Realistic: Achievable within bandwidth and resources
Task-Oriented: Clearly broken into next-step actions
Why It Works
HEART Goals help companies:
Increase retention by aligning goals with individual strengths
Foster clarity during periods of rapid change
Improve morale and psychological safety
How to Roll This Out in 30 Days
Week 1: Introduce the HEART Model
Host a 60-minute training session. Provide examples of SMART vs HEART goals.
Ex:
SMART: Increase email open rate by 10%
HEART: Design an email series that feels human, provides weekly value, and increases opens by 10%
Week 2: Co-Create Departmental HEART Goals
Let each team define 2–3 short-term HEART goals tied to current projects and team dynamics.
Week 3: 1-on-1 Alignment Conversations
Leaders meet with direct reports to set 1 HEART-aligned individual goal and check for capacity.
Week 4: Share Wins + Reflection
Hold a 15-minute team huddle to share wins, lessons, and how HEART goals changed the experience.
Your people want to contribute meaningfully—but the structure must support them. HEART Goals give your team a human-centered framework that works with reality—not against it.
Schedule a consultation to book Charlene for your HEART Goal training workshop to improve employee performance and work satisfaction.