Sara Brueck Nichols presented on SMART goals and measurement. She discussed introducing goals by being specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-based. Examples were provided of turning general goals into SMART goals. Measurement was discussed as driving strategy, with the importance of having a single, well-defined objective and benchmark. Key aspects of survey design like keeping it short, asking the right question, avoiding bias and answer types were covered. The presentation concluded with discussing evaluating measurement and taking action based on results.

1. SMART
SL County Health Dept
March 26, 2015
Sara Brueck Nichols

2. Introductions
• Who are you?
• Where are you from?
• What do you want out of class
today?

3. Expectations Gap

4. Reality?
Sara is the Director of Marketing Data Management at
Optum. She has spent 15 years working in digital
marketing for both B2B and B2C industries – including
technology, nonprofits, recruiting, motor sports and real
estate, with a specialization in marketing measurement
and data-driven marketing. Her career has focused on
measuring marketing’s impact on business, marketing
return on spend, customer satisfaction, website and
social marketing analysis and impact, and online-to-
offline conversion.
She was a founding board member of the Salt Lake
City chapter of the global Social Media Club
organization. Sara is also a part-time adjunct instructor
at the University of Utah’s Nonprofit Leadership
Academy, where she teaches courses on marketing
message development and marketing measurement.
She has a degree in Public Relations from Brigham
Young University and resides in South Jordan.

5. Or Reality?
Sara has a full-time career, a husband and 3
small children. She spends mornings chasing
down lost reading logs, tying shoes and
trying to convince the little people that
breakfast is not optional.
She spends days on the phone managing
complex data migrations, analyzing
marketing data and managing a to do list that
never seems to shrink. She spends evenings
managing homework, homemade meals and
homegrown disasters, which usually involve
trying to keep the toddler from breaking his
neck with his “have stool, will travel”
philosophy.
She spends rare alone moments locked in
the bathroom with the Harvard Business
Review and escapist novels, and she runs to
burn off the crazy.

6. SMART
• SMART Goals
• SMART Measurement
• SMART Action
• SMART Outcomes

8. No fancy measurement system will demonstrate results
if programs and activities are not designed to produce
them. Measurement drives strategy, not the other
way around.
Through this frame, you use measurement to define
success in precise, measurable terms in the formative
phases of their work and to develop a clear and shared
vision of your destination.
Your definition of success guides all strategic decision-
making, helps you make smart program investments
and divestments, and states from the get-go how you
will measure and communicate progress.

11. Specific
What is the desired
result?

12. Your Turn
• How does this goal become specific?
Improve health Lose weightImprove health
Improve access to public health programs

13. Measureable
How do you measure
progress?
How do you
quantify
completion?

14. Your Turn
• How does this goal become measurable?
Lose weight Lose 15 poundsLose weight
Improve access to public health programs

15. Actionable
Is there a clear
pathway?

16. Your Turn
• How does this goal become actionable?
Lose 15 pounds Lose 15 pounds by
exercising 7 days a
week
Lose 15 pounds
Improve access to public health programs

17. Realistic
Is it challenging, yet attainable?

18. Your Turn
• How does this goal become realistic?
Lose 15 pounds by
exercising 7 days a
week
Lose 15 pounds by
exercising 3 days a
week
Lose 15 pounds by
exercising 7 days a
week
Improve access to public health programs

19. Time-Based

20. Your Turn
• How does this goal become time-based?
Lose 15 pounds by
exercising 3 days a
week
Lose 15 pounds by
exercising 3 days a
week by July ‘15
Lose 15 pounds by
exercising 3 days a
week
Improve access to public health programs

21. SMART = Measurable Action
• Clear path forward
• Clear way to measure
• Clarity around immediate and long-term
next steps
• Easy to continue to build on
Improve health Lose 15 pounds by
exercising 3 days a week by
July ‘15

22. Application:30 minutes

24. What you measure,
you manage
what you manage,
you achieve.

25. What you measure, you achieve.

26. Determining Measurement
• Is it credible?
• Is it feasible?
• Is it valuable?

28. Single, well-defined
objective (SMART Goal)

29. Benchmark

30. Keep it short

31. Design for easy measurement &
analysis; make it clear

32. the right question

33. 1 thing per question

34. Avoid bias

35. Order & logic matter

36. Test. Set expectations.

37. Ask the right
people

38. Be strategic

39. Answer types
• Multiple choice, single answer (radio button)
When designing a survey, don’t forget to:
o Test it
o Use always and never as answer options
o Give more than 5 answers
• Multiple answer, multiple answer (check box)
When designing a survey, you should (check all that
apply):
Set expectations up front
Ask more than one thing per question for efficiency
Avoid biasing the response
Ask the questions in random order

40. Answer types
• Likert (numeric)
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = complex; 5 = simple), how
easy is designing a survey for you?
1 2 3 4 5
• Likert (labels)
Open-ended questions should be used:
Rarely Sometimes Almost Always
• Free-text, open-ended
What one thing would make it easier for you to design a
survey?

41. Evaluate
• How many times did you visit a doctor in 2014?
• How many times did you visit a doctor in 2014?
– 1 time
– 2 times
– 3 times
• How many times did you visit a doctor in 2014?
– None
– 1-2 times
– 3-5 times
– More than 5 times

42. Evaluate
• Please tell us about your experience today:
Please rate your experience today:
Strongly
Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
I was addressed promptly today
I was treated with respect
It was easy to accomplish what I
came to do
I am satisfied with my experience

43. Evaluate
• The internship program was well-run and should
be continued
– True
– False
• Using a scale of 1 to 5 (1=poor and 5=excellent),
please rate your internship experience:
1 2 3 4 5

44. Evaluate
• Please select your annual household income:
– $0 to $25,000
– $25,000 to $50,000
– $50,000 to $75,000
– $75,000 or more
• Please select your annual household income:
– $0 to $24,999
– $25,000 to $49,999
– $50,000 to $74,999
– $75,000 or more

45. Touchpoints: Audience

46. Action
• Measurement need
• SMART Goal
• Evaluate:
– Credible?
– Feasible?
– Valuable?
• Audience
• Design
• Execution

47. Application: 30 minutes

49. SMART Action
• Follow up: Share, tie actions to inputs, be
transparent
• Act on input: Let measurement data guide
you as you to refine your goal, chart your
next course of action and move forward

50. Sara Brueck Nichols
http://linkedin.com/in/arabruecknichols
What actions do you need
to take to act on your
measurement plan &
results?
Short term (0-60 days)
Mid term (2-6 months)
Long term (6-18 months)