The best examples of SMART goals for change management: 3 practical examples that actually work

3 practical examples of SMART goals for change management

Let’s start where most articles finish: with real examples. These three practical examples of SMART goals for change management are written the way you’d actually use them in a coaching session or project plan.

Each one follows the SMART structure:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Then we’ll layer in more examples so you can see patterns and steal what works.

Example 1: Improving communication during a major change

Scenario: Your company is rolling out a new digital tool. Last time you changed systems, people were confused, resentful, and productivity dropped. This time, you want better communication and smoother adoption.

SMART goal:

“By June 30, increase employee understanding of the new digital tool from an estimated baseline of 40% to at least 80%, as measured by a short internal survey and a 5-question knowledge quiz, by sending weekly update emails, hosting three live Q&A sessions, and publishing a simple FAQ page.”

Why this is a strong example of a SMART goal for change management

• Specific: It focuses on employee understanding of one change: the new digital tool.
• Measurable: Uses a survey and quiz to track understanding (40% → 80%).
• Achievable: Weekly emails, three Q&As, and an FAQ are realistic tactics.
• Relevant: Directly supports adoption of the tool, not just “better communication” in general.
• Time-bound: Clear deadline: June 30.

How to make it even more practical

You might add sub-goals, like:

• “At least 70% of staff will attend at least one Q&A session by June 15.”
• “FAQ page will be visited by 90% of employees at least once by June 30, tracked via internal analytics.”

These extra details turn this into one of the best examples of SMART goals for change management in a communication-heavy project: you’re not just sending information, you’re measuring whether people get it.

Example 2: Increasing adoption of a new process

Scenario: Your team is moving from ad-hoc project tracking to a standardized project management tool. Right now, only a handful of people use it consistently. You want the whole team on board.

SMART goal:

“By September 1, increase active weekly use of the new project management tool from 25% of team members to 85%, measured by system usage reports, by providing two 60-minute training sessions, assigning a ‘tool champion’ in each department, and sending biweekly tips for the first 8 weeks.”

Why this is a strong example of SMART goals for change management

• It uses hard data (system usage reports) instead of vague impressions.
• It sets a clear target (25% → 85%).
• It specifies how you’ll support the change (training, champions, tips).
• It has a deadline (September 1).

This is a classic example of SMART goals for change management when you’re trying to shift behavior from old habits to new systems.

To make it even more grounded, you could align it with what we know about behavior change. For instance, research on habit formation and behavior change (see resources like the National Institutes of Health) suggests that small, consistent prompts and social support make new behaviors more likely to stick. Your “tool champions” and biweekly tips are doing exactly that.

Example 3: Reducing resistance to change

Scenario: You’re leading a reorganization. People are anxious. Rumors are spreading. You want to reduce resistance and increase constructive feedback.

SMART goal:

“Within 90 days, reduce reported ‘high resistance to the reorganization’ from 45% of employees to 20%, as measured by an anonymous pulse survey, by holding four listening sessions, creating a monthly ‘Ask Leadership’ forum, and publishing a summary of key decisions and rationales after each leadership meeting.”

Why this is one of the most practical examples of SMART goals for change management

• It targets resistance, which is often ignored or hand-waved.
• It uses pulse surveys (short, frequent surveys) to track sentiment.
• It includes specific actions that build transparency and trust.
• It gives you a clear before and after measure (45% → 20%).

If you’re coaching leaders, this kind of SMART goal helps them move from “I hope people get on board” to “Here’s how we’ll know if resistance is dropping.”

More real examples of SMART goals for change management you can copy

Now that you’ve seen three practical examples, let’s expand. Below are more real examples of SMART goals for change management in different contexts: leadership behavior, culture, hybrid work, and personal change.

You can mix and match pieces from these to build your own.

Leadership behavior change during transformation

Scenario: Senior leaders say they support the change, but employees rarely see that support. You want leaders to be more visible and aligned.

SMART goal (leadership visibility):

“By December 31, each executive team member will host at least one 30-minute open forum per month about the transformation, achieving an average employee satisfaction score of 4.2/5 or higher on ‘leadership transparency about change,’ as measured by quarterly engagement surveys.”

Why this works as an example of SMART goals for change management:

• It spells out what leaders will do (monthly open forums).
• It defines how success is measured (satisfaction score of 4.2/5).
• It connects directly to transparency, a known driver of engagement during change (supported by research from organizations like Gallup).

You could further support this with coaching goals for each leader, such as:

“By the end of Q2, each executive will share at least one personal story in a town hall about how the change affects their own work, to model openness and vulnerability.”

These are subtle but powerful examples of SMART goals that shift leadership behavior, not just systems.

Culture and psychological safety during change

Change fails fast in cultures where people are afraid to speak up. Psychological safety—people feeling safe to ask questions, admit mistakes, and raise concerns—is strongly linked to better learning and performance. Amy Edmondson’s work at Harvard Business School has documented this connection over decades (Harvard resource).

Scenario: You want people to speak up about risks and issues during a big transformation instead of hiding problems.

SMART goal (psychological safety):

“Within 6 months, increase the percentage of employees who respond ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ to the statement ‘I feel safe speaking up about problems related to this change’ from 52% to 75%, as measured by the semiannual engagement survey, by training all managers in active listening, adding a standing ‘risks and lessons learned’ section to weekly team meetings, and creating an anonymous online suggestion form.”

This is one of the best examples of smart goals for change management when you want to shift culture, because it:

• Names a specific cultural outcome (feeling safe speaking up).
• Uses survey data as the measurement.
• Connects to concrete behaviors (manager training, meeting structure, suggestion form).
• Fits within a realistic 6-month window.

Hybrid work and new ways of working

Since 2020, hybrid and remote work have turned “how we work” into an ongoing change project. In 2024–2025, many organizations are still adjusting expectations around meetings, focus time, and flexibility.

Scenario: Your company is moving to a hybrid model and wants to reduce meeting overload while maintaining collaboration.

SMART goal (meetings and focus time):

“By March 31, reduce the average number of weekly meetings per employee from 18 to 12, while maintaining or improving collaboration scores (4.0/5 to 4.2/5) on the quarterly employee survey, by implementing ‘no-meeting Wednesday afternoons,’ requiring agendas for all meetings, and training managers on asynchronous collaboration tools.”

This is a strong example of a SMART goal for change management because it balances efficiency (fewer meetings) with collaboration quality (survey scores). You’re not just cutting meetings; you’re checking that teamwork doesn’t suffer.

You might pair it with a personal-level SMART goal for employees, such as:

“Within 60 days, each team member will block at least two 2-hour focus time slots per week on their calendar, with at least 80% of those blocks honored (not overridden by meetings), tracked by calendar analytics.”

Together, these become real examples of SMART goals for change management that support healthier, more sustainable work habits.

Personal change goals inside organizational change

Change management isn’t only about organizations; it’s also about how individuals adapt. As a coach, you might help someone set a SMART goal like this:

Scenario: A manager struggles to give timely feedback during a restructuring and tends to avoid difficult conversations.

SMART goal (manager feedback):

“Over the next 90 days, I will hold a 15-minute one-on-one check-in with each direct report every two weeks, achieving at least 90% completion of scheduled check-ins, and will ask for feedback on my communication using a simple 3-question form at the end of the period, aiming for an average rating of 4/5 or higher on ‘clarity about changes affecting me.’”

This is a powerful example of SMART goals for change management at the individual level because it:

• Sets a frequency (every two weeks).
• Sets a completion target (90% of check-ins happen).
• Includes a feedback loop (3-question form, 4/5 target).

These kinds of goals help managers grow alongside the change instead of feeling like they’re just enforcing it.

How to write your own SMART goals for change management (using these examples)

Now that you’ve seen multiple examples of SMART goals for change management: 3 practical examples plus several bonus scenarios, here’s a simple way to create your own.

Think of it as filling in five blanks:

1. Specific: “What exactly is changing, and for whom?”
2. Measurable: “How will we know if it worked?”
3. Achievable: “Is this realistic given our time, resources, and current baseline?”
4. Relevant: “How does this support the larger change or strategy?”
5. Time-bound: “By when will we see results?”

Start with something messy and vague, like:

“We want people to use the new system more and complain less.”

Then sharpen it using patterns from the examples we’ve covered:

“By December 15, increase weekly active use of the new system from 30% to 80% of staff, and reduce negative comments about the system in our monthly pulse survey from 40% to 15%, by offering two hands-on training sessions, assigning peer mentors, and creating a 24-hour response channel for system issues.”

Notice how this mirrors the earlier examples of SMART goals for change management:

• It names a baseline (30% usage, 40% negative comments).
• It sets targets (80% usage, 15% negative comments).
• It ties to actions (training, mentors, support channel).
• It has a date (December 15).

You can apply this same pattern to mindset shifts, process changes, technology rollouts, culture shifts—almost any change you’re trying to lead.

FAQ: examples of SMART goals for change management

What is a simple example of a SMART goal for change management in a small team?

A simple example of a SMART goal for a small team might be:

“Over the next 60 days, increase on-time completion of tasks in our shared task board from 65% to 90%, by doing a 10-minute daily stand-up and assigning a clear owner to every task, tracked weekly.”

This is a good starter goal because it’s easy to measure and directly improves how the team works during change.

What are some of the best examples of SMART goals for change management in 2024–2025?

Some of the best examples right now focus on hybrid work, mental well-being, and digital adoption. For instance:

“Within 6 months, reduce self-reported burnout from 38% to 25% on our well-being survey, by training all managers in recognizing burnout signs (using resources such as NIH), enforcing at least one meeting-free afternoon per week, and promoting our Employee Assistance Program in monthly newsletters.”

This kind of goal reflects current realities: high burnout, digital overload, and the need for healthier work norms.

How many SMART goals should I set for one change initiative?

Most successful change initiatives keep it lean. Instead of 20 vague objectives, choose 3–5 well-crafted SMART goals that cover:

• Adoption or behavior change
• Communication and understanding
• Culture or engagement
• Leadership behavior

Use the examples of SMART goals for change management in this guide as templates, then adjust the numbers and timelines to fit your context.

Can SMART goals work for personal change during an organizational transformation?

Absolutely. In fact, personal SMART goals are often where real change sticks. For example:

“For the next 8 weeks, I will spend 20 minutes every Friday reviewing how the organizational changes are affecting my workload and stress, and I will identify one boundary or request I can make each week to improve my balance, tracking my energy on a 1–10 scale.”

This personal example of a SMART goal for change management helps you stay intentional and resilient while everything around you shifts.

Change is messy. SMART goals don’t make it neat, but they do make it trackable, coachable, and adjustable. Use these examples of SMART goals for change management: 3 practical examples—and the additional scenarios we walked through—as a starting point. Then write goals that fit your people, your culture, and your reality.

That’s where change stops being a vague hope and starts becoming a measurable, manageable process.