Why Agile Teams Might Prefer a New Way to Set Actions

Most of us know SMART goals — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

They’re tidy, practical, and great for certain environments. But if you’ve ever worked in an Agile team, you might’ve noticed that SMART doesn’t always feel… well, agile.

Let’s be honest —

• Relevant? Isn’t that the minimum requirement for anything we do?

• Achievable? Sure. But in Agile we prefer to try, inspect, and adapt, not limit ourselves to the mundanely “achievable.” Why not experiment?
  (And yes, both of those probably made it in there just to complete the acronym 😉)

So we tried something new. Something with a bit more flow.

Meet SMOOTH

A framework that fits Agile mindsets like a post-it on a whiteboard.

It’s not just goal-setting — it’s action-guiding.

S – Specific
👉 Clear, focused, and not fluffy. Everyone knows what we mean.

M – Measurable
📏 There’s a visible outcome or signal that says “we did it.”

O – On Us
🧠 It’s something we control, not dependent on faraway forces or “someone else.”

O – Owner (Named!)
🙋 Not “the team will” — but “Dana will.” Ownership brings clarity.

T – Timeboxed
⏳ We give it a boundary. Not forever. Not “eventually.” Agile loves timeboxes.

H – Has an H
😄 That’s the wildcard.

It might be Human, Hopeful, Helpful, or Hilarious.
Either way, it reminds us that we’re not machines.

Why It Works for Agile

• SMOOTH is action-oriented, not closed-boxed
• It works naturally in retrospectives, dailies, and team agreements.
• It encourages accountability without becoming rigid.
• And honestly? It just feels better.

Because at the end of the day, Agile isn’t about checking boxes.
It’s about learning, adapting, and doing it all a little more smoothly.

Want to try SMOOTH in your next retro?
Start with one team action and see how it flows.
(And yes — you can make it colorful and stick it on the wall.)

We’d love to hear how it works for you!