SMART Goals and Training Patterns in CES Development
This paper presents a SMART goal framework for a proposed employee training program at three Caribbean Express Shipping (CES) franchise locations in Palm Beach, Florida. Drawing on Moskowitz (2008), it applies the Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Role-Related, and Time-Bound criteria to damage-prevention training for packaging and handling staff. The paper also reviews Sarwar, Azhar, and Akhtar's (2011) study on how structured versus unstructured training patterns shape employees' social relations and workplace networks. The author concludes by connecting these findings to the ADDIE instructional design model, arguing that social relationships within an organization will inevitably influence training design and delivery outcomes.
- Introduction to SMART Goals in Training: Defines SMART goals and introduces CES context
- SMART Goal Framework for CES Training: Applies each SMART criterion to CES training
- Article Review: Training Patterns and Employee Social Relations: Summarizes Sarwar et al. study on training and social networks
- Structured vs. Unstructured Training and Social Networks: Contrasts structured and unstructured training effects
- Conclusion: Social Relationships and ADDIE: Links social relationships to ADDIE model design
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What makes this paper effective
- Applies a clearly defined framework (SMART) directly to a concrete, scenario-based training proposal, making abstract criteria tangible and practical.
- Integrates an external peer-reviewed article review that complements the SMART goal discussion, demonstrating the ability to synthesize multiple sources around a single topic.
- Closes with an original assertion connecting the reviewed research back to the ADDIE model, showing independent critical thinking rather than simple summary.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied framework analysis — taking a well-known academic model (SMART goals) and systematically mapping each criterion to a real-world training context. This technique requires the writer to move beyond definition and show exactly how each component functions in practice, which is a core skill in instructional design and training development coursework.
Structure breakdown
The paper is divided into two distinct but related sections: a SMART goal proposal for the CES training scenario, and a critical article review. Each section is grounded in a separate source. The SMART goal section proceeds criterion by criterion, while the article review summarizes findings, compares training patterns, and ends with the author's own synthesis. Together, the sections form a cohesive argument about best practices in employee training design.
Introduction to SMART Goals in Training
According to Moskowitz (2008, p. 44), SMART goals are clear and concise and therefore more likely to be understood and acted upon. This principle forms the foundation for the training proposal developed for three Caribbean Express Shipping (CES) franchise store locations in the Palm Beach, Florida area. CES is a faux company used for instructional design purposes. The training proposal applies each component of the SMART goal framework to the specific operational challenges facing CES employees who package and handle shipments.
SMART Goal Framework for CES Training
A SMART goal, according to Moskowitz (2008) — an instructor who teaches training and development in a business and management program and founder of Training Q and A Consulting — is defined in A Practical Guide to Training and Development: Assess, Design, Deliver, and Evaluate as meeting five criteria:
In regard to being specific, the instructional designers plan to train all employees currently packaging items and handling packages across the three CES locations. For the goal to be measurable, trainers will routinely review damage-prevention training sign-in sheets to determine whether each employee attends the designated sessions. To be attainable and motivate behavior, the instructional designers will ensure that all goals are realistic and serve clearly defined purposes.
Role-related goals will be designed to help employees who package and handle items improve in those specific areas, while also enabling them to better critique their own performance. Finally, the proposed training will be time-bound, aligned with the CES schedule and with the evident need to begin training as soon as possible in order to counter current challenges to the reputation for quality that CES strives to maintain.
Article Review: Training Patterns and Employee Social Relations
Understanding the correlation between training models and relationship networks within an organization can offer insight into both the positive and negative ways that particular training patterns affect employees. In the study "Impact of Training Patterns upon the Social Relations of Employees," Sarwar of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan; Azhar of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur; and Akhtar (2011) of the University of Greenwich, UK, investigate how the diverse training patterns an organization practices affect the social relations of its employees. The literature-based study explored training-related concepts including training models, patterns, and methods, and addressed components such as learning, organizational relationships, and social networks.
Conclusion: Social Relationships and ADDIE
In addition to the points Sarwar, Azhar, and Akhtar present in their study, the author asserts that because social relationships affect training, these relationships will therefore also influence the ADDIE instructional design model. Organizations and instructional designers must therefore account for existing social dynamics when assessing, designing, delivering, and evaluating training programs, as these dynamics shape how effectively employees engage with and benefit from any training initiative.
References
Moskowitz, M. (2008). A practical guide to training and development: Assess, design, deliver, and evaluate. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons.
Sarwar, S., Azhar, M. S., & Akhtar, N. (2011). Impact of training patterns upon the social relations of employees (A meta analysis). Journal of Management Research, 3(2), E4.
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