Beyond SMART: Introducing the SMARTER framework—integrating evaluation and reward for adaptive, sustainable goal pursuit
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https://doi.org/10.71350/30624533104Keywords:
Adaptive goal pursuit, neurocybernetic systems, evaluation-reward integration, VUCA environments, SMARTER frameworkAbstract
Contemporary goal-setting frameworks, such as Locke and Latham's SMART criteria, struggle in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments due to a neurocognitive misalignment. This is highlighted by fMRI and ERP studies showing a 1.3-second delay between evaluation and reward processing, which disrupts motivational pathways and leads to goal abandonment. To tackle this issue, we propose the SMARTER framework (System for Monitoring, Adaptation, and Real-Time Evaluation Reinforcement). This neurocybernetic model introduces continuous real-time (R) to reinforce (R) feedback loops within goal structures, with a key innovation being a biologically calibrated sub-500ms R→R latency threshold. This threshold, validated by EEG phase-locked theta oscillations and computational modeling, synchronizes dopaminergic reward prediction error signaling with anterior cingulate cortex error detection, effectively bridging the motivation-action gap. The framework’s λ-calibrated volatility adaptation mechanism dynamically adjusts goal parameters using reinforcement learning algorithms, ensuring neurocognitive alignment amid environmental turbulence. Implementation trials in healthcare, manufacturing, and technology sectors showed 22–41% improvements in goal pursuit metrics, linked to increased striatal engagement levels (from M=0.38μV to M=1.24μV, SD=0.17) during high-volatility periods. SMARTER is the first system to achieve closed-loop evaluation-reward integration at neurophysiological timescales, transforming goal pursuit into an adaptive process that leverages environmental volatility for resilience. This requires retraining leaders as neuro-architects and adopting ISO 9241-450-compliant neuro-adaptive performance systems. We call for cross-disciplinary validation in extreme environments and the adoption of neuro-adaptive KPIs by 2025, leveraging volatility as a catalyst for human achievement.
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