I know that plans and strategies can only go so far and that you can plan all day long. If there is no action or implementation, then all of that planning goes to waste. I’ve even heard leaders use this as an excuse not to plan in the first place.
Yet, isn’t it the leader’s responsibility to ensure that action and implementation occur? How are people held accountable? Why let everyone off the hook by not creating a plan to help hold them accountable and empower them to align and deliver success?
Action Plans
Action Plans lay out the work that actually needs to be done in order to achieve the Objectives of the organization’s plan. They answer the question:
What is the work to be done?
In the One Page Business Plan®, they are short, succinct and easy to understand, while also having a completion date. You may be asking “how is this different from an Objective?” An Objective measures business results. An Action Plan is task oriented.
In other words, an Objective may have numerous Action Plans associated with it. Let’s look at this further.
For example:
Other examples of Action Plans for a project would include:
Launch the new product marketing and social media plan by March 10, 2017.
There’s no $ to measure and nothing to count, but you may know how many milestones need to be met in order to complete the Action Plan.
Of course there are always the templates as well! Here’s an example:
Look at some of your Objectives and determine the projects or programs that need to be implemented in order to succeed. Those are your Action Plans.
If you are ready to ‘dive all in’ and really take your plan seriously, of course buy the workbook here. You can also send me an email at lzettler@coreimpactcoaching.com to inquire about private planning sessions or sessions for your team.
Look for the post next week about finding your North Star!
Check out our video workshop here.
Related posts:
How is a business like a wedding?
You can’t track what you can’t measure.