The Problem:

It’s October and you’ve just had your annual planning kick-off meeting. Team members are pumped up about the direction in which the company is going. They’re jazzed about their roles in the company’s future success. There is a feeling of can-do in the air.

But now it’s June and the first half of the year is almost over. Missed deadlines and bottlenecks have slowed progress toward company goals. Unless something changes, the odds are the company will fall far short of meeting critical revenue, profit, and other critical objectives. At this point, frustration can set in, or worse yet, team members resign themselves to accepting less than stellar results.

But there is a way to resurrect one’s goals and make a great second effort towards getting the best possible outcomes without resorting to extreme measures.

The Fix

Action plans are a set of agreed-upon activities you can use to achieve objectives in your business plan. Simply put, an action plan is a business-building project or program coupled with a launch date and completion date.

The purpose of the Action Plan is to TAKE ACTION based on the steps, timeframes, resources, and individuals assigned to work for which they are accountable. The core of the action plan is a documented list of time-bound, measurable tasks for achieving your objectives. Each action plan line item should be clearly described and assigned to avoid confusion later on and clearly assign the action plans to an individual or group of individuals with a special statement regarding scope and timeframes for each element of the Action Plan.

Here is an example of what one manager’s action plans might look like based on an objective and a dedicated strategy to achieve it…

Objective: Reduce the carbon footprint of the company by 50% by the end of 2022.

Strategy: By 12/30/22, complete an energy audit by including sources of fuels and equipment used to operate the business and then propose no carbon alternatives with attendant timelines and costs.

Associated Action Plans:

  1. Select team and secure research budget by 8/1/22.
  2. Complete a proposal of work for vendors to bid upon by 8/30/22.
  3. Assess findings of audit and recommendations. Monetize those with the greatest impact by 10/30/22.
  4. Present finding to Sr. Executive management team by 11/4/ 2022.
  5. Refine proposal base on feedback by 11/30/22.
  6. Represent proposal to Sr. Management team on 12/15/22.
  7. Gain approval for the project and multi-year budget.
  8. Turn project over to Implementation team 1/15/22.

Because executing action plans will likely require several team members and possibly others, leaders should involve the entire group in the planning process. This allows for more easily identifying some issues that might otherwise be missed in creating the list of action plans. Each person involved in the execution of a strategy should have their own plan. It doesn’t need to be complicated… one page is enough.

Once in motion, leaders must meet with each of the accountable team members regularly (even weekly if needed) once the project is launched to check progress. It is essential that one document the substance of the meeting for future reference in a project completion review meeting with the team or your supervisor. Some action plans may be rather involved and have many steps. You might want to use planning software for tracking and assigning roles in these cases. The One Page Business Plan 1:1 check-in feature is ideal for just that.

The key to successful plan execution is a specificity of the work to be done, realistic timeframes, sufficient resources, and, most importantly, the right assembled team!