Are you planning to turn your vision into reality? And how do you effectively plan to avoid challenges and problems along the way? A solid plan of action. We have outlined 6 steps explaining how to write an action plan. Once you’re familiar with them, go ahead and start planning right away using the editable templates below.
What is an Action Plan
An action plan is a checklist of steps or tasks you need to complete in order to achieve the goals you have set. It is an essential part of the strategic planning process and helps improve teamwork planning. Not only in project management, but action plans can be used by individuals to prepare a strategy to achieve their own personal goals. The components of the action plan include:
- A well-defined description of the objective to be achieved
- Tasks/steps to be taken to achieve the goal
- People who will be in charge of completing individual tasks
- When will these tasks be completed (dates and milestones)
- Resources needed to complete tasks
- Measures for evaluating progress
The great thing about having everything listed in one place is that it makes it easy to track progress and plan things efficiently. An action plan is not set in stone. As your organization grows and your environment changes, you’ll need to revisit and make adjustments to meet the latest needs.
Why you Need an Action Plan
Sometimes businesses don’t spend much time developing an action plan before the initiative, which in most cases leads to failure. If you haven’t heard, “failure to plan is failure,” Benjamin Franklin is said to have once said. Planning will help you prepare for the obstacles ahead and keep you on track. And with your action planner, you can increase your productivity and stay focused. Here are some benefits of an action plan that you should know;
- It gives you a clear direction. Because an action plan highlights exactly what steps need to be taken and when they should be completed, you’ll know exactly what you need to do.
- Having your goals written down and planned in steps will give you a reason to stay motivated and committed throughout the project.
- Use an action plan to track your progress toward your goal.
- Since you list all the steps you need to complete in your action plan, it helps you prioritize your tasks based on effort and impact.