If you want to optimize the efficiency of your employees within your company, you will inevitably have to ask yourself the question, at one time or another, of writing an action plan. Depending on your field of activity and your position in the company, the nature of your action plan will vary, as will the development of the various elements that make up the plan. In this context, what sample action plan should we follow? Is there an example of an action plan template on which to base your own? Not really. However, there are certain steps to follow in order to bring your action plan to success.
What is an effective action plan?
At first glance, writing an action plan is not very complicated. A main objective, secondary objectives, a timetable to achieve them… and that’s it. But in reality, things are obviously a bit more complex. To lead you to success, the action plan must be effective. And in most cases, this effectiveness will depend on the decisions made by management when the plan is written. Indeed, an effective action plan must be seen above all as a tool written in a methodical way, as a roadmap leading to a concrete result.
When to write an action plan?
The best time to start an action plan project is when the management of a company feels a lack of stimulation from its employees and collaborators. The action plan functions as a tool that will give indicators and priorities to those it concerns. It will serve as a roadmap for them to take a project through to success. For the management of a company, it is therefore essential to regularly motivate its troops through the development of an action plan.Who to ask to write your action plan?
The action plan should define a simple and clear objective, as well as the different steps that will lead to its success. To do this, it must first be defined by the management and its closest collaborators. However, it may be wise to involve in the drafting process the different elements that will have responsibilities in its realization. This is a good way to show your confidence in them. But it is also a way of giving them all the keys to success upstream. They will thus be aware of the method to be followed, but also of all the resources implemented.
A tool to manage your action plans?
Keep it simple and clear
If the meaning of your action plan is obviously essential, you should know that its form is just as important. An effective action plan is first and foremost a properly written action plan. Achieving a similar goal will be much more difficult with a messy action plan and unclear indicators than with a clear and concise format, a simple process and explicitly set priorities. Your action plan sheet should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their status in the company or their function. Clarity and accessibility are two essential conditions to lead you to the best result.Set a realistic but ambitious timeline
Whatever your example of an action plan, it is inseparable from its timeline, i.e. its execution schedule. An action plan without a deadline is meaningless. One of the first decisions you have to make is to set up a real operations schedule. This will be provided at the same time as the action plan itself. Dictating the “tempo” of the action plan, defining the timetable that will accompany its implementation process: this is part of your responsibilities. This timetable must be both realistic, so as not to demotivate those who will be working on it, but must also remain ambitious so as not to lose their interest.
Regularly monitor the progress of the action plan
An effective action plan is not a piece of paper that you send in and check on six months later on reporting day. If you want your employees to meet the deadline and work hard to make it a success, you need to have a regular evaluation system in place. By reviewing the progress of the project and the various resources available to them on a weekly or monthly basis, you will optimize your chances of success. In addition, it will allow you to keep an eye on the process and correct it if necessary.Rewarding employees at every stage
Evaluating an action plan is essential to its success. However, it is not just a matter of controlling its development and progress. The evaluation must also serve to stimulate and reward the various elements involved so that they can make the right decisions. While the action plan is about growing your business, it’s also about enabling your employees to grow professionally. By rewarding them for their work, you will encourage them to continue to surpass themselves in order to achieve your projects.
