An action plan is key to project management.
An action plan is a type of plan that prioritizes the most important initiatives to meet certain objectives and goals . In this way, an action plan is constituted as a kind of guide that provides a framework or structure when carrying out a project .
Within a company , an action plan can involve different departments and areas. The plan establishes who will be responsible for its compliance in a timely manner. Generally, it also includes some follow-up and monitoring mechanism or method so that those responsible can analyze whether the actions are following the correct path and whether the planned deadlines are met.
In any company that wants to achieve specific results, it is necessary not only to organize general action plans, but also much more specific ones that are established by departments such as, for example, management, marketing or financial administration.
Characteristics of the action plan
The action plan proposes a way to achieve the strategic objectives that have already been established previously. It is the step prior to the effective execution of an idea or proposal.
We can determine that every action plan must be made up of the following sections, in order to achieve the established objectives or purposes: strategies to follow, the programs that can be used, the immediate actions that can be carried out, the resources necessary to undertake them, the start and end date of those tasks and also who will be in charge of assuming the relevant responsibilities.
These plans should not only include what things want to be done and how; They should also consider possible restrictions, consequences of actions, and future reviews that may be necessary.
Carrying out an organizational transformation requires an action plan.
How to implement it
It is important to emphasize that, once the action plan has been configured and designed, it is crucial to proceed with its implementation. To do this, a series of criteria or elements must be taken into account that will be fundamental when it comes to being effective and satisfying the identified needs. Thus, motivation, control processes, managerial evaluation and compensation, for example, must be taken into account.
Experts in the field, in addition to everything highlighted, also affirm that, when deciding to implement an action plan, it is vital to review it with some frequency. In this framework, they determine that the ideal way to see the results and effectiveness is to review it weekly or at least every fifteen days.
Control of the action plan must be carried out both during its development and at the end. By carrying out a control in the middle of the plan, the person in charge has the opportunity to correct issues that are not going as expected. Regarding control after completion, the objective is to establish a balance and confirm by analyzing the reports whether the planned objectives have been met.
An executive or leader who operates without an action plan will waste time as he or she will need to examine each step to discover if it is going in the right direction.
The action plan establishes the development of different procedures.
Examples of action plan
A company can design an action plan to enter a new market . In this strategic planning, it proposes the tactics to be applied and establishes a series of steps to follow.
In this way, the action plan begins by defining the objectives and goals : at this point, the company aims to achieve a market share of 15% in its first year of activities.
To achieve this penetration, define the allocation of resources for the development of marketing actions and advertising campaigns . The operational plan continues with the establishment of a schedule to launch all the activities aimed at achieving what was planned.
On the other hand, we can take the case of a company that develops an action plan to reinforce employee training . After an evaluation of the skills and training of workers, a program is established so that all members of the organization achieve certain minimum capabilities.
Thus, instructors and mentors are convened to share advice on leadership, teach how to proceed with data analysis, train on the use of technology and explain how to optimize customer service, among other issues. The intention of the managers is that the professional development of employees also contributes to the progress of the firm.
Let's now think about a company that implements an action plan to increase the number of followers on its social networks . In this way, it allocates a certain budget to creating original and creative content and rewarding users with raffles and gifts. Within this framework, it hires communication experts to manage the profiles and to carry out the analysis of various performance indicators.
Managers hope that the action plan will improve their public relations and strengthen the brand image, which in turn would generate greater sales and a more solid positioning in the market.