importance of action plan essay

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Blog Beginner Guides What is an Action Plan & How to Write One [With Examples]

What is an Action Plan & How to Write One [With Examples]

Written by: Danesh Ramuthi Oct 26, 2023

An action plan is a meticulously structured strategy that pinpoints specific steps, tasks and resources vital to turning a goal into reality. It is extremely useful in any project management. 

Crafting an action plan is like plotting a route for a cross-country journey. It’s the strategic map that outlines every step, decision and pitstop needed to reach your ultimate destination.

With a well-thought-out action plan, you’re not just shooting in the dark; you’re making informed, purposeful strides towards your goals. Dive deep with our guide and witness real-world examples that will inspire and guide you.

Need a tool to kickstart your planning? Try out the Venngage business plan maker and explore their extensive collection of action plan templates .

Click to jump ahead: 

What is the purpose of an action plan?

When to develop an action plan, 7 components of a actions plan, 15 action plan examples.

• How to Write an action plan?

Final thoughts

An action plan serves as a strategic tool designed to outline specific steps, tasks and goals necessary to achieve a particular objective.

Its primary purpose is to provide a clear roadmap and direction for individuals, teams or organizations to follow in order to efficiently and effectively accomplish their goals. 

Action plans break down complex projects into manageable, actionable components, making it easier to track progress and stay on course.

Moreover, action plans play a crucial role in fostering accountability and coordination among team members. By assigning responsibilities and deadlines for each task or milestone, they ensure that everyone involved is aware of their roles and the overall timeline, reducing confusion and enhancing teamwork. 

Additionally, action plans help in resource allocation, budgeting and risk management by enabling stakeholders to identify potential challenges and plan for contingencies. 

Overall, the purpose of an action plan is to transform abstract goals into concrete actions, making them more achievable and measurable while ensuring that the resources and efforts are aligned with the desired outcomes.

Developing an action plan is crucial when you’re looking to achieve a specific goal or outcome. Here are instances when you should consider developing an action plan:

• Start of an organization : Ideally, an action plan should be developed within the first six months to one year of the start of an organization. This initial plan lays the groundwork for the future direction and growth of the entity.
• Project initiation : At the start of any project, an action plan helps to clearly define the tasks, responsibilities, and timelines.
• Goal setting : Whenever you or your organization sets a new goal. Action plans transform these goals from abstract ideas into concrete steps.
• Strategic planning : For long-term visions and missions, action plans break down the journey into manageable pieces, each with its timeline and responsible parties.
• Performance improvement : If there are areas where performance is lacking, whether it’s personal or organizational, an action plan can outline the steps needed to elevate performance.

An action plan is a detailed outline that breaks down the steps necessary to achieve a specific goal. Here are the typical components of an action plan.

1. Objective or Goal

The cornerstone of your action plan is the objective or goal. This should be a clear and concise statement outlining the desired outcome or result. Having a well-defined objective provides a direction and purpose to the entire plan, ensuring all tasks and actions are aligned towards achieving this singular aim.

2. Tasks or Actions

Once the objective is set, the next step is to list down the specific tasks or actions required to achieve this goal. These tasks should be broken down into detailed steps, ensuring no essential activity is overlooked. The granularity of these tasks can vary based on the complexity of the goal.

3. Set deadline

For each task or action, set a realistic and achievable deadline. This timeline ensures that the plan stays on track and that momentum is maintained throughout the execution. It also allows for monitoring progress and identifying potential delays early.

4. Resources needed to complete the project

It’s crucial to recognize and list the resources you’ll need to complete the tasks. This can encompass financial resources, human resources, equipment, technological tool, marketing planning software or any other assets. Identifying these early ensures that there are no bottlenecks during execution due to a lack of necessary resources.

5. Person responsible

Assign a person or a team for each task. This designation ensures accountability and clarity. When individuals are aware of their responsibilities, it reduces overlap, confusion and ensures that every task has someone overseeing its completion.

6. Potential barriers or challenges

Every plan will face challenges. By anticipating potential barriers or obstacles, you can be better prepared to address them. This proactive approach ensures smoother execution and less reactionary problem-solving.

7. Measurement of key performance indicators (KPIs)

Determine how you’ll measure the success of each task or the plan overall. KPIs are tangible metrics that allow you to gauge progress and determine whether you’re moving closer to your goals and objectives. They offer a quantifiable means to evaluate success.

Action plans serve as blueprints, guiding the steps and resources needed to achieve a specific goal. 

They come in various formats, tailored to different scenarios and objectives. Here, we present a range of action plan examples that cater to diverse purposes and situations. 

From business strategies to simple task lists, these examples illustrate the versatility and importance of well-structured planning.

Business action plan example

A business action plan is essentially a strategy roadmap, meticulously tailored for realizing broader business objectives. By crafting a solid action plan, businesses can channel their resources, manpower and strategies in a direction that harmonizes with their larger vision.

Key to this plan is the identification and alignment of steps that resonate with the company’s comprehensive strategy, ambitions of growth and aspirations for operational enhancements. 

While this might entail a myriad of specific steps based on unique business goals, some common elements include setting clear key performance indicators (KPIs), undertaking a thorough SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to grasp the current business landscape and establishing a timeline to keep track of progress.

Furthermore, allocating responsibilities to team members or individuals ensures that every aspect of the strategy has a dedicated focus. Budgeting, essential to the success of the action plan, ensures that every initiative is financially viable and sustainable. 

Regular reviews and iterations based on feedback and changing market dynamics keep the action plan agile and relevant.

Related: 5 Steps to Create an Actionable Employee Development Plan [with Templates & Examples]

Company action plan example

A comprehensive company action plan serves as the strategic linchpin, ensuring a coherent and coordinated approach to realizing organizational goals. Central to this plan is the incorporation of rigorous market research and analysis, which provides insights into consumer behaviors, market trends and potential opportunities. 

Equally vital is the focus on product development and procurement, ensuring that the offerings align with market demands and stand out in terms of quality and relevance. 

Alongside, adept legal and financial management safeguards the company’s interests, ensuring compliance with regulations and prudent fiscal oversight.

Moreover, the essence of any successful company action plan lies in its sales and marketing strategies. These define how the products or services are positioned and promoted in the market, ensuring visibility and engagement with the target audience. 

However, while acquisition is crucial, retention plays an equally significant role. Hence, impeccable customer service and nurturing relationships become indispensable components, fostering loyalty and ensuring that clients remain ambassadors for the brand long after the initial transaction.

Related: 30+ Project Plan Examples to Visualize Your Strategy (2023)

Sales action plan example

A well-structured sales action plan serves as the backbone for systematic and efficient progress. Central to this plan is the identification and utilization of the most effective sales channels, whether they are direct, online or through third-party avenues. 

Clarity on the products and services on offer, combined with their unique selling propositions, facilitates tailored and resonant sales pitches. 

Budget considerations ensure that resources are judiciously allocated, balancing the act between expenditures and potential returns. This financial prudence is complemented by setting realistic sales projections, which act as both a motivational target and a yardstick for success.

Timelines, or proposed deadlines, infuse the process with a sense of urgency, ensuring that the momentum of the sales drive is maintained. 

However, the true measure of the action plan’s efficacy lies in its key performance indicators (KPIs). These metrics, be it lead conversion rates or customer retention figures, serve as tangible markers, highlighting the plan’s strengths and signaling areas that might require recalibration to increase sales.

Corrective action plan example

The essence of a corrective action plan lies in its meticulous structure, tailored to address and rectify deviations or inefficiencies identified within an organization. At its core, each action item serves as a focal point, detailing specific areas or processes that require intervention. 

Accompanying each action item is a clear description that provides a comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand. 

However, merely identifying a problem isn’t enough; delving deep into its origins through root cause analysis ensures that solutions target the fundamental issues, rather than just addressing superficial symptoms. 

This analysis then paves the way for defining the corrective action, a tangible step or series of steps designed to mitigate the identified problem and prevent its recurrence.

Besides, to ensure the plan’s effectiveness, assigning a responsible person to each action item is paramount. This individual or team is entrusted with the task’s execution, ensuring accountability and focus. 

The status of each action keeps stakeholders informed about the progress, be it in the planning phase, ongoing, or completed. 

Lastly, setting a due date for each corrective action introduces a sense of urgency and purpose, ensuring that issues are addressed in a timely manner, minimizing disruptions and maximizing operational efficiency.

Simple action plan example

A simple action plan strips away the layers of complexity, offering a concise and direct approach to achieving a goal or addressing an issue. This type of plan is characterized by its straightforward structure, devoid of extraneous details, yet powerfully effective in its clarity. 

It is specifically designed for tasks or objectives that don’t necessitate elaborate strategies or multi-layered approaches.

The core components of a simple action plan usually include a clear statement of the task or objective at hand, followed by a sequence of actions or steps to be taken. 

Each step is described succinctly, ensuring that anyone involved has a clear understanding of what is expected. Responsibilities are defined clearly, with each task allocated to an individual or a team, ensuring accountability. Timelines might be integrated, providing a clear framework for completion, even if they’re just broad milestones. 

Regular check-ins or assessments, although minimal, might be incorporated to monitor progress. 

The beauty of a simple action plan lies in its agility and adaptability, making it particularly suited for individual projects, short-term tasks or situations where a rapid response is required.

How to write an action plan?

Creating an effective action plan is a foundational step towards turning aspirations into tangible results. It provides a clear roadmap, ensuring that each step taken aligns with the overall objective.

Whether you’re aiming to enhance a business process or achieve a personal goal, a well-drafted action plan can be your guiding light. Here’s key steps on how you can craft one:

• Step 1: Establish SMART goals: Initiating with a goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound ensures you have a clear and focused endpoint in sight. Smart goals serves as the cornerstone for your entire strategic blueprint.
• Step 2: Determine necessary tasks: Decompose your overarching objective into smaller, actionable tasks. This modular approach not only makes the mission less daunting but also provides a sequential pathway to goal attainment.
• Step 3: Assign essential resources: Depending on the tasks at hand, designate necessary resources, be they human, financial or technological. This ensures that every activity has the backing it needs for successful execution.
• Step 4: Prioritize tasks by importance: Not all tasks hold equal weight. Determine the hierarchy of tasks based on their impact on the goal and their time sensitivity. This allows for a systematic progression.
• Step 5: Outline timelines and key markers: With tasks in hand, set clear deadlines for each. Introduce milestones, which act as periodic check-ins, ensuring you’re on track and allowing for celebrations of smaller victories.
• Step 6: Oversee and modify your strategy blueprint: As you progress, there will invariably be learnings and challenges. Regularly review your plan to make necessary adjustments, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness.
• Step 7: Consider ready-to-use templates: If starting from scratch feels overwhelming, lean on structured templates to guide your planning. There’s plenty of business plan softwares and platforms such as  Venngage that offer a plethora of action plan templates , tailored to various needs, which can significantly streamline the process.

An action plan is more than just an action steps, it’s a strategic blueprint that bridges the gap between aspirations and realizations. 

Through this comprehensive guide, I’ve walked you through the purpose, ideal timings, core components, and practical examples of action plans across various domains. 

Leveraging tools of project management , you can track progress, assign tasks and ensure every team member stays on the same page. 

It’s not just about setting goals, but about strategically planning every step, ensuring tasks completed align with the larger project goals. 

Remember, success isn’t just about having goals but about charting the right course to achieve them

And if you’re looking to supercharge your planning efforts, don’t miss out on the Venngage business plan maker. 

Dive into their extensive collection of action plan templates and make your strategic planning both efficient and effective. 

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What is an Action Plan? Learn with Templates and Examples

Planning on turning your vision into reality? And what’s your best way to avoid challenges and problems during this journey? A solid action plan.

We have outlined 6 steps explaining how to write an action plan. Once you familiarize yourself with them, go ahead and use the editable templates below to start planning right away.

What is an Action Plan?

Why you need an action plan, how to write an action plan, action plan templates.

An action plan is a specific list of tasks in order to achieve a particular goal. It can be regarded as a proposed strategy to execute a specific project to achieve a specific or general goal effectively and efficiently. It outlines steps to take and helps stay focused and organized, whether it’s personal or work-related. Breaking down the goal into smaller, manageable steps, makes it easier to stay motivated and track progress.

It’s an essential part of the strategic planning process and helps with improving 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 as well.

Components of an action plan include

• A well-defined description of the goal to be achieved
• Tasks/ steps that need to be carried out to reach the goal
• People who will be in charge of carrying out each task
• When will these tasks be completed (deadlines and milestones)
• Resources needed to complete the tasks
• Measures to evaluate progress

What’s great about having everything listed down on one location is that it makes it easier to track progress and effectively plan things out.

An action plan is not something set in stone. As your organization grows, and surrounding circumstances change, you will have to revisit and make adjustments to meet the latest needs.

Sometimes businesses don’t spend much time on developing an action plan before an initiative, which, in most cases, leads to failure. If you haven’t heard, “failing to plan is planning to fail” said Benjamin Franklin supposedly once.

Planning helps you prepare for the obstacles ahead and keep you on track. And with an effective action plan, you can boost your productivity and keep yourself focused.  

Here are some benefits of an action plan you should know;

• It gives you a clear direction. As an action plan highlights exactly what steps to be taken and when they should be completed, you will know exactly what you need to do.
• Having your goals written down and planned out in steps will give you a reason to stay motivated and committed throughout the project.  
• With an action plan, you can track your progress toward your goal.
• Since you are listing down all the steps you need to complete in your action plan, it will help you prioritize your tasks based on effort and impact.

From the looks of it, creating an action plan seems fairly easy. But there are several important steps you need to follow with caution in order to get the best out of it. Here’s how to write an action plan explained in 6 easy steps.

Step 1: Define your end goal

If you are not clear about what you want to do and what you want to achieve, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Planning a new initiative? Start by defining where you are and where you want to be.

Solving a problem? Analyze the situation and explore possible solutions before prioritizing them.

Then write down your goal. And before you move on to the next step, run your goal through the SMART criteria . Or in other words, make sure that it is

• Specific – well-defined and clear
• Measurable – include measurable indicators to track progress  
• Attainable – realistic and achievable within the resources, time, money, experience, etc. you have
• Relevant – align with your other goals
• Timely – has a finishing date

Use this SMART goal worksheet to simplify this process. Share it with others to get their input as well.  

• Ready to use
• Fully customizable template
• Get Started in seconds

And refer to our easy guide to the goal-setting process to learn more about setting and planning your goals.

Step 2: List down the steps to be followed

The goal is clear. What exactly should you do to realize it?

Create a rough template to list down all the tasks to be performed, due dates and people responsible.

It’s important that you make sure that the entire team is involved in this process and has access to the document. This way everyone will be aware of their roles and responsibilities in the project.

Make sure that each task is clearly defined and is attainable. If you come across larger and more complex tasks, break them down to smaller ones that are easier to execute and manage.

Tips: Use a RACI Matrix template to clarify project roles and responsibilities, and plan projects

Step 3: Prioritize tasks and add deadlines

It’s time to reorganize the list by prioritizing the tasks . Some steps, you may need to prioritize as they can be blocking other sub-steps.

Add deadlines, and make sure that they are realistic. Consult with the person responsible for carrying it out to understand his or her capacity before deciding on deadlines.

Step 4: Set milestones

Milestones can be considered mini goals leading up to the main goal at the end. The advantage of adding milestones is that they give the team members to look forward to something and help them stay motivated even though the final due date is far away.

Start from the end goal and work your way back as you set milestones . Remember not to keep too little or too much time in between the milestone you set. It’s a best practice to space milestones two weeks apart.  

Step 5: Identify the resources needed

Before you start your project, it’s crucial to ensure that you have all the necessary resources at hand to complete the tasks. And if they are not currently available, you need to first make a plan to acquire them.

This should also include your budget. You can assign a column of your action plan to mark the cost of each task if there are any.  

Step 6: Visualize your action plan

The point of this step is to create something that everyone can understand at a glance and that can be shared with everyone.

Whether your action plan comes in the shape of a flowchart , Gantt chart , or table , make sure that it clearly communicates the elements we have identified so far – tasks, task owners, deadlines, resources, etc.

This document should be easily accessible to everyone and should be editable.

Step 7: Monitor, evaluate and update

Allocate some time to evaluate the progress you’ve made with your team.

You can mark tasks that are completed as done on this final action plan, bringing attention to how you’ve progressed toward the goal.

This will also bring out the tasks that are pending or delayed, in which case you need to figure out why and find suitable solutions. And then update the action plan accordingly.

Business action plan

You may like to read: The Easy Guide to Making a Business Plan for Presentations

Marketing action plan

Strategic action plan, corrective action plan template.

Learn more about: Corrective Action Plan template .

Additional resources: The Easy Guide to Creating a Business Contingency Plan

Simple action plan template

Any more tips on creating an action plan.

An action plan is designed to guide your way to accomplishing your goals. It turns your vision into actionable goals and steps. And it helps you stay focused and motivated.

From an individual employee in an organization to larger departments can make use of action plans to steer their way towards completing their goals.

Maybe you are about to create your very first action plan, or you are already a pro at writing them. Either way, we’d like to hear your opinions on how to write an action plan. Do share them with us in the comments section below.

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FAQs About Action Plan

Lack of clarity on goals: Make sure the team understands the goals and objectives of the action plan. The goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Unclear responsibilities: Assign clear roles and responsibilities for each team member to avoid confusion and ensure accountability.

Overcomplicating the plan: Keep the action plan simple and easy to understand. Avoid adding unnecessary complexity or detail that may confuse the team.

Failure to prioritize tasks: Prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. This will ensure that the team focuses on the most critical tasks first.

Inadequate resources: Ensure that the team has access to the necessary resources such as time, budget, and equipment, to carry out the action plan successfully.

Lack of communication: Effective communication is crucial to the success of any action plan. Ensure that team members are regularly updated on progress and any changes to the plan.

Failure to monitor progress: Regularly monitor progress and adjust the action plan as needed to ensure that it stays on track and achieves its goals.

Strategic action plan: This type of plan outlines the long-term goals and objectives of an organization, and the actions that will be taken to achieve them. It typically covers a period of several years and includes high-level strategies and initiatives.

Operational action plan: This plan focuses on the day-to-day operations of an organization, outlining the actions that will be taken to achieve short-term goals and objectives. It typically covers a period of one year or less and includes specific actions and timelines.

Project action plan: This type of plan is used for individual projects and outlines the actions that will be taken to achieve specific project goals and objectives. It includes a detailed breakdown of tasks, timelines, and responsibilities.

Sales action plan: This plan focuses on the actions that will be taken to increase sales and revenue. It includes specific strategies for marketing, sales, and customer service.

Marketing action plan: This plan outlines the actions that will be taken to promote a product or service and increase brand awareness. It includes strategies for advertising, social media, public relations, and other marketing initiatives.

Crisis management action plan: This type of plan outlines the actions that will be taken in the event of a crisis, such as a natural disaster or security breach. It includes specific protocols for communication, evacuation, and other emergency procedures.

An action plan can be used by anyone who wants to achieve specific goals or objectives. It is a useful tool for individuals, teams, and organizations in a variety of contexts. Here are some examples:

Individuals: An individual can use an action plan to achieve personal goals such as losing weight, completing a degree, or starting a business.

Teams: A team can use an action plan to achieve goals related to a specific project or initiative. For example, a marketing team may use an action plan to launch a new product.

Small businesses: Small businesses can use an action plan to achieve goals related to sales, marketing, operations, or finance.

Non-profit organizations: Non-profit organizations can use an action plan to achieve goals related to fundraising, volunteer recruitment, or program implementation.

Government agencies: Government agencies can use an action plan to achieve goals related to policy implementation, disaster response, or public safety.

Educational institutions: Educational institutions can use an action plan to achieve goals related to improving student outcomes, increasing enrollment, or expanding programs.

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Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.

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How to Create an Action Plan to Achieve Your Goals

Setting a goal is easy; achieving it is the hard part. This blog post offers five tips to help you stay on track.

Lian Parsons

Whether it’s the start of a new year, an academic semester, or a job, new beginnings are always an inspiring time to set new goals.

However, many of us struggle to meet those goals and maintain momentum. According to  Adrienne Tierney , creating an action plan is key to avoiding potential pitfalls. Tierney, an instructor and research advisor for Harvard Extension School’s psychology master’s program , offers five tips to get started.

1. Make The Goal Concrete

“Often, goal setting begins by thinking about abstract aspirations,” says Tierney. “Those aspirations can be helpful in identifying where we want to end up, but they can feel so distant and out of reach that we easily give up or feel like we will never get there.”

Tierney suggests breaking larger goals down into more manageable steps that can be achieved with specific actions. 

For example, instead of setting the goal of exercising more, set the more concrete goal of walking three times per week for 30 minutes each. This more specific framing can help you put it into practice and evaluate your progress.

Tierney also recommends writing the goal down, whether on paper or on your phone or computer to make it visible and serve as a reminder.

2. Identify the Requirements

Each goal will require different parameters to achieve it. Identifying the type of goal will help to clarify your next planning stages. 

For example, if you want to cut down on something, such as sugar, caffeine, or screen time, plan to have appealing and accessible alternatives to help along the way.

Conversely, if you want to add something to your routine, such as exercising, reading, or practicing a skill, try creating a plan to work it into your schedule. The plan should include parameters like what days, for how long, and what activities you work on so you don’t have to figure it out each time. 

Creating specific plans helps to cut down on the mental energy along the way and makes the process of achieving your goal as painless and easy as possible.

3. Set Aside Time

Similar to planning ahead, determine whether or not your goal requires a time commitment. If so, set aside the time in advance instead of waiting for an opportunity to arise. 

Reserve the appropriate amount of time in your calendar so that other demands have to work around your time commitment, rather than the other way around.

Explore Harvard Extension School’s Psychology Master’s Degree Program

4. Personalize Your Approach

Some people thrive best when seeking to accomplish a goal all at once, while others find more success in taking things step-by-step. 

For example, some people enjoy the month-long commitment of Dry January and prefer to cut out alcohol entirely for that period of time. Others prefer to reduce their intake for the month but not eliminate alcohol altogether (often called “Damp January”).

Different goals might also work best with different approaches, so experiment along the way and adjust accordingly.

5. Find Motivation

It is important to keep yourself motivated throughout the process of pursuing a goal. Tierney suggests a few ways to support your progress, no matter what step in the journey you’re on.

Make a social commitment

“Having social accountability is enormously helpful in supporting us through the tough moments in working towards our goals,” says Tierney. “Having a group can help us achieve goals over the long term by offering a chance to share the successes, to help you show up, or to help you renew the commitment along the way.”

Try searching for accountability partners with friends who share similar goals, or on an app or online group that offers virtual communities. Bolstering your support system means that you’re not alone and have others cheering you on.

Celebrate successes

As you make progress, make sure to acknowledge your successes and the work it’s taken to get there. Celebrating not only gives you the credit you’ve earned, but also is a reminder that you have the wherewithal to achieve your goals, no matter where you are in the process.

Be realistic 

Whether your goal is focused on changing old habits or building new ones, both can have their challenges. Mistakes and setbacks can happen and it’s important to be compassionate toward yourself. 

“Look for progress not perfection,” says Tierney. “If you have a day where you don’t achieve your goal, don’t let the frustration or disappointment make you give up. Re-commit for the next occasion.”

You may realize your initial goal was too ambitious, and you need to course-correct or revise that goal while still working toward your long-term objective. 

Determination is important, but having the judgment to make these decisions as you go may serve you better in the long run.

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About the Author

Lian Parsons is a Boston-based writer and journalist. She is currently a digital content producer at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education. Her bylines can be found at the Harvard Gazette, Boston Art Review, Radcliffe Magazine, Experience Magazine, and iPondr.

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How to Write an Action Plan: Step-by-Step (Examples)

By Status.net Editorial Team on November 9, 2023 — 9 minutes to read

An action plan is a detailed roadmap of the necessary steps you need to take to achieve a specific goal or objective. It’s like a GPS that guides you from your starting point to your desired destination. Creating an action plan helps you break down a large goal into smaller, more manageable tasks, which makes the goal feel less overwhelming.

To start, you should first identify your end goal and be as specific as possible. For example, if you want to increase sales for your business, set a target like “Increase sales by 20% within the next six months.” This will give you a clear vision of what you want to achieve and make it easier to measure your progress.

Next, list the necessary actions or tasks required to reach your goal. These can be further divided into smaller tasks that are easy to understand and implement. For example, to increase sales, you could:

• Improve your online presence by revamping your website, optimizing it for search engines, and posting regularly on social media platforms.
• Reach out to potential clients through email campaigns and cold calls.
• Offer promotions or discounts to incentivize new customers to try your product or service.

Now, it’s time to set a timeline for each task. Deadlines will enable you to monitor your progress and stay on track. Assign realistic due dates for each task, and if needed, break them down into smaller milestones.

To ensure your action plan’s success, make sure to assign responsibility for each task. If you’re working with a team, delegate tasks according to each team member’s strengths, skills, and workload. This will help ensure everyone knows what their responsibilities are, and they are held accountable.

Lastly, always monitor your progress and evaluate your action plan’s effectiveness. Regularly review the tasks you’ve accomplished, and make note of the tasks that were challenging or required more time than anticipated. This self-assessment will help you improve your action plan and make necessary adjustments as you work towards your goal.

Example Action Plan

Goal : Increase sales by 20% within the next 6 months (By January 1st, 2025)

Actions : 1. Improve online presence a) Revamp website design – Due October 15th b) Optimize website for SEO – Due November 1st c) Post regularly on social media (1x/week min) – Ongoing

2. Reach out to potential clients a) Create email marketing campaign – Due September 15th b) Start cold calling campaign (10 calls/day) – Start October 1st

3. Offer promotions a) Design promotion flyers – Due September 1st b) Run month-long 20% off sale – October 1-31st

Monitoring : – Check website analytics weekly – Track new clients monthly – Evaluate sales figures monthly – Adjust plan as needed at monthly meetings

Responsibilities : – John to revamp website – Susan to handle social media – Michael to create promotions – Jennifer to manage outreach campaigns

Steps to Creating a Powerhouse Action Plan

First, identify your goal . Be specific about what you want to achieve and set a time frame for accomplishing it. This will help keep your efforts focused and prevent you from getting overwhelmed by smaller tasks. For example, instead of “increase sales”, choose “increase sales by 20% in the next six months”.

Next, break your goal down into smaller, manageable tasks . Create a list of activities or steps that must be completed in order to reach your goal. If your goal is to Increase sales by 20%, some tasks might be:

• Research your target market
• Develop a marketing strategy
• Improve product offerings
• Train your sales team

Assign a deadline and responsible party for each task on your list. This will help ensure that all tasks are completed on time and that everyone knows their role in achieving the goal. Make sure to set realistic timelines for each task, taking into consideration the resources and time available.

Here’s an example:

• Research your target market – due in one week – assigned to Jane (marketing specialist)
• Develop a marketing strategy – due in two weeks – assigned to marketing team

Monitor your progress regularly. Keep track of your progress by using tools such as calendars, project management software, or a simple spreadsheet. Regularly assess whether you’re on track to meet your goal and adjust your action plan if needed. For example, if a task is taking longer than expected, you may need to reassign resources or revise the deadline.

Celebrate your milestones and learn from setbacks . Along the way, take the time to acknowledge and celebrate your successes, as well as learn from any setbacks or challenges. This will help maintain motivation and encourage continuous improvement.

Finally, communicate your action plan to all stakeholders involved, such as employees, investors, or clients. Clear communication ensures everyone understands the goal, their responsibilities, and the expectations for the project.

Defining Clear and Smart Goals

Specific goals.

When creating your action plan, start by setting specific goals. These are clear, well-defined goals that leave no room for ambiguity. You should know exactly what needs to be accomplished and how you plan to achieve it. For example, instead of aiming for “increasing sales,” set a goal like “increase sales by 15% over the next six months.”

Measurable Goals

Your goals should be measurable so that you can track your progress and know when you’ve achieved them. This involves identifying quantifiable indicators that will help you determine your progress. For instance, if your goal is to increase sales, a measurable component can be the number of units sold or the amount of revenue generated within a specific timeframe.

Achievable Goals

When setting goals, make sure they are achievable and realistic based on your current resources and constraints. Consider your team’s capabilities, time, and budget. Unattainable goals may negatively impact your motivation and morale. For example, if you have a small team with limited resources, setting a goal to double your company’s size within a month might be unrealistic. Instead, aim for a modest yet challenging growth rate that can be achieved with your available resources.

Relevant Goals

Your action plan goals should also be relevant to your organization’s mission and vision. These are goals that align with your overall strategic plan and contribute to its long-term success. Relevant goals ensure that your efforts are focused on high-impact areas and avoid unnecessary distractions. For example, if your business is focused on sustainability, a relevant goal might be to reduce your company’s carbon footprint by 20% in the next year.

Time-bound Goals

Finally, ensure that your goals are time-bound, meaning they have a deadline for completion. Deadlines keep your team accountable and help maintain a sense of urgency, which is crucial for staying on track and achieving your objectives. A clear timeframe also allows you to measure your progress and adjust your plans as needed. For instance, you could set a goal to expand your customer base by 10% within the next quarter.

Assigning Roles and Responsibilities

When creating an action plan, it’s important to assign roles and responsibilities to your team members. This helps ensure tasks are completed efficiently and everyone is clear about their duties. Here’s how to do it effectively:

• First, identify the necessary tasks to achieve your goal. Be specific about what needs to be done and break it down into smaller steps if needed. For example, if your action plan involves promoting a new product, tasks could include designing promotional materials, creating social media posts, and reaching out to potential partners.
• Next, evaluate the skills and expertise of your team members. Consider their strengths, weaknesses, and past experiences with similar projects. This will help you match team members with tasks that best suit their abilities. For instance, someone with graphic design expertise should be responsible for creating promotional materials.
• Once you’ve determined which team members are best suited for each task, clearly communicate their roles and responsibilities. This can be done through a project management tool, an email, or a team meeting. Make sure everyone is aware of their duties and the deadlines for each task.
• Keep track of everyone’s progress, and hold regular check-ins to see how each team member is doing with their assigned tasks.
• Be open to adjusting your action plan and roles as necessary. Sometimes, unforeseen challenges can arise and require you to modify your plan.

Creating a Time Frame

When working on your action plan, it’s important to establish a realistic time frame for achieving your goals. This helps you stay on track and prioritize tasks effectively. We will walk you through the process of creating a time frame for your action plan.

• First, break down your primary goal into smaller, manageable tasks. Think of these tasks as stepping stones that will lead you toward your overall objective. For example, if your goal is to start a new business, your tasks might include researching your target market, establishing a budget, and developing a marketing strategy.
• Next, assign a deadline to each task. Deadlines should be specific and set in stone but make sure to be flexible enough to adjust as necessary. Use a calendar or planner to visualize your timeline, marking important dates and milestones. For example, you could set a four-month deadline for completing market research and a six-month deadline for securing initial funding.
• To keep yourself accountable, set reminders or notifications for important deadlines. This can be done using digital tools like smartphone apps or traditional methods, such as sticky notes on your workspace. Regularly reviewing your progress and adjusting your time frame when needed will help you stay on track.
• Lastly, consider any external factors that might impact your time frame. Are there seasonal events, holidays, or industry-specific deadlines that could affect your ability to complete tasks? Factor in these considerations as you build your timeline.

Resource Allocation

When creating an action plan, resource allocation plays a major role. You’ll need to determine the resources required for each task and how they’ll be distributed among team members. This usually includes time, budget, and human resources.

• Start by estimating the time each task will take. Break tasks down into smaller chunks and allocate a specific deadline to each. This will help you prioritize tasks and balance workloads for your team members. For example, if designing a marketing campaign takes four weeks, divide it into weekly tasks like conducting market research, creating promotional materials, and setting up advertisements.
• Next, determine the budget needed to complete your project. Identify any expenses such as salaries, equipment, software, and project-related costs like travel. Create a budget for each task to avoid overspending, and allocate funds accordingly. Using our marketing campaign example, allocate separate budgets for market research tools, graphic design tools, and advertising platforms.
• Lastly, allocate human resources to tasks based on their skills and expertise. Delegate responsibilities to your team members, ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding of their role in the project. If needed, identify additional hires or outside consultants to fill gaps in your team’s expertise. For instance, if your team lacks graphic design experience, consider hiring a graphic designer or outsourcing the work to a design agency.
• 6 Examples: How to Write a Perfect Proposal Letter (Step-by-Step)
• How to Write a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)
• 2 Templates and Examples: Individual Development Plan
• How to Write a Perfect Project Plan? [The Easy Guide]
• How to Write Inspiring Core Values? 5 Steps with Examples
• 2 Detailed Examples: How To Write a Professional Email

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• Section 5. Developing an Action Plan

Chapter 8 Sections

• Section 1. An Overview of Strategic Planning or "VMOSA" (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Action Plans)
• Section 2. Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements
• Section 3. Creating Objectives
• Section 4. Developing Successful Strategies
• Section 6. Obtaining Feedback from Constituents: What Changes are Important and Feasible?
• Section 7. Identifying Action Steps in Bringing About Community and System Change

• Main Section

Developing an action plan can help changemakers turn their visions into reality, and increase efficiency and accountability within an organization. An action plan describes the way your organization will meet its objectives through detailed action steps that describe how and when these steps will be taken. This section provides a guide for developing and utilizing your group's action plan.

What is an action plan?

In some ways, an action plan is a "heroic" act: it helps us turn our dreams into a reality. An action plan is a way to make sure your organization's vision is made concrete. It describes the way your group will use its strategies to meet its objectives. An action plan consists of a number of action steps or changes to be brought about in your community.

Each action step or change to be sought should include the following information:

• What actions or changes will occur
• Who will carry out these changes
• By when they will take place, and for how long
• What resources (i.e., money, staff) are needed to carry out these changes
• Communication (who should know what?)

What are the criteria for a good action plan?

The action plan for your initiative should meet several criteria.

Is the action plan:

• Complete ? Does it list all the action steps or changes to be sought in all relevant parts of the community (e.g., schools, business, government, faith community)?
• Clear ? Is it apparent who will do what by when?
• Current ? Does the action plan reflect the current work? Does it anticipate newly emerging opportunities and barriers?

Why should you develop an action plan?

There is an inspirational adage that says, "People don't plan to fail. Instead they fail to plan." Because you certainly don't want to fail, it makes sense to take all of the steps necessary to ensure success, including developing an action plan.

There are lots of good reasons to work out the details of your organization's work in an action plan, including:

• To lend credibility to your organization. An action plan shows members of the community (including grantmakers) that your organization is well ordered and dedicated to getting things done.
• To be sure you don't overlook any of the details
• To understand what is and isn't possible for your organization to do
• For efficiency: to save time, energy, and resources in the long run
• For accountability: To increase the chances that people will do what needs to be done

When should you create an action plan?

Ideally, an action plan should be developed within the first six months to one year of the start of an organization. It is developed after you have determined the vision, mission, objectives, and strategies of your group. If you develop an action plan when you are ready to start getting things done, it will give you a blueprint for running your organization or initiative.

Remember, though, that an action plan is always a work in progress. It is not something you can write, lock in your file drawers, and forget about. Keep it visible. Display it prominently. As your organization changes and grows, you will want to continually (usually monthly) revise your action plan to fit the changing needs of your group and community.

How to write an action plan

Determine what people and sectors of the community should be changed and involved in finding solutions.

If you have been using the VMOSA (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, Action Plans) model, you might have already done this, when you were deciding upon your group's objectives. Again, try to be inclusive. Most of the health and development issues that community partnerships deal with are community-wide, and thus need a community-wide solution. Possible sectors include the media, the business community, religious organizations, schools, youth organizations, social service organizations, health organizations, and others.

Some members of the community you might consider asking to join the action planning group include:

• Influential people from all the parts of the community affected by your initiative (e.g., from churches and synagogues, the school system, law enforcement, etc.)
• People who are directly involved in the problem (e.g., local high school students and their parents might be involved in planning a coalition trying to reduce teen substance use)
• Members of grassroots organizations
• Members of the various ethnic and cultural groups in your community
• People you know who are interested in the problem or issue
• Newcomers or young people in the community who are not yet involved

Let's consider some of the people who were involved with the planning group for the fictional Reducing the Risks (RTR) Coalition that hopes to reduce the rate of teen pregnancy. Some of the members of this planning group included teachers at the local high school, local teenagers and their parents, members of the clergy, counselors and school nurses, staff of the county health department, and members of youth organizations, service agencies, and other organizations that focus on youth issues.

Convene a planning group in your community to design your action plan . This might be the same group of people who worked with you to decide your group's strategies and objectives. If you are organizing a new group of people, try to make your planning committee as diverse and inclusive as possible. Your group should look like the people most affected by the problem or issue.

Once everyone is present, go over your organization's:

• Targets and agents of change (e.g., youth, parents and guardians, clergy)
• Proposed changes for each sector of the community (e.g., schools, faith community, service organizations, health organizations, government)

Develop an action plan composed of action steps that address all proposed changes. The plan should be complete, clear, and current. Additionally, the action plan should include information and ideas you have already gathered while brainstorming about your objectives and your strategies. What are the steps you must take to carry out your objectives while still fulfilling your vision and mission? Now it's time for all of the VMOSA components to come together. While the plan might address general goals you want to see accomplished, the action steps will help you determine the specific actions you will take to help make your vision a reality. Here are some guidelines to follow to write action steps.

Members of the community initiative will want to determine:

• What action or change will occur
• Who will carry it out
• When it will take place, and for how long
• What resources (i.e., money, staff) are needed to carry out the change
• Communication (who should know what)

Example: RTR Coalition's Action Step (a sample) One community change sought by this coalition to prevent teen pregnancy was to increase publicity about contraception and unwanted pregnancy at the local high school. What action or change will occur: Hanging posters, displays, and other information about contraception and the facts about unwanted pregnancy in the hallways of the local high school. The posters and other information will become a permanent part of the high school. Posters and information will be regularly changed as new materials become available. Who will carry it out: A sub-committee comprised of parents and guardians, teachers, students, and coalition members will be responsible for maintaining the displays. The coalition as a whole will work towards finding funding to purchase the materials. Maria and Alex of the schools action group will be responsible for researching and ordering the materials. By when will it take place, and for how long: The coalition will try to have posters hanging and displays visible within six weeks of deciding on the action step (2/19/2013). What resources are needed to carry out the step: The coalition will approach the school district to request funding for the project. Otherwise, the group will seek funding from other sources such as foundations and local businesses to finance the program. Communication about the action step. The school principal and leadership of the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) should be given information about this planned change.

Things to note about this portion of the RTR action plan:

• It appears complete . Although this step seems fully developed, we would need to review the entire action plan to see whether all community and system changes that should be sought are included.
• It is clear . We know who will do what by when.
• It seems current . We would need to know more about other current work (and new opportunities and barriers) to judge whether this portion of the action plan is up-to-date.

Review your completed action plan carefully to check for completeness. Make sure that each proposed change will help accomplish your group's mission. Also, be sure that the action plan taken as a whole will help you complete your mission; that is, make sure you aren't leaving anything out.

Follow through. One hard part (figuring out what to do) is finished. Now take your plan and run with it! Remember the 80-20 rule: successful efforts are 80% follow through on planned actions and 20% planning for success.

Keep everyone informed about what's going on. Communicate to everyone involved how his or her input was incorporated. No one likes to feel like her wit and wisdom has been ignored.

Keep track of what (and how well) you've done. Always keep track of what the group has actually done. If the community change (a new program or policy) took significant time or resources, it's also a good idea to evaluate what you have done, either formally or informally.

Keep several questions in mind for both yourself and others:

• Are we doing what we said we'd do?
• Are we doing it well?
• Is what we are doing advancing the mission?

You can address these questions informally (ask yourself, chat with friends and other people), as well as formally, through surveys and other evaluation methods.

Celebrate a job well done! Celebrate your accomplishments; you and those you work with deserve it. Celebration helps keep everyone excited and interested in the work they are doing.

After you've written your action plan: Getting members to do what they said they would

Every community organization has undoubtedly had this happen: you plan and you assign tasks to get everything you've planned to do accomplished. Everyone agrees (maybe they even offer) to do certain tasks, and you all leave with a great feeling of accomplishment. The problem? At the next meeting, nothing has been done. Besides tearing out your hair, what can you do?

Fortunately, there are several things you can try. It's particularly tricky in the case of volunteers, because you don't want to lean too hard on someone who is donating their time and energy to begin with. Still, you can make it easier for members to get things done (and harder to avoid work) without acting like the mean neighbor down the street. Some of these gentle reminders include:

• Regular phone calls from staff members or dedicated volunteers asking others how they are doing with their tasks. This should be a supportive call, not a "are you doing what you're supposed to" call. The person calling can offer emotional support "how are you doing?" as well as see if the group member needs any other assistance. A friendly call such as this can be seen as helpful, give the member the sense that he is a very important part of the group, and serve as a great reminder to do what he said he would do.
• Distributing the action plan in writing to all members, with names attached to specific tasks. (Additionally, this can be a great time to ask for feedback before the plan becomes "official.")
• Making sure timelines (with due dates) are complete, clear and current.
• At regular group meetings, such as committee meetings or board meetings, ask members to report on accomplishing the tasks they have set out to do. Consider making this a regular part of the meeting.
• Celebrate the accomplishment of tasks. It's important that getting something done actually means something, and is recognized by the group as a whole.

Follow up on the action plan regularly. You are asking members to be accountable, and to get things done on a regular basis. If they have agreed, you should help them fulfill their commitment as best you can.

Online Resources

The Ruckus Society offers an  Action Planning Manual  that discusses strategies for nonviolent direct action.

Preventing Adolescent Substance Abuse: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Preventing Youth Violence: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Promoting Child Well-Being: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Promoting Urban Neighborhood Development: An Action Planning Guide for Improving Housing, Jobs, Education, Safety and Health

Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect :  An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Reducing Risk for Chronic Disease: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Print Resources

Barry, B. (1984).  Strategic planning workbook for nonprofit organizations . St. Paul: MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.

Berkowitz, W. (1982).  Community impact: creating grassroots change in hard times . Cambridge, MA: Schenkman Publishing.

Bryson, J. (1988).  Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Fawcett, S., Paine, A., Francisco, V., Richter, K., Lewis, R., Williams, E., Harris, K., Winter, K., in collaboration with Bradley, B. & Copple, J. (1992).  Preventing adolescent substance abuse: an action planning guide for community-based initiatives . Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.

Fawcett, S., Claassen, L., Thurman, T., Whitney, H., & Cheng, H. (1996).  Preventing child abuse and neglect: an action planning guide for building a caring community . Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.

Kansas Health Foundation.  VMOSA: An approach to strategic planning . Wichita, KS: Kansas Health Foundation.

Lord, R. (1989).  The nonprofit problem solver . New York, NY: Praeger.

Olenick, A. & Olenick, P. (1991).  A nonprofit organization manual . New York, NY: The Foundation Center.

Unterman, I., & Davis, R. (1984).  Strategic management of not-for-profit organizations . New York, NY: CBS Educational and Professional Publishing.

Wolf, T. (1990).  Managing a nonprofit organization . New York, NY: Prentice Hall.

Watson-Thompson, J., Fawcett, S., & Schultz, J. (2008). Differential effects of strategic planning on community change in two urban neighborhood coalitions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 42, 25-38.

Action Plan: Definition, Importance & How to Steps!

“An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.” ― Arnold Glasow

We all want to be successful in our lives. Everyone has ideas on how to improve their personal or professional lives and live in a way that will bring them the most amount of prosperity and happiness.

However, without actually acting upon that vision, your ideas will remain just that- ideas.

Taking action at the right time is crucial to realizing your dreams and turning them into reality. However, taking action without a plan is recipe for disaster.

Only when you have laid down a concrete plan, weighing down all the pros and cons, and prepared yourself for challenges, can you go ahead and execute your vision.

This is where an action plan comes in. An action plan helps you realize your dreams and provides you with a clear path toward success.

Let us understand briefly what an action plan really is, why is it important to create an action plan , and lastly, how to create an action plan easily and quickly. Read on…

What is an Action Plan? (Definition)

An action plan is defined as a document or a checklist outlining the steps or tasks one needs to complete in order to achieve the goals they have set.

As part of strategic planning , an action plan plays a crucial role in project management as it helps teams collaborate and communicate effectively and finish a project from start to finish.

Apart from the business world, an action plan is equally useful for individuals looking to achieve personal goals as well.

A great action plan outlines all the required steps to achieve the goal and helps you reach it efficiently within a timeframe. You can create an action plan for a single or multiple goals, depending upon your needs.

Some key elements of an action plan include

• A succinct summary of the goal to be achieved
• Steps or tasks one needs to achieve to reach the goal
• Assigning responsibilities to each team member
• Resources (manpower, time, money, etc) are needed to complete the tasks within a timeframe.
• KPIs ( Key Performance Indicators ) or measures to evaluate success.

An action plan ensures that everything you need to achieve your goal(s) is written down in place, making it easier to track progress and delegate responsibilities.

Having said that, an action plan can be flexible, meaning that you and your team can always go back and move things around in case some new information surfaces.

Read more:   Process Improvement Plan: What, Why, and How to Make It?

Why Do You Need an Action Plan?

According to research by KPMG, an unbelievable 70% of organizations have suffered at least one project failure in the prior 12 months. While there can be many reasons behind project failure, one of the most common ones is the lack of proper planning.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

By not spending much time on planning and creating an action plan , you set yourself up for costly mistakes.

Planning in advance gives you much-needed clarity on the path to take, technologies to deploy, responsibilities to assign, and obstacles to tackle.

An efficient action plan can boost your productivity multifold and keep you and your team focused. Here are some key benefits of creating an effective action plan:

1. Effective communication

An action plan allows your team to be on top of your tasks and coordinate and communicate requirements to all stakeholders.

Deliverables, timetables, responsibilities, task ownership, budget- all are key elements of any project that should be communicated properly for the successful execution of the project . An action plan helps you do just that and more.

2. Acts as a guide

When managers make an action plan, it starts the product development process, helping the team follow instructions.

By assigning the team roles and responsibilities, everyone knows exactly what to do, giving them a sense of direction and a roadmap to adhere to.

3. Prioritize tasks

Since an action plan involves writing down all necessary tasks , it will give you a complete overview of what needs to be done.

This will also help you set priorities for the tasks based on their level of complexity or skill required to complete them and will further simplify your workflow.

4. Improves accountability 

During the planning phase, managers often assign tasks and responsibilities to every team member, which radically improves accountability.

An action plan removes all ambiguity as to who’s doing what and makes sure everyone knows what is expected of them.

5. Allocation of resources 

When a project fails, it not only results in a tremendous waste of time but is often very costly to an organization.

According to a recent report from the Project Management Institute, due to poor project performance, global organizations waste an average of $122 million for every $1 billion spent on projects. That’s a heck of a lot of money!

This is why an action plan is necessary as it allows teams to consider all the challenges and resource allocation prior to the commencement of the project.

It’s the perfect time to brainstorm ideas and allocate resources to ensure smooth project execution .

6. Forecasts Challenges

Planning for failure is equally important as planning for success. An action plan allows you to anticipate challenges, limitations, possible roadblocks, etc related to the project.

Not everything is going to go according to plan and that’s ok.

You just need to be prepared for any possible challenges and have a contingency plan in place regarding how you are going to tackle them.

7. Sets deadlines

It’s much easier to start off new projects than finish one.

Having a set deadline in place ensures that you are always moving forward and are motivated to reach the end goal rather than leaving it midway.

When teams have a well-defined endpoint and can visualize what success would look like, they are more likely to follow through.

8. Track progress

Since an action plan allows you to list down tasks and steps you need to complete, your project becomes easily trackable.

You can easily track progress and see where you are in the project development process and how much time will it take to complete it.

Read more:  Implementation Plan: What is it & How to Create it?

How to Write an Action Plan? (Step by Step)

Step 1: define your smart goal.

The first step to creating a successful action plan is setting a SMART goal. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. This catchy acronym ensures your goal is clear, well-defined, and achievable within a specific timeframe.

Here’s why each element of a SMART goal matters:

• Specific: A vague goal like “get in shape” isn’t specific enough. Instead, aim for something concrete, like “run a 5K race in six months.”
• Measurable: How will you know you’ve achieved your goal? Include quantifiable elements. In the 5K example, you can measure progress by tracking your running distance each week.
• Achievable: Be realistic! While you should challenge yourself, aim for a goal that feels attainable with hard work and dedication.
• Relevant: Make sure your goal aligns with your bigger picture. Is this 5K a stepping stone to a marathon dream, or a way to improve overall health?
• Time-Bound: Set a deadline for achieving your goal. This creates a sense of urgency and helps you track progress along the way.

Step 2: Break Down Your Goal into Action Steps

Now it’s time to take that big picture and turn it into a roadmap. This step involves breaking your goal down into smaller, actionable steps. Here’s how to break down your goal:

• List everything you need to do to achieve your goal. Don’t hold back at this stage. Write down every single thing that comes to mind, no matter how big or small.
• Sequence the steps. Once you have a list, put the steps in order. What needs to happen first, second, and so on?
• Refine and chunk further. Look at your list. Can any of the steps be broken down even further into smaller, more manageable tasks? This will make them less daunting and easier to track.

For example, if your goal is to “Run a 5K race in 6 months,” your action steps might include:

• Sign up for a 5K race 2 months from now (to give yourself training time).
• Find a training plan for beginners and schedule your runs each week.
• Invest in good running shoes.
• Start gradually increasing your running distance each week.
• Research healthy pre- and post-run meals.

Step 3: Identify and Prioritize Tasks

Now that you’ve broken down your big goal into smaller, achievable steps, it’s time to get even more specific. This step is like creating a to-do list for each action step. Brainstorm all the individual tasks you need to complete to achieve each step. Don’t worry about order yet – just get everything down on paper (or digitally, if you prefer).

Once you have a list for each step, it’s time to prioritize! Here’s where those SMART goals come in handy. Think about the following factors when deciding which tasks to tackle first:

• Urgency: Are there any tasks that absolutely need to be done first to move on to the next step? For example, if you’re planning a party, booking the venue might need to happen before finalizing the guest list.
• Importance: Do some tasks have a bigger impact on the overall goal than others? Completing these tasks first might make the rest of the process smoother.
• Dependencies: Are there any tasks that rely on others being completed first? Make sure to identify these so you don’t get stuck waiting.
• Time commitment: How long will each task take? Consider your available time and energy when prioritizing.

Step 4: Assign Roles and Responsibilities (if applicable)

An action plan is most effective when everyone involved knows exactly what they need to do. If you’re working on a project alone, this step might not be necessary. But if you have a team or even a few helpers, assigning clear roles and responsibilities is crucial. Here’s how to assign roles and responsibilities effectively:

• Consider Strengths and Availability: Match tasks to people’s strengths and skills. If someone has experience with a particular area, assign them tasks that leverage that expertise. Also, consider people’s availability. Don’t overload someone who has a busy schedule.
• Clear Communication is Key: Once you’ve decided who does what, have a conversation with each person. Explain the task clearly, answer any questions they might have, and ensure they understand the expected outcome.
• Accountability Matters: Let everyone know who they are accountable to. This creates a sense of ownership and keeps everyone motivated.

Step 5: Set Realistic Deadlines and Milestones

Having a clear roadmap to your goal is crucial, and that’s where deadlines and milestones come in. Deadlines are the finish lines for individual tasks within your action plan. Milestones, on the other hand, are checkpoints that mark significant progress towards your overall goal. Setting realistic deadlines and milestones keeps you focused, motivated, and helps you track your progress.

The key to effective deadlines and milestones lies in honesty. Be realistic about how much time each task will take. Don’t underestimate the effort involved or try to cram too many things into a short timeframe. This will only lead to frustration and missed deadlines. Consider external dependencies as well. Are there approvals, deliveries, or reliance on others that could impact your progress? Factor in buffer time to account for these potential roadblocks.

Breaking down large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps is another effective strategy. This makes it easier to estimate deadlines and keeps you motivated as you complete each mini-goal. Milestones, on the other hand, should celebrate significant achievements along the way. Did you complete a crucial stage of the project? Did you acquire a key resource? Reaching milestones gives you a sense of accomplishment and helps you stay focused on the bigger picture.

Remember, deadlines and milestones are not set in stone. As you progress, you might need to adjust them based on unforeseen circumstances. The key is to be flexible and realistic in your planning. A well-crafted action plan with achievable deadlines and milestones will guide you effectively towards your goal.

Step 6: Identify Resources

Now that you’ve broken down your goal into manageable tasks and set deadlines, it’s time to take stock of what you’ll need to get things done. Resources are anything that helps you complete your action steps. This can include:

• People: Do you need help from others? Will you need to delegate tasks or collaborate with a team?
• Equipment: Do you have the necessary tools and equipment to complete the tasks? This could be anything from a computer and software to specific machinery or supplies.
• Budget: Are there any financial costs associated with your action steps? Do you need to factor in material costs, travel expenses, or any fees?
• Time: This might seem obvious, but be realistic about the amount of time each task will take and ensure you have enough dedicated time to complete everything.
• Information: Do you need to do any research or gather specific information to complete your tasks? Identify what information you need and where you’ll find it.

Step 7: Document Your Action Plan

You’ve identified your goal, broken it down into steps, and figured out who tackles what by when. Now it’s time to solidify your plan by putting it all on paper (or screen!). Documenting your action plan serves several purposes. No matter what format you choose, make sure your documented plan includes the following:

• Goal Statement: Briefly restate your SMART goal at the top of your plan.
• Action Steps: List out all the specific tasks that need to be completed to achieve your goal.
• Deadlines: Assign realistic deadlines for each task or milestone.
• Responsibilities: If you’re working with others, clarify who is responsible for each task.
• Resources: List any resources you’ll need to complete the tasks, such as equipment, budget, or people’s time.

Over to you!

An action plan can cut your work in half by guiding you and your team to success.

Once created, action plans document work on their own as they guide the team through every difficulty and keeps them accountable.

Action plans also communicate goals with internal as well as external stakeholders, keeping the entire process transparent.

So, what are you waiting for? Use a documentation tool like Bit , gather around your troops, and start creating action plans today!

Further reads: 

Eisenhower Matrix: Definition, Quadrants & Tips!

Growth Plan: What is it & How to Create One? (Steps Included)

11 Amazing Goal Tracking Apps and Tools! (Free & Paid)

Crisis Management Plan: Definition, Types & Steps to Create!

How to Create a To-Do List the Most Effective Way! (Free Template)

Weekly Plan: What is it & How to Create an Effective One?

Work Breakdown Structure: Definition, Types, Importance & Process!

Best Roadmap Software You Need to Try (Free & Paid)

Learning Objectives: What are they & How to Write them?

13 Programming Blogs and Websites to Improve Your Coding Skills!

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About Bit.ai

Bit.ai is the essential next-gen workplace and document collaboration platform. that helps teams share knowledge by connecting any type of digital content. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, anyone can work visually and collaborate in real-time while creating internal notes, team projects, knowledge bases, client-facing content, and more.

The smartest online Google Docs and Word alternative, Bit.ai is used in over 100 countries by professionals everywhere, from IT teams creating internal documentation and knowledge bases, to sales and marketing teams sharing client materials and client portals.

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How to plan an essay: Essay Planning

• What's in this guide
• Essay Planning
• Additional resources

How to plan an essay

Essay planning is an important step in academic essay writing.

Proper planning helps you write your essay faster, and focus more on the exact question.  As you draft and write your essay, record any changes on the plan as well as in the essay itself, so they develop side by side.

One way to start planning an essay is with a ‘box plan’.

First, decide how many stages you want in your argument – how many important points do you want to make? Then, divide a box into an introduction + one paragraph for each stage + a conclusion.

Next, figure out how many words per paragraph you'll need.

Usually, the introduction and conclusion are each about 10% of the word count. This leaves about 80% of the word count for the body - for your real argument. Find how many words that is, and divide it by the number of body paragraphs you want. That tells you about how many words each paragraph can have.

Remember, each body paragraph discusses one main point, so make sure each paragraph's long enough to discuss the point properly (flexible, but usually at least 150 words).

For example, say the assignment is

Fill in the table as follows:

Next, record each paragraph's main argument, as either a heading or  topic sentence (a sentence to start that paragraph, to immediately make its point clear).

Finally, use dot points to list useful information or ideas from your research notes for each paragraph. Remember to include references so you can connect each point to your reading.

The other useful document for essay planning is the marking rubric .

This indicates what the lecturer is looking for, and helps you make sure all the necessary elements are there.

Pathways and Academic Learning Support

• << Previous: What's in this guide
• Next: Additional resources >>
• Last Updated: Feb 15, 2024 1:23 PM
• URL: https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/essay_planning

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• Create an action plan that drives resul ...

Create an action plan that drives results

An action plan outlines precisely how you’re planning to accomplish your goals. It’s the perfect way to approach goals systematically and keep your team on target. In this article, we will cover how to create an action plan in six steps and how to implement it successfully. Plus, learn more about the differences between action plans, project plans, and to-do lists.

It can feel good to make goals. After all, you’re defining what you want to accomplish. But goals won’t do much without clear action steps. ​​An action plan is a popular project management technique that lists your action steps so you know exactly how you’re going to accomplish your goals. 

We’re going to show you how to create this clear roadmap step by step and other tools you should utilize to get the most out of your action plan. Let’s dive in.

What is an action plan?

An action plan is a list of tasks or steps you need to complete to achieve your goals. An effective action plan works like a management plan for your company’s initiatives, outlining the steps you need to take to make these larger goals a success. Once you go through the goal-setting process, create an action plan with specific tasks and timeframes to reach each goal. 

Who needs an action plan?

An action plan is useful for anyone who needs a step-by-step planning process. When you create an action plan, you detail exactly what actions you'll take to accomplish your project goals. These plans can help you organize your to-dos and ensure you have the necessary information and resources to accomplish your goals.

But you can create action plans for more than just strategic planning. Use this tool to reach any specific goals in a systematic way. Try setting up:

Business action plan

Marketing action plan

Corrective action plan

Sales action plan

Project action plan

Personal development action plan

Regardless of the type of action plan you create, make sure you create it in task management software . That way, you can easily share action items and timelines with your team to track progress. Instead of manual status updates and unclear deliverables, your team has one central source of truth for everything they need to do in order to hit their goals. 

Now let’s get into how you can create an action plan that increases your team’s efficiency and accountability.

6 steps to create an action plan

Step 1: set a smart goal.

When it comes to setting goals, clarity is the single most important quality. With the SMART goal method, your goal is clearly defined and attainable. Set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals to benefit from this tactic.

For example, your goal could be to deliver your current project (measurable) in four months (time-bound) without overspending (specific). Assuming this goal is both achievable and realistic based on your available resources, it’s a great SMART goal to set for yourself.

Step 2: Identify tasks

Now that your goal is clearly defined and written down, you’ll want to identify the steps you have to take to reach it. Identify all of the tasks that you and your team need to complete to reach milestones and, eventually, the main objective.

Here are a few action plan examples with tasks for different kinds of goals:

Goal: Expand team from seven to nine team members by June.

Meet with Human Resources to discuss the recruitment campaign.

Create a template project to track candidates.

Schedule three interviews per week.

Goal: Select and onboard new work management software to the entire company by the end of Q2.

Apply for the budget.

Create a roll-out plan for Q2.

Schedule training for team members.

Goal: Host 5k charity run in May to raise $15,000 for the local food bank.

Find volunteers and determine responsibilities

Prepare marketing materials and PR plans

Secure sponsors

Step 3: Allocate resources

Once you’ve outlined all of your tasks, you can allocate resources like team members, project budget, or necessary equipment. Whether it’s assigning team members to certain tasks, applying for a budget, or gathering helpful tools—now is the time to plan and prepare.

Sometimes, you can’t allocate all of your resources before you put your action plan in motion. Perhaps you have to apply for funding first or need executive approval before you can move on with a task. In that case, make the resource an action item in your plan so you can take care of it later.

Step 4: Prioritize tasks

When your team is clear on their priorities, they know what work to do first and what work they can reschedule if necessary. No action plan is set in stone, so the best way to empower your team is to let them know what tasks have a high priority and which ones are a bit more flexible.

To make this clear, sort all of your action items by priority and sequence:

Priority: Important and less important tasks.

Sequence: Order in which tasks have to be completed so others can start.

When you’re organizing and prioritizing your action items , you’ll notice that some action items are dependent on others. In other words, one task can’t begin until the previous task is completed. Highlight these dependencies and factor the sequence into your prioritization. This reduces bottlenecks , removing obstacles that would make a less important action item delay a high-priority item.  

Step 5: Set deadlines and milestones

When your team knows what they're working towards, they have the context to effectively prioritize work and the motivation to get great work done. Team members tend to be more motivated when they directly understand how their work is contributing to larger goals.

To engage your teammates from the get go, assign deadlines to all action items and define milestones . Milestones mark specific points along your project timeline that identify when activities have been completed or when a new phase starts

Create a timeline or Gantt chart to get a better overview of your prioritized tasks, milestones, and deadlines. Your timeline also serves as a visual way to track the start and end dates of every task in your action plan. You can use it as a baseline to make sure your team stays on track.

Step 6: Monitor and revise your action plan

Your ability to stay on top of and adapt to changes is what makes you a great project manager. It’s crucial that you monitor your team’s progress and revise the plan when necessary.

Luckily, your action plan isn’t set in stone. The best way to track potentially changing priorities or deadlines is to use a dynamic tool like a work management software . That way, you can update to-dos and dependencies in real time, keep your team on the same page, and your action plan moving.

Action plan vs. plan B vs. project plan vs. to-do list

So how exactly does an action plan differ from all these other plans and lists? To clear this up once and for all, we’re going to explain what these plans are and when to use which plan to maximize your team’s efforts.

Action plan vs. plan B

You may have heard the terms action plan and plan B used interchangeably. But in fact, an action plan and plan B are two completely different types of plans. Here’s how to tell them apart:

Your action plan outlines actions in much detail so you and your team know exactly what steps to take to reach your goal.

A plan B is a secondary action plan, an alternative strategy, that your team can apply if your original plan fails. Whether that’s because of an internal issue or an external factor—having a plan B is a great way to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

Action plan vs. project plan

A project plan is a bit more complicated than an action plan. Project plans are blueprints of the key elements your team needs to accomplish to successfully achieve your project goals. A project plan includes seven elements:

Goals and project objectives

Success metrics

Stakeholders and roles

Scope and budget

Milestones and deliverables

Timeline and schedule

Communication plan

Once you’ve created a project plan, use an action plan to outline and document how your team will execute your tasks and hit your goals. This will ensure that everyone on your team knows what their responsibilities are and what to get done by when.

Action plan vs. to-do list

A to-do list is typically used to write down single tasks that don’t necessarily lead to one common goal. To-do lists can change daily and are much less organized than action plans. An action plan will follow specific steps and include tasks that all lead to the completion of a common goal.

How to implement your action plan successfully

You know how to create an action plan, but in order to implement it successfully, you need to use the right tools and use them correctly. Here are our top five tips to ensure your action plan is effective:

Use task management software

Streamline your action plan by keeping all of your tasks and timelines in one central source of truth. Task management software, like Asana , is perfect for your action plan because it allows you to keep track of pending tasks, declare task ownership, assign dependencies, and connect with your team in real time or asynchronously .

Use or create templates

Create or use a template that lists all the action items with notes, status, priority, and ownership. When you create a template that fits your project type, you can reuse it time and time again.

Set up real-time alerts and assign dependencies

Make sure all action items are time-bound and that you assign dependencies. That way, your team can react when an item is ready for them and easily track what other items depend on theirs. 

Check action items off as you complete them

When action items are completed, check them off! Make sure it’s visible to everyone and happens in real time so the person responsible for the next action item can start their work as soon as possible.

Discuss late or pending tasks

If you run into issues or delays, talk to your team to uncover potential bottlenecks and find solutions that keep the action plan on track. You can add notes directly into your action plan or set up calls to discuss more complex issues.

Ready, set, action plan

Like Benjamin Franklin once said: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Creating an action plan helps you stay focused, on track, and brings your goals to life.

Plan to succeed with a structured action plan and helpful tools like Asana’s task management software. Connect and align with your team in a central source of truth while staying flexible enough to revise your action plan when necessary.

Related resources

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Strategic Planning

Why you need a strategic plan and an action plan.

By Josh Elyea

21 november 2022.

• 1 Strategic Plan vs. Action Plan–What’s the difference?
• 2 Strategic Plan vs. Action Plan–Why You Need Both
• 3.0.1 1. Build S.M.A.R.T Actions
• 3.0.2 2. Align Your Plan With Your Budget
• 3.0.3 3. Be Clear and Proactive About Your “Why”
• 3.0.4 4. Assign Roles and Responsibilities
• 3.0.5 5. Establish Realistic Timelines
• 3.0.6 6. Measure and Report on Your Performance
• 4 Get the Guide↓

Now more than ever, local governments and other public sector organizations understand the value of developing a strategic plan.

Organizations that develop and execute on their strategic plans enjoy significant benefits, and often make the most of the budget and resources afforded to them by their residents or key stakeholders. Just as importantly, a strategic plan gives your organization a roadmap for the future; a set of shared ideals and end goals against which to align day-to-day work. A strong strategic plan, with high employee engagement , affects every department and all levels of stakeholders, whether you’re a senior leader or part of the staff.

But designing your roadmap is only one part of your journey. In our experience working with public sector agencies, it is not uncommon for organizations to spend time, money, and resources developing a strategic plan only for it to never be implemented–that’s why we recommend developing an action plan (often called an operational plan) to help manifest your strategic vision.

Without an action plan, you run the risk of allowing your strategic plan to end up as an expensive paperweight on an administrator’s desk. Without implementation, the goals and milestones you’ve meticulously mapped out may end up stuck in neutral.

In this post, we’ll cover the key differences between a strategic plan versus an action plan, the purpose of an action plan, and some examples to help you build an effective action plan structure.

Strategic Plan vs. Action Plan–What’s the difference?

Before we talk about how to build an action plan, let’s talk about what delineates it from your strategic plan.

A strategic plan outlines your vision for the future. It helps you to prioritize goals, make resourcing decisions, and rally employees, leaders, elected officials, stakeholders, and residents around a shared vision for your organization or community.

Components of a strategic plan include:

• Strategic goals: Think of these as your main areas of focus. If you are a public sector organization, these are often set in conjunction with your elected officials or driven by community feedback. These are sometimes referred to as “strategic pillars”. Some examples might be “Improve Sustainability” or “Support Economic Vitality.”
• Strategies: These are typically major initiatives, or services that must be completed in order to progress towards your goals.
• Performance measures: Specific performance measures that let you monitor your progress towards your strategies and your goals.

Once a strategic plan is created, the next step is—you guessed it—an action plan. An action plan puts your strategy into the heads, hearts, and hands of the people who will make a real, measurable difference by implementing your strategic plan.

So, what is an action plan?

An action plan includes:

• The programs, activities, and projects that will push forward your strategies, each with an assigned owner and contributors. These are often developed by department heads with input from frontline workers.
• Allocation of resources that will drive the strategic plan forward
• Progress reporting structure and timeline

Based on our experience working with hundreds of public sector organizations, we recommend implementing your strategic plan by developing three, cascading levels (we call this your planning framework):

Your strategic plan should cover the top two levels of your framework Your action plan makes up the third level of your planning framework.

Here is an example of a three-tiered plan in practice, as laid out in Envisio:

Strategic Plan vs. Action Plan–Why You Need Both

When it comes to designing a strategic plan and reaching organizational goals, a large number of organizations fail to execute on their vision. Your action plan takes your strategic plan and makes it operational—it brings your strategy to life. An action plan provides your staff with responsibilities, tasks, and the necessary resources to align your efforts with strategy and make them feel relevant, impactful, and engaging.

Having both a strategic plan and an action plan in place helps your organization turn your strategy from a two-dimensional document into a demonstrable success. But we understand that forming an action plan isn’t necessarily the most intuitive process, so we’ve created the following checklist and guidance to help you move from planning to action.

Creating Your Action Plan Structure

1. build s.m.a.r.t actions.

Actions will make up the foundation of your action plan. But what is an action, exactly? An action is anything you do to pursue a strategy, and we encourage our customers to think of actions as projects and programs, and not as individual tasks, checklists or steps.

As you create your action items and activities that make up your operational plan, remember that each one needs to be S.M.A.R.T. This acronym stands for:

Specific: Something that can be actioned and is well-defined.

Measurable: An activity or action that can have an outcome or performance measure(s) associated with it.

Attainable: Actions have to be achievable. Make sure it has enough time, the right people, and the budget assigned to it, and that any major roadblocks have been considered.

Relevant: The action needs to align with a strategic priority.

Timebound: Your activity should have start and end dates.

Crafting S.M.A.R.T. actions will ensure that your action plan remains timely, relevant, and easy to allocate resources to. And speaking of those resources…

2. Align Your Plan With Your Budget

To set your plan up for success, you’ll need to talk about money. Even the best operational plan will fail without the necessary resources behind it, which means that you’ll need to make sure that the budget, human resources, and requisite tools (technology partners, third party vendors, consultants, etc.) are aligned with your strategic vision and the actions that you create to deliver it.

Aligning your strategic and action plan with your budgeting process isn’t always easy. You might meet some resistance along the way from stakeholders both internal and external—if you do, remember to communicate the value of the process you’re undertaking.

A budget is a value statement about what matters to your organization—using the vision and goals in your strategic plan to guide your budgeting process can provide a framework for evaluating where to use your resources to the greatest effect. Often referred to as priority-based budgeting , this approach emphasizes allocating resources to the actions that achieve your goals.

3. Be Clear and Proactive About Your “Why”

As you go about formulating and executing your action plan, there will be moments where you’ll need to advocate for the process you are undergoing. Whether you’re trying to secure money for a new program, motivating staff to create their own action items, or communicating the many benefits of aligning departmental work plans with your strategic plan, you’ll need to be ready to defend, educate and inspire with the action plan you’re building and the process by which you’re building it.

Most importantly, you’ll need to communicate why your action plan matters –showing the value of what you are doing is the best way to ensure buy-in from the whole of your organization.

4. Assign Roles and Responsibilities

A plan is only as good as the individuals you trust to execute it, and your operational plan is no different.

To create a plan that actually gets executed, you will need to ensure that all of your goals, strategies, actions and performance measures have owners. This is a single person that is responsible for the execution of that activity or for hitting a specific performance target.

But while assigning clear roles and responsibilities for the action items identified above is essential to ensure your operational plan keeps moving, many of our highest performing clients take things a step further and move away from simply assigning roles and responsibilities–they work to engage their employees to the point where they own and champion the strategic and operational imperatives that let you drive progress.

5. Establish Realistic Timelines

Now that you’ve broken down your strategic vision into bite-sized action items and figured out who among your staff is going to be responsible for achieving them, you’ll need to identify reasonable timelines for the completion of these tasks.

Part of establishing realistic timelines for your actions, items, and strategic objectives comes from proper prioritization–as we know, if everything is a priority, then nothing is. It’s also important to remember that not everything has to start at once! If, for example, your plan spans 5 years, it’s likely that many of your activities cannot even begin until a few years down the road.

Understanding what you need to accomplish, when, and in what order, will help you hold true in times when your staff, resources, and patience are tested.

6. Measure and Report on Your Performance

Developing your operational plan is just one of many steps in a strategy execution and performance management journey. Once you’ve broken down your strategic plan into action items and established roles, responsibilities, and timelines, you’ll need to develop a series of key performance indicators (KPIs) or performance measures that let you monitor where you are in relation to your goals.

The process behind developing KPIs for local governments and other public sector organizations is not something we’ll cover here (check out our complete guide on how to build local government performance measures for more), but it’s essential to monitor your progress with key indicators as you move forward. Remember, what gets measured gets managed, and you’ll need to understand how you’re performing to understand where and how you can do better when it comes to executing on your strategic vision.

This is where a dedicated performance management platform like Envisio can help. Envisio allows you to manage your action plan, KPIs, key milestones, and roles and responsibilities in an intuitive and user-friendly manner. Further, it’ll help you immensely when it comes to the other key area of managing your operational plan: reporting to internal and external stakeholders.

Get the Guide↓

Are you looking for more help as you develop an action plan? Our latest guide, From Strategy to Action: A Guide to Operational Planning for Local Governments & Public Sector Organizations , will give you a more comprehensive overview of how to accomplish the sections above, as well as ready-to-use action planning templates.

Based in Toronto, Josh Elyea has been writing professionally for over a decade. His experience bridges the space between the corporate and the creative, and his portfolio includes everything from journalism and copy to fiction and screenplays. Josh has a Master’s Degree in Literature with a specific focus on postwar American literature–a subject which has left him with a keen interest in the intersection between the stories we tell and the social, political, and economic consequences they grow from. He began his career with Enviso because he believes that the institutions that shape our society matter, and he’s excited to help build better and more trustworthy public sector organizations across North America. In his spare time, Josh is a multi-instrumentalist, a Blue Jays fan, and an avid reader of fiction.

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How to Write an Action Plan (Example Included)

What Is an Action Plan?

In project management, an action plan is a document that lists the action steps needed to achieve project goals and objectives. Therefore, an action plan clarifies what resources you’ll need to reach those goals, makes a timeline for the action items and determines what team members are required. We’ll define what project goals, project objectives, action items and action steps are later in this guide.

An action plan is similar to a project implementation plan, and it’s very helpful during the project planning and project execution phases. That’s because an action plan documents the execution of the project plan; it’s a detailed list of the work that must be done to complete the project goals, from the start of the project to the finish.

Action Plan Sample

Take a look at this sample of an action plan. We used our free action plan template for Excel and filled out some potential marketing tasks, phases and assignees. It’s a thorough action plan that accounts for progress, timelines, planned hours, resources and even costs. It’s a great place to start when making your own action plan. Download it and keep reading to make an ideal action plan.

Action Plan Components

An action plan answers the who, what and when of what you’re proposing. Those questions are answered by the various components that make up an action plan. The following are the basic building blocks of a successful action plan.

• Action Plan Steps: The action plan steps are the answer to the question of what. They’re the activities that’ll lead to achieving your goal. Action plan steps detail what will happen, and the more detail, the better.
• Action Items: The action items are the specific, small tasks that make up the action plan steps. These are the tasks that, when executed, lead to the next action plan step.
• Action Plan Timeline: An action plan timeline is the whole action plan laid out from start to finish. It shows the full duration of the action plan and every step and task is also plotted on this timeline, including their start and end dates.
• Action Plan Resources: Resources are anything needed to execute the action plan. That includes labor, materials, equipment, etc. You’ll want to identify the resources you’ll need for the action plan and attach them to the tasks to which they’ll be applied.
• Action Plan Matrix: A matrix is just a tool to help you determine which tasks you need to complete and in what order. Use our free action plan template to outline the steps, items, timeline and resources you’ll need to get the plan done right.
• Action Plan Report: Once you start to execute the action plan, you’ll need to ensure your actual progress matches your planned progress. To track progress, you’ll want to use an action plan report, which is a snapshot of your time, costs and more over a specific period.

Not only are you figuring out the action steps and timeline, but you’ll also determine who you’ll assemble for your project team to work on those tasks. This requires robust project management software like ProjectManager . ProjectManager offers multiple action planning tools such as Gantt charts, kanban boards, project calendars and more. Best of all, these project planning views sync with project dashboards, timesheets and workload charts to keep track of progress, project resources and costs.

Types of Action Plans

There are many different types of action plans that are used on various kinds of strategic initiatives. Each is similar in makeup but differs in their goals. Here are a few of the varieties of action plans.

Business Action Plan

A business action plan is used to set goals and tasks when you want to start a business or grow an existing business. It outlines the vision for the business and the actions you’ll take to achieve that vision.

Project Action Plan

An action plan for a project is really no different from a general action plan. The only difference is that it’s about producing a deliverable at the end of the plan, whether that be a product or service.

Personal Action Plan

Again, a personal action plan differs little from any other action plan except for the goal. For example, a personal action plan might be for an individual to exercise more. Therefore, the goal might be to walk for a half-hour a day, say, during lunchtime.

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Action Plan Template

Use this free Action Plan Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

How to Write an Action Plan for Project Management in 10 Steps

The benefits of an action plan are simple: you’ve now outlined what action steps and what resources are needed to reach your stated project goals. By having this collected in a single project management document, you can more successfully plan out how to execute your project plan.

People get overwhelmed by project management jargon when having to plan out a project, but the word “action” everyone can understand. The fundamentals to getting an action plan together for any project follow these four project planning basic steps:

1. Define Your Project Goals

There’s a difference between project goals and project objectives. Project goals refer to the high-level goals that the project will achieve. Those generally align with the strategic planning and business objectives of organizations.

2. Define Your Project Objectives

The project objectives are much more specific than the project goals. Project objectives refer to the deliverables and milestones that need to be completed to achieve your project goals.

3. Define Action Steps

The action steps are a group of related tasks or action items that must be executed to produce project deliverables.

4. Identify and Prioritize Action Items

Action items are small, individual tasks that make up the action steps that are outlined in your action plan. First, you need to identify task dependencies among them, and then assign those action items a priority level so that they’re executed sequentially.

5. Define Roles & Responsibilities

Now that you’ve divided the work required to accomplish your action plan, you’ll need to assign action items to your project team members and define their roles and responsibilities.

6. Allocate Resources

As with your project plan, your action plan has resource requirements. Having identified your action steps and action items will help you understand what resources are needed for each task and allocate them accordingly.

7. Set SMART Goals

Your action plan needs to be monitored and controlled to measure its performance. That’s why it’s important that you set SMART goals for your action items, action steps and your project objectives. SMART goals stand for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.

8. Set a Timeline for Your Action Plan

As a project manager, you’ll need to do your best to estimate how long it’ll take to complete your action items and action steps. Once you do so, you’ll have a timeline. You can use project management techniques like PERT charts or the critical path method to better estimate the duration of your project action plan.

9. Write an Action Plan Template

Create or use a simple action plan template to collect tasks, deadlines and assignments. This is the place where everything task-related goes in your project action plan, so you have a place for all this crucial information.

Writing an action plan template it’s a great idea because you’ll need to use that format throughout the project. That’s why we’ve created a free action plan template that you can download. There are also dozens of other free project management templates for Excel and Word that can help you with every phase of your project.

10. Use a Project Management Tool

Use a project management tool to keep you on task. ProjectManager has project planning features that help you monitor and report on project progress and performance. Get a high-level view of the action plan with our live dashboards. Unlike other tools, we don’t make you set up the dashboard.

Once you’ve mapped out your action plan, you can use project planning tools to zoom into all the details about your action steps and action items. With ProjectManager, you can calculate various metrics, such as project variance, workload and more. They’re displayed in easy-to-read charts and graphs. Share them with stakeholders to give them updates on action steps whenever they want.

Tips to Write an Action Plan

Once you have an action plan, how do you work with it to run a successful project? Here are some tips to help with implementing your action plan:

• Focus on priorities and what’s due now when identifying action steps and setting your action plan timeline
• When you complete action steps, mark them off
• Have your team members work on one project management platform
• Set up alerts
• Discuss pending or overdue tasks

Action Plan Example

We’ve been talking a lot about an action plan, but let’s take a look at one in-depth. Below, you’ll see our free action plan template . It’s set up for the development of a website.

It’s broken down into phases, the first being the project planning phase , which includes the action steps, market research and the design of the site. You’ll see that tasks are outlined for each action step, including a description of that task, who’s assigned to execute it, the priority and even the status of its completion.

This is followed by the third action step, which is the launch of the site. This is the execution phase of the action plan, but it follows the same format, such as noting the priority, who’s responsible for the work, what that work is and its status.

There’s also a timeline to define the start dates of each of the tasks in the action steps, including the planned hours. This allows you to determine the length of each task and the duration of the entire action plan, from start to finish.

Finally, there’s a place to add your resources. They’re broken down into departments, for example, marketing, web development, etc. Then the materials that are required for each task are listed, including their costs. This allows you to estimate the cost of the plan.

How to Make An Action Plan With ProjectManager

Follow along with this action plan example to see how action plans are typically laid out using project planning software .

1. Map Action Plan Steps Using Multiple Project Views

ProjectManager can help you build your action plan and then execute it. Collect all your action steps tasks on our list view, which does more than light-weight to-do list apps because it allows you to then map your action plan with Gantt charts , project calendars and kanban boards. These robust project management tools allow you to prioritize action items, customize tags and show the percentage complete for each task. Our online project management software gives you real-time data to help you create an action plan and stick to it.

2. Assign Action Items to Your Team Members

Once you’ve mapped out your action plan steps with ProjectManager’s project planning tools , you can assign tasks to your team members and indicate what resources are needed for the completion of each action item. Indicate their roles and responsibilities and set priority levels for each task to ensure the work is carried out properly.

3. Set Action Plan Steps and Deliverables

It’s important to note all the phases of the project timeline to know what action steps and tasks will take place and when. In addition, ProjectManager’s Gantt chart allows you to identify project phases, find the critical path, and set due dates for project milestones and deliverables

4. Track Progress With Real-Time Dashboards

Once you start the project, you’ll need to chart the progress of the work being done. This leads us to the real-time project dashboard , where you’ll check whether your action plan is on schedule and under budget.

Manage Your Project With an Action Plan

Getting a plan together is only the first part of managing a project . Remember, it’s not something to write and put away, but rather it’s a living document that should follow you throughout the project life cycle. Jennifer Bridges, PMP, offers more tips on how to write an action plan in the video below.

Here’s a screenshot for your reference:

ProjectManager’s Action Planning Tools are Ideal for Managing Action Plans

If you’re looking to make an action plan and then take action on it by executing, monitoring and reporting on a project, then you’ll want ProjectManager. Our online project management software lets you make an action plan online with multiple project planning tools such as Gantt charts, task lists, kanban boards and project calendars. Then, you can use timesheets, project dashboards and resource management tools to keep track of progress, time and costs.

Plan & Schedule With Gantt Charts

ProjectManager’s Gantt chart is ideal to map out your action plan on an interactive project timeline that helps you organize your tasks, link dependencies and set milestones. More than that, you can filter for the critical path. When you’re done scheduling your action steps you can set a baseline. This allows you to always see the planned versus actual progress of your action plan to help you stay on track.

Manage Action Items with Kanban Boards, Task Lists and Project Calendars

Once you’ve used the Gantt chart to create a timeline for your action plan, you can zoom into the nitty-gritty details of everyday work with kanban boards , task lists and project calendars. With these tools, you can assign tasks and give teams a collaborative platform to comment and share relevant documents with unlimited file storage and real-time communication features.

Track Progress, Resources and Costs With Real-Time Action Plan Dashboards

ProjectManager’s real-time action plan dashboards sync with all its project management tools so you can check the status of your action plan at any time. You can check on your team members’ progress to see who’s over or underallocated, check labor costs and track whether your team is on schedule.

ProjectManager gives you all the tools you need to create and implement a successful action plan. Regardless of the type of action plan that you need to create, our award-winning project management software makes it easy to do so. Get started with a free 30-day trial today. 

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Project Management

Turning Desires Into Reality: How to Write an Action Plan, With Examples

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It’s so easy to lapse into a daydream over all the things we’d like to be doing in our life. Maybe on a walk with the dog around the block, you start to fantasize about the new career you want to break into, the second home you want to purchase or the dream vacation you hope to take someday. And on the way, you see your neighbors achieving so much. They’re buying new cars, expanding their homes, and growing lush green gardens.

It can feel like salt in the wounds when you finish the loop and return to your own life that looks pretty much the same as it did a decade ago: the same income, the same job, the same beat up car. It’s so common to put forth an honest effort yet feel as though life is just going in circles.

If you’re wishing to make a big change or pursue goals, the good news is that all these dreams are not far away castles in the clouds. Achieving goals and pursuing dreams is about getting practical and establishing systems. It’s about following an action plan.

Whether our goals are career or health related, or something else entirely, a simple practical approach is key to getting there. Let’s look at the six essential steps of an action plan, and then some examples for achieving goals in all areas of our lives.

The 6 Steps in Every Action Plan

An action plan is simple and intuitive. The problem for many is that they do not make the effort to put one into place. Rather than working towards goals, they instead spiral into patterns of procrastination or stagnation. And so simply following a plan places you a cut above the rest. The following six steps cover the essentials to any action plan.

Step 1: Name the Goal

The first step in an action plan is to identify and transcribe the real goal. This may sound so basic, yet it’s so often the case that a goal is never clarified or broken down into specifics.

For example, maybe someone sets out with a goal to lose weight. When she really digs down into her motivations, however, she discovers that her actual objective is to develop an active lifestyle that includes recreational activities like biking and skiing. This is a very different goal than simply reducing the number on the scale. While weight loss may be fundamental to achieving this true goal, it certainly isn’t the only criteria.

Once the true goal is identified, the next step is to outline some parameters around it. This makes it possible to understand whether or not the goal has truly been achieved. A goal to “lose weight,” for example, is so vague that it’s impossible to determine whether or not it’s been attained. The SMART formula is effective at this stage . This is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. A goal that fulfills these five criteria is both meaningful and measurable.

A final component to this first step is to transcribe the goal and place it in a visible location, such as a bulletin board or screen saver. This not only crystalizes the objective, but it also instills the goal into the subconscious. Your energy centers around the goal, and you attract those circumstances and persons necessary to achieve it.

Step 2: List Tasks & Obstructions

Once the goal has been sufficiently identified, the next step is to list all of the tasks needed to achieve the goal. These tasks cannot be general, but rather must be specific and measurable. Take the goal of losing weight. The task of “exercise regularly” is too vague, and can be revised to something more specific such as “walk for 30 minutes every day.”

This is also the point at which to identify obstructions alongside corresponding solutions. Mental block is a common obstruction to achieving a goal. When a goal requires doing something for the first time, fear of the unknown can cause people to stop dead in their tracks. Obstructions also can be budget or skill related. If someone doesn’t have the proper skills or sufficient funds, then the goal is impossible. And so it’s necessary to identify these obstructions and then come up with creative solutions. This could mean receiving training in a new skill, or engaging in exercises to get unstuck .

Step 3: Prioritize the Action List

The first draft of the task list usually covers an enormous number of tasks. It’s often the case, however, that only a few of these activities are critical to achieving the goal. As an action plan seeks to complete a goal as fluidly and efficiently as possible, it eliminates busywork and accentuates those tasks that advance you toward the finish line.

One method for ferreting out critical tasks is to answer the question, “If I could just complete one task, which one would bring me closest to my goal?” Once this task is identified, ask the question again of the remaining tasks, until 20% of the tasks have been singled out. This is the essence of the 80/20 rule, or Pareto Principle , which says that 20% of the tasks drive 80% of the results.

While this planning can be time consuming, in the long run it saves time. It means that every task is meaningful and resources are utilized wisely.

Step 4: Assign Work Sensibly

In the interest of saving money, it’s tempting to try and do everything yourself. But this may not be the best use of resources. Sometimes outsourcing makes more sense. When work is delegated with precision, it means that the person with the most suitable skill set is assigned to a task. It ensures quality, and saves time and other resources in the long run.

Step 5: Set a Deadline

Once the critical tasks are known, it’s possible to sketch out a realistic time frame. A deadline ensures that critical tasks are completed and that the workflow progresses steadily. It creates momentum and drive. If you don’t meet the deadline, however, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It’s simply an indication that the initial estimates were off, and that readjustments are necessary.

Step 6: Reflect & Adjust

Most every action plan requires adjustments as things proceed closer to the goal. As new information is gathered, it may become apparent that a pivot is necessary. Through periodic reflections, it’s possible to make a proper evaluation and adjustment of either the budget, task list, or timeline.

And this summarizes the six essential steps of an action plan. This methodical approach means all energy and resources are prudently dedicated toward achieving the goal. Now let’s look at some examples of what an action plan might look like in various areas of our lives.

Example 1: Business Development

For this example, let’s consider a service business that aspires to rebrand itself in order to attract a higher-income clientele and so increase its overall revenue.

This first step is to define the goal with precision. Rather than state the goal as something like, “Find clients in a higher income bracket,” a SMART goal is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound. This could be something like, “Re-brand coaching business over the next six months with the aim to attract clientele who earn $100K+ a year. Within 18 months, these clientele will constitute a majority in the business, and the overall yearly revenue will have increased by 30% above the current revenue.”

This next step is to identify each and every specific task necessary to achieve the goal, and would include things like refresh copy, update photos and select brand colors and fonts.

These tasks need to be specific and measurable. For example, market research and marketing are central toward achieving this goal. However, “create a marketing plan” is far too vague. A better task would be, “select three social media platforms for building and propagating the brand.”

This is also the stage for identifying obstructions and exploring solutions. Perhaps the business owner is not a skilled photographer, or has budget constraints. One way to get around these constraints is to offer free coaching services to a local photographer in exchange for his or her skills.

This stage means parsing through the task list and identifying what actions are really going to draw in and keep the target clientele. It’s quite possible that things like font, logo and brand colors would fall further down on this task list. While market research; digging down to understand what the target clientele really wants and then drafting a marketing plan that attracts them; would certainly be first and foremost.

Again, few of us have a skill set that mirrors a Swiss army knife. As much as we’d like to do it all ourselves, we don’t have the time or the talent to achieve everything on the task list on our own. This step, then, means delegating work with prudence. What other resources might be utilized in order to achieve the goal within the given time and budget constraints? This might mean hiring a virtual assistant to run social media and a copywriter to re-refresh website copy.

With the critical tasks identified, it’s time to establish realistic yet firm timelines. Without a deadline, a goal like rebranding could drag on forever. Some key milestones might include completing market research, launching the new website and implementing the marketing plan.

Step 6: Reflect and Adjust

Once the action plan is underway, plenty of adjustments will be called for. Perhaps the marketing plan isn’t connecting to the target audience. It may be necessary to return to the drawing table, looking carefully at statistics and market research, then tweak the plan going forward.

And this summarizes what a rebranding action plan might look like. Let’s move onto an action plan for a personal health goal.

Example 2: Personal Health

For this next example, let’s consider a goal to improve overall health and fitness.

The first step is to dig down and identify the true objectives, then outline the goal with precision. In this instance, let’s say the individual aims to improve his health in order to increase his lifespan and his ability to participate in lifetime sports such as skiing and tennis. The objective, then, is to both lose weight, improve diet, and strengthen core muscles. A SMART goal might be stated as, “Over the next twelve months, lose twenty pounds, eliminate carbs from my diet while increasing fruit and fiber, and visit the gym four times a week.”

This next step is to list all of the steps necessary to achieve the goal. Many of these tasks are fairly straightforward, such as sign up for a gym membership, purchase gym clothes, outline healthy meal plans and research healthy recipes.

A key component at this stage is also to identify obstructions and solutions. Perhaps a busy work schedule makes regular exercise difficult. A solution might be to start the workday thirty minutes later a few times a week in order to fit in a morning workout. If the obstruction is diet related, then maybe joining a weekly group such as Weight Watchers is the answer to keeping on track.

This stage is about looking over the task list and answering the question, “If I could only select one of these tasks, which one would be most critical toward achieving the goal?” over and over again until the top 20% of the tasks have been identified. Perhaps the most important tasks are getting to the gym and eating healthy meals, while purchasing the perfect pair of sneakers drops to the wayside.

Naturally with a fitness goal, much of the work must be completed by the individual and cannot be delegated. However, if the goal is a team effort, say between spouses, then perhaps one individual is more suited to completing some of the tasks than another. Maybe one person prepares healthy meals, or the two juggle workloads so as to allow each other time to visit the gym.

Ideally, a long-term goal is broken down into short bursts of work. This allows for focus and also the space to pivot and reflect. For this example, the goal of losing twenty pounds over a year might be broken down into losing five pounds every three months.

The final step is to pause regularly to assess. After six weeks of implementing the action plan, perhaps the weight loss isn’t happening, or the diet plan is too difficult. Staying on track may require taking a new approach.

Example 3: Professional Development

In this final example, let’s consider the goal of a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) to break away from a corporate position and establish an independent practice.

A SMART way to state this goal is, “Transition into independent employment as a CFP over the next nine months, with the objective to regain my current income level within two years.”

Some of the tasks toward working independently as a CFP would include acquiring necessary licensing, finding a new office, and researching ways to market and solicit business. Purchasing office equipment would also be on order, as well as possibly hiring a VA or bookkeeper. One clear obstruction to reaching this goal would be regulations around soliciting business from current clients.

At this point the 80/20 rule comes into play. What tasks are the most important? Which can be deferred? Licensing and marketing would be critical, while hiring additional help might not be necessary right away.

Once the critical tasks are outlined, the next step is to delegate. Perhaps the clerical work could be outsourced to a VA.

With the critical tasks laid out, this step determines milestones. Is nine months a reasonable target date?

And the final step is to reflect periodically. Is the marketing plan attracting clients? If not, perhaps a new approach is necessary.

We have dreams and aspirations in all areas of our life. Oftentimes, a life milestone such as a 40th birthday or the birth of a child triggers us to set out to tackle life goals.

However, unless goals are approached methodically, they often can be out of reach. They can seem overwhelming, and you may not attempt them at all.

With an action plan, the impossible becomes attainable. An action plan makes goals practical and reachable. This plan not only specifies the true goal, it also charts a realistic path toward getting there.

What is one goal you’d like to reach over the next twelve months?

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• Introduction
• Module 1 - Childhood and children’s rights
• Module 2 - Children’s rights and the law
• Module 3 - Children’s rights and health practice
• Module 4 - Children’s rights in the wider environment: role of the health worker
• Module 5 - Children’s rights: planning, monitoring and evaluation
• Tutor guide
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• Module 1: Module 1 - Childhood and children’s rights
• Module 2: Module 2 - Children’s rights and the law
• Module 3: Module 3 - Children’s rights and health practice
• Module 4: Module 4 - Children’s rights in the wider environment: the role of the health worker
• Introduction to Module 5
• 1.1 Introduction
• 1.2 Learning outcomes

Understanding action planning as part of a process

The importance of action planning

Tasks, resources and measures of success

• Ten characteristics of a good action plan
• Involving children
• Involving others
• 1.6 Summary
• 1.7 Self-assessment questions
• 1.8 Answers to activities
• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 Learning outcomes
• Making decisions about monitoring
• Tools to assist with monitoring: outputs and indicators
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• Responsibility for monitoring and evaluation
• The importance of evaluation
• Levels of involvement
• Techniques to use with children in monitoring and evaluation
• 2.6 Summary
• 2.7 Self-assessment questions
• 2.8 Answers to activities
• Study session 1
• Study session 2
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgements

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When a project is relatively small and short-term, for example designing, producing, printing and distributing a leaflet, it may not be necessary or beneficial to develop an action plan. This is particularly the case where there are few people to be involved and what has to be done, and the steps to achieve it are clear. Tasks that are repeated often generally do not need an action plan. For medium-sized projects, such as organising a conference, an action plan can be very beneficial. For larger projects or programmes, such as opening a new health centre, an action plan is essential.

Action planning has a number of specific advantages over and above a list of things to do, or scheduling work using a calendar or diary:

• It provides an opportunity for reflection. Before beginning something, it is helpful to think about what has happened before, what actions have brought about success or partial success and what actions have not helped.
• It brings people together. Action planning can bring together individuals who are knowledgeable in the area of work (experts), individuals who are experiencing the problem and stand to benefit from the change (beneficiaries), and individuals who can contribute to the project (resources). In many cases, a person can have more than one of these roles.
• It clarifies the objective. It is often assumed that if a group of people come together to create an action plan, they will have the same objective, but that is usually not the case. A conference on forced child marriage, for example, may include people who are interested in influencing adults, people who are interested in empowering women and girls, people who want to work with young men, and people who want to create legal change. The emphasis of a project will change depending on the objective, and action planning provides the opportunity to clarify exactly what change is required.
• It builds consensus. Just as consensus on the objective can be achieved, consensus on priorities can also be achieved through the action planning process. Everyone involved can contribute their ideas, and gradually, through discussion, negotiation and compromise, the most important actions will emerge.
• It creates ownership and accountability. When people are involved in developing an action plan, they are more likely to contribute realistic suggestions that are often things they have some influence over. The involvement process creates a sense of individual and collective ownership for the action plan. This ownership allows for tasks to be allocated to different people, creating accountability. Individuals who are assigned tasks know they are responsible for these and that they will need to report progress at agreed intervals.
• It clarifies timescales. Setting out all the tasks that need to be done to achieve a particular objective and making decisions about how much resource is available for each task, allows for a realistic assessment of how long the overall action plan will take. Every action in an action plan should have a clear completion date.
• It identifies measures of success. Measures of success are like stepping stones towards a larger objective. They provide a way of measuring progress towards that goal. For example, if an objective is to prevent early pregnancy, there may be many steps towards that goal, including providing contraception, educating children and tackling child abuse. Each of these steps can be measured to ensure it achieves its aim and contributes to the larger objective of preventing early pregnancy.

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How to Create an Effective Action Plan (Examples & Templates)

Written by: Raja Mandal

Since you're here, you might be struggling to achieve your personal, professional or company goals. And if you think an action plan is just what you need to help you create a clear path for reaching your goals, you're absolutely right!

An effective action plan is critical, whether sending out weekly email newsletters, putting together a presentation, or executing a marketing plan or business plan . However, creating an action plan from scratch can be even more troublesome if you don’t know how to do it.

Fortunately, with Visme’s action plan templates , anyone can create an effective action plan in minutes.

Continue reading to discover what exactly an action plan is, why you need one, how to create one and some template examples that you can use it for inspiration.

Table of Contents

What is an action plan and why do you need one, why do you need an action plan, how to create an effective action plan.

10 Action Plan Templates To Help You Execute Projects

As the name suggests, an action plan is the set of tasks or activities you need to complete to achieve a goal or complete a project. You can think of it as a timeline, a list of actionable steps, people responsible for each of them and who follows the progress of each step to come up with the best results.

This single document can help you plan and monitor activities, identify the resources needed, and how and when they should be used to ultimately achieve your stated goal.

Now, you might be wondering the difference between an action plan and a to-do list. The most significant difference between these two is that to-do lists are ongoing and include tasks for different goals and projects. On the flip side, an action plan is focused on a specific goal within a limited time frame.

The purpose of creating an action plan:

• Consumer Complaint Investigation
• Project Management
• Risk and Opportunity Management
• Product Launch
• Daily Meetings
• Market Research

According to a recent study, those who finish their business plan are twice as likely to succeed in their business than those who have no business plan. So, plan to be prepared for the obstacles ahead and keep yourself on track.

And an effective action plan helps you boost your productivity and keep yourself focused. Here are some of the reasons why you need an action plan.

Get a Clear Direction

An action plan highlights the steps you should take and the timeframe to complete them. Therefore, you will get a clear direction of what to do in order to achieve your goals. So, whenever you stress yourself about the next steps or the actions taken in the past, you have everything in hand.

Keep Everyone On the Same Track

An effective action plan can bring every team member or stakeholder on the same page. It can be an individual who is an expert in the area of work, the one who is experiencing the problem and stands to benefit from the change, or who can contribute towards the goal or project.

Get a Better Clarification of the Timeframe

Every action in your action plan should have an exact completion date. Once you assign all the tasks that need to be done to achieve your goal and understand the requirements of resources for it, you can quickly figure out how long the overall action plan will take.

Measure Your Success

Measuring the success of the progress of your goal is another crucial benefit of using an action plan. For example, if an objective is to write an action plan, there may be many steps towards that goal, including understanding the design process, writing the text, branding and many others.

You can measure each of these steps to ensure you achieve the goals and contribute to the larger objective of creating an action plan.

Learning to create an action plan might seem daunting at first, but it’s worth the effort to keep yourself productive towards the goal later on. Though there is no universal formula to create an action plan, and they may differ in terms of tasks and timelines, you can follow the simple steps below to create one.

Define S.M.A.R.T. Goals

The most important ingredients you need to create an effective action plan are the goals you want to achieve. Since you are reading this, you might have already defined goals. But, if you haven’t, use the SMART method to create specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals.

Use the infographic below to understand a SMART goal and try to create yours accordingly.

Once you have set SMART goals, you are already halfway through achieving them. If you struggle with creating SMART goals, use the worksheet template below.

Additionally, read the article on how to create SMART goals to learn more about it.

Prepare the List of Actions

Now, prepare a list of actions you need to take to reach your goal. It would be better to divide your main goal into smaller actionable steps to make the final goal less overwhelming and get closer to achieving your goal one step at a time.

However, make sure that the actions are realistic and relevant to your goal. For example, if you want to generate 30% more leads, some of your actions could be creating engaging content, optimizing your web pages, asking for referrals, and many others.

Identify and Allocate Resources

Before creating the action plan, you must identify all the resources required to complete the tasks. Some of the resources you need will include money, equipment, personnel, tools and others. And if you don’t have the resources available at the moment, you need to make a plan to acquire them.

Once you have your resources, allocate them to the right people. For example, suppose you are running a digital marketing campaign. In that case, you will need to have the applications and tools for content production, graphic design, and marketing analytics and hand them over to your content manager, social media manager and SEO manager.

Set the Deadline

As we have already discussed, the goals should be SMART. And here, T stands for time-bound, which means that you should have a start and finish date to achieve your goal. If you don’t do it, you are likely to never reach the goal.

Therefore, choose a specific deadline so the other team members involved can plan better for the execution of the action plan.

Additionally, you can break one large goal into smaller subgoals and set an individual deadline for each of them. For example, if you want to generate 30% more leads by the end of Q4 this year, you can set subgoals such as:

• Upload first YouTube video by X date.
• Publish 250 blog posts by X date.
• Host 25 webinars by X date.

Create a Visual Representation

Now, let’s move to the part where you will actually materialize your action plan. Creating a visual representation of the action plan is the best way to engage your team so that everyone knows the plan well.

But designing an action plan from scratch is not an easy task. Visme is there to help you design the action plan without stressing yourself out for the design part. Follow the steps below to visualize your action plan.

Pick a Template

Visme offers a wide range of professionally designed action plan templates for various business types and use cases. Choose a template from the library that suits your needs or that you can easily customize a little to create your very own action plan.

Input Your Text and Data

Now, edit the empty fields to fill in your objectives, tasks, deadline, budget, and many others. Click on one of the text boxes and start typing to insert your text or replace any pre-existing text with your own.

Change the Colors and Fonts

Customize the appearance of your action plan further by changing the colors and fonts. Select the element you want to change color for and use the color picker tool to change the color according to your need.

Once you are done with the colors, you can now change the font style, color and size. Double click on the text that you want to change the font for and use the editor on top to do it.

Use your brand colors and brand fonts in the action plan to perfectly represent your brand. Visme lets you save your brand assets so that you get customized templates according to your brand guidelines at your fingertips.

Watch the video below to learn more about setting up your brand identity kit in Visme.

Incorporate Icons and Illustrations

Icons and illustrations are the essential part of visually expressing actions and ideas. Add relevant icons and illustrations or swap out the ones included to ensure they match your action plan. Visme offers thousands of professionally crafted icons and illustrations that you can use in your design.

Additionally, take your design to the next level effortlessly by incorporating 3D animated assets in your action plan.

Collaborate with Your Team

To make the most of your action plan, ensure that you include all the team members that you think can contribute to the success of your plan. Start collaborating with your team and effectively create stunning designs right inside Visme.

Check out the video tutorial below to learn more about it.

Share Your Action Plan

Once you are satisfied with your action plan, you can share it with your team members. Download the action plan as a high-resolution JPG or PNG image file or share it via a link. If you want to publish your action plan on a website to blog, generate an embedded link and paste it wherever you want.

Monitor the Progress

Track your progress regularly and ensure that each step in your action plan is completed on time. You can use an internal reporting system or hold regular meetings to track progress. Mark tasks that are completed as done on the action plan to bring them to the attention of your team members.

This will help you better understand the pending or delayed tasks for which you need to find solutions. Finally, keep updating the action plan regularly according to your progress. With Dynamic Fields , it's easy to keep your action plan, and all other projects, updated. Once you input data into a dynamic field, it will change across all projects it’s used in.

If you are considering the action plan for a project, you can also opt for project management plan templates to keep track of your project progress and ensure a smooth operation.

Additionally, Visme offers a wide variety of other documents such as status reports , marketing plans , sales plans , project plans , organizational charts and many more.

10 Action Plan Templates to Help You Execute Projects

1. marketing action plan.

Planning marketing and promotional activities are critical aspects of your business process as they help you achieve your business goals and grow your business. If you are a marketer, you should plan activities each month and compare them with your expected results.

This action plan template can help you track the actual results of those activities and help you with your future plans. Whether your marketing objective is increasing sales or brand awareness , you can use this template as a part of your overall marketing plan .

2. 90-Day Action Plan

The position of C.E.O. comes with high expectations. With the unknowns of a new role in a new organization, the pressure to perform and the need to be accepted as a new leader by the team, it can be challenging to know where to start.

Use this 90-day action plan to understand your new organization, its target market, functional interdependencies, growth opportunities, and much more.

3. Employee Corrective Action Plan

As a business owner, you need to take corrective actions when the goals and objectives are not in line with your expectations and the process starts experiencing flaws. An employee corrective action plan is one of the crucial ones of them.

This often happens when the employee lacks key skills or doesn’t understand your organizational processes or objectives. An employee corrective action plan template like the one below allows you to record the disciplinary action that needs to be taken and suggest improvements and comments.

4. Project Action Plan

When starting or running a new project like website designing or anything else, you need to juggle many things at once. Use this website design project action plan to ensure that the project goes more smoothly.

It gives you complete visibility of the objectives, tasks and the given timeframe, making it easier for you to organize teams, assign tasks, track performance and measure the execution of the project.

Additionally, learn more about how Visme can help you better manage projects .

5. S.M.A.R.T Action Plan

You might already know that SMART goals push you further, giv1425287609es you a sense of direction and help you organize and reach your goals. Imagine what will happen if you combine your SMART goals with the action plan. Every action you take will be completely aligned with the specific goal.

This action plan template helps you do just that. Edit this template and add your SMART goal and the action steps altogether.

6. Emergency Action Plan

As a business owner, you must always be prepared for emergencies while running the business. These emergencies include hazardous materials spills, fires, natural disasters, and many others. The most effective way of handling a crisis situation is to prepare in advance by creating an emergency action plan.

The emergency action plan template helps you prepare the evacuation plan for your workplace in the event of a natural disaster. Edit this template or use it as is to do as much as possible to keep your employees safe in case of disaster.

7. Disciplinary Action Plan

The goal of a disciplinary action plan is to warn employees about what is and is not acceptable behavior in the workplace. This is mainly provided to employees during the onboarding process, but you can also use it for existing employees.

Edit this template by filling out the empty spaces with the necessary information and hand it over to the employee you want to warn of unacceptable behavior.

8. 30-60-90 Day Action Plan

The 30 60 90 day action plan is a structured way of enlisting goals and strategies in 3 steps timeline. Project managers, new hires, sales executives, and many other professionals can use this template to plan the company’s objectives and ensure that the goals are met.

This action plan template includes a 90-day action plan for a tech project split into three parts. The first 30 days show the initial steps, such as discussing project breakdown and planning with clients. Similarly, the next 60 and 90 days include other crucial actions such as quality assurance, bug fixes, feature rollout, final launch, KPI tracking, updates and many more.

9. 30-Day Action Plan

Like the 30-60-90 day action plan, the 30-day action plan is a set of steps that you need to take within 30 days to achieve the specific goal. If the project is going to take not more than 30 days or if you want to finish the project in 30 days, this action plan template is perfect for you.

This action plan template also lets you break down the project into three smaller parts to make the actions more realistic and effective. Edit this template to create the perfect 30-day action plan for any type of project you want.

10. Sales Action Plan

Create a colorful sales action plan using this template. It will help you explain how you will operate and manage the sales process to skyrocket your sales. Set goals to manage your inventory, project sales, expenses, timeline and many others.

Furthermore, the template allows you to set different plans for online and in-store sales, making the template a must-have for your overall sales plan.

Learn more about how Visme can help you close more sales and take your business to the next level.

Create Your Action Plan Using Visme

Are you ready to create an effective action plan and track your progress while executing and running projects? Choose your favorite action plan template from the list above and start editing it using Visme’s professional document creator .

Almost every part of these templates is editable and the easy-to-use drag and drop tool helps you create action plans in a few clicks.

Sign-up for a free account in Visme today and your action plans are just a few clicks away.

Design an effective action plan quickly and easily using Visme.

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Raja Antony Mandal is a Content Writer at Visme. He can quickly adapt to different writing styles, possess strong research skills, and know SEO fundamentals. Raja wants to share valuable information with his audience by telling captivating stories in his articles. He wants to travel and party a lot on the weekends, but his guitar, drum set, and volleyball court don’t let him.

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How to series    

How to write an action plan with a nurse or nursing student, simon downs teaching fellow and paramedic field lead, school of health sciences, faculty of health and medical sciences, university of surrey, guildford, england, deanna hodge teaching fellow and lead for practice education, university of surrey, guildford, england.

• To enhance your understanding of the purpose of an action plan to support a nursing student or nurse

• To learn about the procedure for writing an action plan with a nursing student or nurse

• To know which stakeholders to involve in the development of an action plan

Action plans are commonly used in nursing practice and nurse education to support nurses and nursing students to meet specific objectives, particularly if they face challenges in achieving the level of knowledge and/or skills required by their role or course. Action plans may be used, for example, with preregistration or post-registration nursing students during a placement or with registered nurses for whom there are concerns regarding their professional practice. In that context, an action plan is essentially a set of objectives that the nurse or student is asked to work towards.

• The objectives set in an action plan should be SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.

• An action plan should feature resources and activities that will support the person to achieve the objectives, as well as the evidence needed to demonstrate successful completion and a time frame.

• An action plan is one strategy that can be used to support nurses or nursing students to progress in their practice or learning.

‘How to’ articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of:

• How this article might improve your practice when writing an action plan with a nurse or nursing student.

• How you could use this information to educate colleagues on writing an effective action plan with a nurse or nursing student.

Nursing Standard . doi: 10.7748/ns.2022.e11839

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@UniSurrey999

[email protected]

None declared

Downs S, Hodge D (2022) How to write an action plan with a nurse or nursing student. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2022.e11839

Please note that information provided by Nursing Standard is not sufficient to make the reader competent to perform the task. All clinical skills should be formally assessed according to policy and procedures. It is the nurse’s responsibility to ensure their practice remains up to date and reflects the latest evidence

Published online: 08 August 2022

assessment - career pathways - education - educational methods - failing students - mentors - nursing students - post-registration education - pre-registration education - professional - student nurses

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The importance of action plans and why your business needs one to grow

Nov 16, 2020

If you own or run a business, it’s important to have some idea of where you want it to go. How do you want it to develop? How do you plan on making sales? Will you be hiring people or expanding your team? There are many questions to be answered! As a result, it can be hard to know where to start. You probably have some idea about where you want your business to go in the next few months, a year, or even the next few years. But how do you make sure that you’re doing everything possible to make it happen? That’s where the idea of an action plan comes in. In this post, we’ll be discussing the importance of action plans and why your business needs one to grow to its full potential. But what is an action plan? We will be talking about that, too. So, if you want to know more about this topic and how it can help your business, keep on reading.

What is an action plan?

Essentially, an action plan is a plan that sets out what you’re going to do with your business, and how you aim to operate and manage it going forward. How this document looks is up to you, as there are many forms that it can take. However, one of the most popular forms for an action plan to take is a checklist of steps that need to be completed in order for you to reach your business goals. And, you don’t just need to have one action plan! Yes, it is a good idea to have a centralised plan for the business as a whole. But, if you wish, you can have multiple plans for different areas of the business. Or, different plans for different people to follow. It’s all about what works best for you and your business, as there are definitely no set rules!

Having an action plan is a really essential step when it comes to moving your business forward. Without a clear plan set out, things can get messy and confusing, quickly! So, it’s always a good idea to have an action plan set out for yourself and the rest of your business to follow, to help you get where you want to go in the most efficient way. Next, let’s look at how important it is to have an action plan, and some of the benefits that come with them…

The importance of action plans 

So, now we have clearly set out what an action plan is, just why are they so important? Well, there really are many benefits, in fact, far too many than what we can talk about in just one article! No matter what your business does, the sector you operate in, the size of your business, and more, you will likely benefit greatly from having a great action plan that is clear and actionable. Here are some of the tip benefits of having a solid plan for most, if not all, businesses. 

Clear direction

Have you ever felt like you know where you want your business to go, but you’re just not that sure on how exactly you can work to get it there? If so, you may be lacking the clarity and direction that can come from having an action plan. Everyone has to start somewhere, but it can be difficult to know where that somewhere is. So, having a clearly defined plan of action, either written on your own or with outside help, can really push you along and give you that clarity you need to focus on building your business. Think of all the time you may have wasted in the past wondering or worrying about how to get started. Well, with an action plan there are no excuses not to get going, because all of the steps are laid out there for you to get to grips with!

The importance of action plans should already be clear, but there are still plenty more benefits to come. One thing that a lot of business owners tend to struggle with is motivation. The lack of motivation can especially strike when you’re feeling lost or lacking clarity, as we discussed above. But, an action plan is here to help you. On those days or weeks where you feel a lack of motivation looming, you can always refer back to your trusty plan. You’ll be able to see how far you have come already, and the clear next steps that you need to take. Everyone struggles with a lack of motivation from time to time, but having a clear and concise plan can really help get you back on track. 

Learn about your priorities

In business, often everything feels like a top priority! This can lead to feeling overwhelmed and frustrated because you just don’t know where to begin or how to manage it all. Again, this is where having a good action plan will help you. By going through all the steps you need to take to meet your business goals, it will become clearer what your priorities are. What is really going to help you meet those goals? What is important, but could perhaps be passed onto someone else? And what is of the least importance that you might not have considered that way before? An action plan will give you the clarity you need to help discover this. Even if it doesn’t happen straight away, with time it will become far clearer what you need to work on urgently, and what is perhaps not quite as important. 

It brings your team together

While it is important to have an action plan even if your business is just you for now, it is perhaps even more important when you have a team or partners. But why is this? Well, part of the importance of action plans is that they set out a clear and specific goal. So, if everyone knows that goal and what they have to do to make it a reality, you should find that your team can work a lot more closely and better together. This is because it will be clear what each person needs to do, so everyone will be on the same page. When it comes to building your business, making sure that you have a great team behind you is really important. And, having an action plan set out means that everyone can play to their own strengths, and help get the best results for the wider business!

It gives you an opportunity to reflect

When it comes to action plans, you probably won’t need just one over the course of your businesses’ lifetime. After all, your goals, ways to measure success, and structure will probably change drastically from when you first started! So, be prepared to create multiple action plans and possibly even change them along the way if your objectives change. When devising your plans, this is the ideal opportunity to reflect on what has happened in the past and what you want to happen in the future. Thinking carefully about where you might have gone wrong, and what you have done well, is very helpful when planning for the future of your business, as it helps to ensure that you don’t make the same mistakes again while also taking full advantage of your strengths.

Increase efficiency and productivity

Who doesn’t want to do this and thus help grow their business at the same time? In essence, the importance of action plans all comes down to helping avoid confusion and feeling lost. When this happens, you should find that your efficiency and productivity increases. When you have a defined set of goals and steps, you will waste less time on the things that don’t really matter. Instead, you will spend more time on the things that actually help you reach those goals that you set out to achieve! Furthermore, having a clearly defined plan will help stop you from missing things or making common mistakes, to the detriment of your business. Your plan should be at the heart of everything you do, to help ensure that nothing gets overlooked when it comes to growing your business. 

So, the importance of action plans for any business is clear to see! There really are so many benefits. If you don’t have an action plan, just think about what more you might be able to do if you did have one? And, if you do already have one, how could you work on it to make it even better and help you grow your business even further? They really are a key component when it comes to business growth that no business can afford to miss out on. 

Here at Chrysalis Growth , we are passionate about helping the owners of small and medium businesses reach their goals. Do you struggle to find the time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture when it comes to your business? If so, we can help! Why not get in touch today and see how we can support you? 

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The Importance of Action Research Analytical Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Professional development and action research are both very significant in the teaching profession. Worthwhile and effective professional developments are always being sought by principles, supervisors and even specialists.

In order to improve their service delivery, teachers are usually prompted to attend in-service meetings, conferences and even workshops. Some of these activities are usually frustrating and time consuming. There is great need therefore for teachers to impact their professional development which in the long run impacts on their proficiency.

An action plan is particularly significant in a situation whereby things are not running are expected or there is a need in the change of strategy. Practical solutions might be very much needed in such cases. Action research therefore ensures that a practical solution into whatever social situation is found. By using action research the tutor understands the situation deeply besides finding the most practical solution to it.

It involves a teacher’s research into his/her own actions and possible actions to be undertaken in order to improve the same. Action research is significant in ensuring that a viable solution to any situation is found. It is common for a one person’s solution working to the disadvantage of others especially if the solution is from outside, hence the need for action research. It gives insight into the past situation, the present as well as the future projections concerning the situation at hand.

Action research enables the teacher not only to practice but also improve the situation under which the practice is done. It is very vital in ensuring social change.

The teacher is therefore able to be empowered professionally as he/she is made to understand the workplace well. It is a significant tool in ensuring that the teacher understands his/her practice, ways of improving the same, enable him/her understands the ways in which the person is able to understand changes from outside and enable one to improve the practice through changing the outside.

Literature Review

Inquiry based learning has been in place for a long time and it is based on asking questions and finding possible solutions to the same (French, 2005, p.2). Action research usually ensures that teachers are constantly informed of any changes that occur particularly those involving their techniques of service delivery hence ensuring that the learning are kept abreast with the changing times as well as methods of learning like cooperative learning.

Action research has been found out to be the most effective way of ensuring the development of teachers in their profession. The paper examines the reactions of school teachers to the issue of action research.

Professional Development

Professional development is very vital in the improvement of a tutors craft or teaching practice and it is significant in improving the learning environment. It focuses on the basic practices that are vital in education. It ensures the development of skills, practice as well as knowledge all of which are very important in the learning process.

Action research is vital for the improvement of a learning institution. It is able to help the teacher in ensuring effective teacher development. Teachers are meant to believe that they are performing very important work hence no need to burnout as they act as moral educators. Any form of teacher development should be aimed at uplifting as well as inspiring those involved in it. It should be geared towards ensuring higher performance among the learners as well as improving collaboration and teamwork.

Several published lists which are aimed at highlighting professional development. These have been compiled by researchers and other organizations like the Education Testing Services as well as the department of education. There have been numerous debates concerning what professional development involves.

The common ground for all these arguments however lies in the fact that it involves the enhancement of leadership capabilities, enhancing effective time management, enhancing thinking skills as well as effective use of resources.

Reflective Practices

Action research has a lot to do with reflection. This involves being attentive to knowledge and believes. It dates back to the days of Buddha and Plato. It goes beyond examination and thinking. It is an active process that aims at gaining deeper understanding as well as ensuring improvement.

Reflection can be defined as an out-of-body experience whereby an analysis of the actions is made and they are viewed in the thinking as well as decision-making context. It is governed by intention which implies that it is not passive. Teachers therefore need to use reflection while trying to improve the student’s contextual learning as well as during the adapting process, the application as well as their evaluation of their knowledge.

Reflection can be in various forms for instance, on-line chats or discussion groups. It helps in bringing out different perspectives and various solutions to a given issue. It is crucial in narrowing down the gap that exists between theory and practice. The major reflection types include technical, practical as well as critical analysis.

Technical reflection for instance mainly deals with the ensuring of the attainment of goals and it puts a lot of emphasis on efficiency. Practical reflection on the other hand mainly focuses on the attainment of goals and the means or strategies involved in the attainment of the same.

Here effectiveness as well as goal justification is significant. In critical reflection, the goals and the means to the same are analyzed in accordance with the justice or morality context. The purpose and growth are put into account in this case. Reflection practices are able to fit into more of these types at the same time. Many models have been suggested over the effective professional development in the past some of which are short-term while others are long-term. Action research is just one of them.

Action Research in Professional Development

Action Research can be termed as the study of the learning environment like the school or classroom with the intention of improving the teaching. It is scientific and systematic, involving inquiry and contextual professional development. The process is reflective and it is usually motivated by growth and improvement in teaching.

There are various steps involved in action research. They basically involve the identification of the problem, determining the needs or methods of data collection, collection and analysis of data, creation of an action plan, description of the use of the findings, report as well as the future plan. The process is usually cyclical. The steps are vital in ensuring professionalism, completeness as well as validity of the action research. It usually requires regular observation.

Reflections

Most teachers when asked about action research have observed that it is usually very significant in ensuring professional or even professional growth. It helps them in becoming role models and in impacting their colleagues. They become agents of change and change their modes of giving instructions hence, witnessing general improvement in their service delivery.

They in the process become credible teachers. Teachers who have been consulted seem to be sure of the fact that action research aids in boosting their confidence and hence improving their efficiency in service delivery. They are able to redesign the way they issue the instructions.

They become empowered and hence are able effectively deliver their talents, and come up with creative ideas that help them to meet the needs of the learners. They are able to implement programs or even acquire others skills. Most of them after doing action research they are in a position to develop greater autonomy, they develop problem solving skills and they are able to effectively use data from their respective classrooms.

Action research is very vital in ensuring that the respective goals are accomplished. Action research enables the teachers to be the authors of their own research. They participate in the creation as well as accomplishment of their own goals and this drives them towards the accomplishment of the same. They take part in the setting of goals for development.

One of the teachers consulted observed that significant transformation was observed in his communication with the colleagues after action research occurred. The conversations from colleagues turned from polite talks to comprehensive conversations. The dialogues become helpful and the relationship with the other teachers was greatly enhanced. Collaboration and teamwork was greatly boosted.

Action research helps the teacher to turn from the traditional methods of teaching to those methods that are modern and effective hence ensuring the satisfaction of the needs of the students. It is therefore very important in ensuring professional development for the teachers. Studies have proved that action research is very vital in the overall improvement in the performance of a school on a long-term basis.

There are some teachers who have no idea about action research yet indulge in other activities that are geared towards ensuring professional development some of which include routine reflection by the teachers. A study done on two teachers Mary and Rita showed that even some of the qualified teachers from college have no idea about action research although some of them might have the knowledge of some of its elements like data collection as well as methods of analysis.

This greatly influences their service delivery. Some of them like Rita have an experience of many years in the teaching profession with the desire for professional development yet they might have no idea about action research. Most of the reflection done by them is informal and it might not necessarily be directed towards ensuring that their goals are met and the needs of the students are met as well. They do it unconsciously.

Analysis of the Situation

Teachers who do not employ action research in their teaching are less likely to meet the desired goals in their teaching and they might not be able to witness professional development. Some of them might encounter challenges which could be solved by carrying out action research, but because of ignorance, they might not be in a position to effectively tackle the problem. The reflective practices carried out by most of them can only be effective if it is coupled with action research.

According to the training done, it is quite evident that the action research process is systematic and it has to be carried out using the appropriate procedures and techniques like coming up with a research plan, outlining research questions, setting timeline with the intention of reviewing the information, implementing the action research project data collection as well as analysis and the sharing of the same.

Action research might in some cases involve experimenting of the possible solutions to the existing problem. In Mary’s case for instance, she had to try motivational tactics in trying to make her students handle their assignments and hand them in at the appropriate time. She tried the tactic of rewarding the students who handed in all their assignments on time.

Action research is very vital in determining those factors that might greatly influence the attitudes of the students and hence in the long run affect their performance. The teacher might for instance be forced to adapt new tactics while teaching so as to ensure effectiveness in the long run. When effectively done, action research is able to turn the teaching process from a cumbersome and tedious activity to an enjoyable one. It is therefore an important vehicle of change.

Action research is vital in clearing out any confusing issues that might emerge in the teaching process. Questions are formulated and answers to the same are formulated. Discussions might be held in some cases so as to enhance clarity of the issues at hand.

Frequent meetings held while carrying out the action process are vital in offering encouragement, excitement as well as mentorship opportunities to the participants. Interviews are usually crucial in the process of data collection. A reflection held at the end of the process is also significant. Action research is vital in enhancing accountability, awareness as well as ensuring that the teaching is done in a systematic manner. It enhances sharing and professionalism of the teacher.

Action research helps the teachers in being reflective. Through reflection, they are able to know whether there past practices or lessons were effective. It enables the researcher to rely on facts rather than trial and error. Its process of discovery is structured and one has to rely on facts from the experiment rather than depending on his/her memory.

These facts can be kept for future reference as well as improvement. The formal steps carried out during the action plan are very significant especially when one is informing his/her colleagues about the same. The data collected is usually important. Action research helps the teacher to reflect on his/her teaching process and enable the person to avoid prejudgments or depending on making guesses.

It helps in avoiding wrong and misguided judgments. This is vital for every teacher. It helps one to be more serous, reflective and attentive. It enables one to one to look at the results and make an analysis of the same without depending on assumptions. One is able to get the actual concept of what is going on rather than relying on his/her impression of what is going on.

The reflective practices are particularly significant in the teaching process. One is able to get substantive evidence of whatever is occurring rather than relying on abstract concept. It is important in establishing a connection between the teacher and the student. The teacher becomes attentive to whatever happens within the classroom rather than brushing everything else aside. It helps in eliminating biases as the teacher is able to depend on facts rather than speculations.

By carrying out action research, the teacher comes up with specific solutions to improving the teaching as well as ensuring the overall improvement in the performances of the students. The action research has formal and systematic processes which ensure that ideas and results that come up during the reflection are not lost or forgotten.

The process ensures that the issue at hand is kept on the mind the possible solutions formulated as opposed to mere reflection which only involves the thoughts which are likely to be forgotten within a short time. It helps the teacher in changing his/her perceptions about the occurrences within the classroom. It helps in bringing out abstract questions or concepts into ones that can be substantiated or concrete.

The process is systematic hence making it easy to follow. In some cases, training is usually done for better results to be realized. The approach is organized and well structured. Through this, the attention of the teacher is usually focused on a particular issue or occurrence within the classroom hence a more specific solution is formulated. One is able to track whatever is going on rather than wish that things happened in a different way.

All the activities are therefore carried out in an organized manner. In action research, one is able to come up with a plan for specific activities to be undertaken and the procedures of how to achieve the same are clearly outlined. Having due dates is very important in ensuring that activities are done within the stipulated time. One is able to set goals to be attained and track the same.

The findings are recorded and this is vital for future references. One may go back to the records and refer as opposed to plain reflection where one thinks of an idea and the same remains within ones mind. It is a formal process that leaved nothing to chance. One records not only the findings but the impressions as well. Given that the process is structured, the teacher is forced to adapt structure as well and the work is there organized. Whenever a step is accomplished, one feels that some task has been accomplished.

Recommendations

For professional development particularly in the teaching profession, an action research is necessary:

• The decisions made have to be based on the findings deduced from action research and not on abstract concepts.
• One needs to keep a record of whatever findings he/she comes up with from the action research. One need to structure his/her lessons based on concrete information and data rather than relying on abstract ideas and guesses or personal judgments.
• One needs to be formal and follow the whole procedure of action research in a systematic manner. Every finding must be substantiated and where possible, it should be accompanied by an experiment so as to verify the same. Findings need to be coupled with the appropriate evidences.
• The process has to be objective and it should not be guided by biases, prejudgments or personal judgments. It has to be accompanied by data or statistical evidences.
• Opinions about professionalism should be based on findings from action research. This is because research is involved in the process and the arguments are presented and backed by substantive evidence.
• Generalities need to be avoided. The facts need to be specific and nothing should be left to chance.
• Accountability must be enhanced in the process. The procedures need to be followed to the later and the appropriate findings put down and in the cases where they need to communicated to others, they need to be communicated accurately.
• In the cases where the participant is not well versed with the process, it might be a good idea to undergo the appropriate training before undertaking the process.
• Conclusions must be drawn from the data collected and not merely depended on speculations.
• The participants need to keep strict timelines so as to ensure that the whole process is done within the set time.

Action research is the most appropriate method in ensuring professional development. It is differs from the regular practice of reflection as it is more concrete and it is accompanied by statistical evidence. It is vital in enhancing professionalism and sharing among the teachers. Action research is vital in enhancing the reflective teaching process as it enhances awareness. The process is more systematic than mere reflection and it enhances accountability.

It raises the consciousness of the participants to the reflection process. It is formal, scientific, timely and more specific as opposed to the abstract reflective process. By carrying out action research, one ensures that the needs of the students are met though the adoption of the most appropriate teaching practices. It helps to boost the confidence of teacher and hence enabling him/her to effectively carry out his/her duties.

The concrete evidence from the action research is important in avoiding the trial-and -error approach or overdependence on mere assumptions. The systematic approach adopted is usually necessary in enhancing professionalism. The process involves the outlining of a concrete plan which is followed in the process and the fact that findings are written down is vital for future references. Action research is therefore a worthwhile process.

Bibliography

Bernstein, Richard. Praxis and Action . London: Duckworth, 1971.

Black, Cheryl. “Issues regarding the facilitation of teacher research.” Reflective Practice 6, No. 1 (2005): pp. 107-122

Buber, Martin. Between Man and Man . London:Trubner Burke, Aaron. “Teaching: Retrospect and Prospect.” Oideas 39, no. 6 (1999): pp. 5-254. & Co. Ltd., 1947.

Caughlan, Saidomar. “Considering Pastoral Power: A commentary on Aaron Schutz’s Rethinking Domination and Resistance: Challenging Postmodernism” Educational Researcher 34, no. 2 (2005): pp. 14-16.

Habermas, Jurgen. The Inclusion of the Other: Studies in Political Theory . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Hill, Dave. Marxism against Postmodernism in Educational Theory . London: Lexington Books, 2002.

Holquist, Michael. Dialogism Bakhtin and his world . London: Routledge, 1990.

Ilyenkov, Evaild. The Dialectics of the Abstract and the Concrete in Marx’s Capital . Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1982.

Ilyenkov, Evald. Dialectical Logic . Moscow: Progress Publishers,1977.

Lyotard, Francois. The Postmodern Condition: A report on Knowledge . Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1986.

Marshall, John. “Living Systemic Thinking. Exploring quality in first-person action research.” Action Research 2, no. 3(2004): pp. 309-329.

Marshall, John. “Living Life as Inquiry.” Systemic Practice and Action Research 12, no. 2 (1999): pp 155-171.

McNiff, Jean. You and Your Action Research Project . London: Routledge, 2003.

McNiff, Jean. & Whitehead, Jack. Action Research for Teachers , London: David Fulton. 2005.

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IvyPanda. (2018, September 17). The Importance of Action Research. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-action-research/

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Who Are the Far-Right Groups Behind the U.K. Riots?

After a deadly stabbing at a children’s event in northwestern England, an array of online influencers, anti-Muslim extremists and fascist groups have stoked unrest, experts say.

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By Esther Bintliff and Eve Sampson

Esther Bintliff reported from London, and Eve Sampson from New York.

Violent unrest has erupted in several towns and cities in Britain in recent days, and further disorder broke out on Saturday as far-right agitators gathered in demonstrations around the country.

The violence has been driven by online disinformation and extremist right-wing groups intent on creating disorder after a deadly knife attack on a children’s event in northwestern England, experts said.

A range of far-right factions and individuals, including neo-Nazis, violent soccer fans and anti-Muslim campaigners, have promoted and taken part in the unrest, which has also been stoked by online influencers .

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to deploy additional police officers to crack down on the disorder. “This is not a protest that has got out of hand,” he said on Thursday. “It is a group of individuals who are absolutely bent on violence.”

Here is what we know about the unrest and some of those involved.

Where have riots taken place?

The first riot took place on Tuesday evening in Southport, a town in northwestern England, after a deadly stabbing attack the previous day at a children’s dance and yoga class. Three girls died of their injuries, and eight other children and two adults were wounded.

The suspect, Axel Rudakubana , was born in Britain, but in the hours after the attack, disinformation about his identity — including the false claim that he was an undocumented migrant — spread rapidly online . Far-right activists used messaging apps including Telegram and X to urge people to take to the streets.

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