Do you know what Action Plan is? Yes, you know what the Action Plan is. It is the process of completing any task or object on time. Do you know how Action Plans works for small scale business?
Action Plan is a process of listing down all the task and objective of a business to analyse that which project or purpose is running late to improve their action plans to achieve their goal on time.
So in this blog, I will discuss all the things about the action plan, which small scale businesses use to achieve their goals.
WHAT’S IN IT
Characteristic of Action Plan
There are three Characteristic-
- Timetable
It is essential because it helps manage time and complete tasks on time.
When the team sets a task or objective, they decide the deadline for all the employees to complete their task till at his deadline.
This makes them not waste their time and can work efficiently in the organisation. This helps them to achieve their goal or complete their task on time.
- Goal-Oriented
This is also another main point why it is so important because it is beneficial to set a timetable according to its goal.
When the team sets a task, an action plan helps them develop the study accordingly, achieving its goal.
This makes them not waste their time and work efficiently in the organisation. This helps them to achieve their goal or complete their task on time.
- Clear Description
This is also another main point why an action plan is essential because it clarifies its objective.
When the team clears the company’s objective to the employees, they start working to achieve the goal.
This makes them not waste their time and work efficiently in the organisation. This helps them to achieve their objective or complete their task on time.
Process of Action Plan
There are three steps to make it
- Identify Tasks
This is the first step to make the Plan. In this step, they identify all the tasks, the company’s goal, what is the current position, and what the work will in the future. So this step makes clear to all that what the objective of the company is.
- Analyse and Delegate Tasks
After completing the first step, this is the second step in which when the team sets a task or objective, they analyse all the functions & employees and delegate the task to them according to their efficiency.
And they decide the deadline for all the employees that everyone should complete their task on time. This makes them not waste their time and can work efficiently in the organisation.
This helps them to achieve their goal or complete their task on time.
- Double- Check the Action plan
After completing the first and second steps, this is the last step in checking that the plan or task they have decided on includes everything to achieve the company’s final goal.
If Yes, they stick to the plan, and if No, they again identify their company goals, then analyse & delegate tasks, then Double – Check their Plan.
Importance
- It helps the employees of the organisation to achieve their goals efficiently and effectively.
- This helps to complete their work within a specific period.
- It helps them to decide what to do and how to do it.
- Top management analyses all the tasks & employees and delegates the job to them according to their efficiency.
- This helps the organisation to measure the performance of all the employees.
Limitations of Action Plan
- It reduces creativity
Once the Plan is made by top management, then all the employees blindly follow it.
They stop giving suggestions and new ideas to the management for any changes due to change in a business environment.
- It involves a considerable cost
This process causes huge costs because the company has to hire experts to make the correct plan, which takes a considerable cost and time.
There is no guarantee that the Plan they will make is always correct because of change in the business environment.
- It is a time-consuming process
It is a time-consuming process because experts take lots of time to execute the final plan, due to which action is delayed.
So when the business environment changes, they have to start making a plan from the beginning, which involves lots of time.
- It does not give any guarantee to success
They do not give any guarantee that the plan will provide good results consistently. It is not guaranteed that the Plan that had worked successfully in the past will always work successfully in the future.
The top management or experts must make changes in their plan regularly according to change in the business environment.
- Lack of Accuracy
This is another limitation of the action plan, which fails whole planning because the future is uncertain; every day, the business environment changes.
The planning can be successful at present, but it is not confident that it will work in the future.
Tips of Action Plan
- We should use the visualize list while making an action plan for the company because whenever the particular action plan is completed, we can remove it from the list.
- Every day we should record daily activities that tell us whether we are on the right path to achieve the company’s goals; if not, then start changing the action plan from time to time.
- We should allow all the employees to give their opinions about the progress in their work. Whether there is any problem with the action plan, we can improve it and know whether there are any new ideas that we can implement to achieve the company’s goal quickly.
- When we set tasks or objectives, we analyze all the tasks & employees and delegate them to employees according to their efficiency.
- The top management or experts must make changes in their Plan regularly according to change in the business environment.
Types of Action Plan
There are three types of plans-
- Strategic Plans- In this, the management analyses the company’s weakness and strengths and checks whether the company can survive in this competitive environment.
- In this, Tactical Plans make the organization’s blueprint and made short-range objectives that are followed by middle and lower-level management.
- Operational Plans- In this, they cover complete company goals and objectives, which are put in action to achieve strategic plans.
Conclusion
In my opinion, every company and organisation should make an action plan to achieve their goals. By following an action plan, we can analyse all the tasks & employees and delegate them to employees according to their efficiency.
And we can decide the deadline for all the employees that everyone should complete their task on time. This makes them not waste their time and can work efficiently in the organisation.
This helps them to achieve their goal or complete their task on time. But It is not guaranteed that the Plan that had worked successfully in the past will always work successfully in the future.
The top management or experts must make changes in their plan regularly according to change in the business environment.
Also, you can read our blog on What is an Action Priority Matrix?