Action Plan Requirements

It is now time to distill the overwhelming amount of data and possible approaches to the strategy into an achievable number of specific results. We are narrowing our focus to those results which must be realized for our strategy to become reality. This is NOT a time to include every good idea that was ever mentioned, or to include all the "wouldn't it be nice" things everyone has always wanted. This is where we boil things down to their essence--what MUST OCCUR to implement our strategy? Nothing redundant is added and no component essential to implementation is omitted.

**We, as a group, MUST come to agreement on the ENTIRE set of specific results before developing the steps to achieve them.**

It is time for us to SEIZE THE MOMENT!! We now know more about our strategy than anyone else before us, so let's take this as an opportunity to effect positive change :-)

Here are the first steps we need to take:
1. identify the activities that are most important to achieve the mission and strategic objectives of the organization.
2. Group our ideas according to common themes.
3. Once sorting is complete, we need to assign each category a name and go back through the ideas to ensure that the ideas are appropriately placed.

Translating our ideas into specific results:
A properly constructed action plan includes three-components:
1. a specific result
2. implementation steps
3. cost/benefit analysis

**We must agree on all of the results before moving on to the next two steps**

A specific result is a crisp, end result of a series of actions taken to operationalize the strategy. Each specific result should fit the following criteria:
1. describes an achievement which is measureable, observable, and demonstrable.
2. It is accomplishable in 3 years or less
3. It is assignable to one person for implementation, provided that person has resources (human and financial) to accomplish the result.
4. It makes a significant contribution to the strategy
It is NOT a "plan to plan."
5. The statement should "stand by itself" to an ordinary person and not be dependent on the action steps to be understood.
6. The contribution to the mission is worth the time, effort and resources necessary to implement the result (that is, benefits outweigh the costs)
7. The statement begins with an action VERB (no double verbs)

To review:
Specific results describe what actually will be accomplished and what the administration will be held accountable for in the implementation phase.
Specific results are often the only part of the action plan which is printed and distributed to the general public.
We must agree on all specific results before you move on to writing the other two parts of the action plans.
Do an "intuitive" cost-benefit analysis to save yourself work later when formal cost-benefit analysis is completed.

When we meet next, we will be able to discuss specific action plan writing steps and get started on the final process. Blogging about the results will eliminate a meeting for us. :-)

If you have any questions, email me or blog me.

Thanks everyone!!!