7 steps to a foolproof action plan [downloadable template]

By Rafael Mambretti

Published: 13 March 2025

An action plan consists of a series of steps designed to solve problems, optimise processes over a given period or achieve results within the framework of strategic project planning.

It is a structured piece of content based on data about the company's current conditions, its business objectives and the steps needed to achieve success.

In this article, you'll learn about an action plan template, but first you'll find out what it is and why it's important, as well as how to draw it up in a foolproof way. We'll also introduce you to some tools and methodologies that will help you develop your own plan. Read on!

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What is an action plan?

Considered an important and unique management tool, the action plan is used to identify the steps needed to run a company, putting them into practice and monitoring their development.

It foresees, organises and controls actions, tasks and steps to achieve expected results or solve problems.

What is it for?

Also known as a work plan or activity plan, this tool is simple and efficient for companies to organise and control actions and tasks, as it describes the stages and how they should be carried out.

It can also make use of methodologies focused on results, with the aim of achieving one or more different objectives.

How important is it?

The action plan is a guide with well-defined steps for carrying out tasks and processes.

As such, it directs employees to always follow the best path in pursuit of a result or the resolution of a specific problem, creating a workflow that makes it easier to monitor a person, a sector or the entire company.

In its preparation and presentation, the document provides ways of identifying problems, when to act and the best solutions. This makes it possible to

drive the changes needed to reverse negative trends,
improve economic decision-making .

Knowing the potential of an action plan makes it possible to use it to guarantee constant improvement and excellence in the development of work, as well as the best use of time to carry out tasks.

How to draw up an action plan in 7 steps?

To develop a good plan, attention must be paid to the following key factors:

Establishing the objectives to be achieved;
Definition of tasks;
Setting deadlines;
recording the action plan;
monitoring the project;
closing.

We will now present each of the stages and show their importance in the process of drawing up the plan.

1 Establishing the objectives

The first stage consists of defining the objective of the action plan, as this enables the development of the following stages and guarantees the success of the plan once it has been implemented.

At this point, it is important to be sure of your objectives; for this reason, analyse the situation well and identify the opportunities available to you. You also need to make sure that these objectives are clear and achievable, as we'll see in more detail.

2. Define the goals

To define goals in an action plan, it's important to follow a few steps:

Identify the company's overall objective: In order to set specific goals, it's important to first have a clear understanding of the company's overall objective.
Analyse the challenges and opportunities: Identify the challenges and opportunities facing the company, and how they can be addressed to achieve the overall objective.
Set priorities: Prioritise the goals according to their importance and impact on the company's overall objective.
Assign responsibilities: Assign clear responsibilities for each goal and identify who will be responsible for achieving them.
Establish performance measures: Establish performance measures for each goal so that you can evaluate progress and make adjustments if necessary.
When defining goals in an action plan, it is important to have a clear vision of the company's overall objective and to work in a structured way to achieve it. Prioritisation, assignment of responsibilities and performance measures are key to the success of the action plan.

3. Establish the tasks

Once we've defined the objective, it's time to identify the actions needed to achieve it, which should be listed in a linear fashion as action items.

Each of these items must be clearly defined and achievable. So, in the case of more complex tasks, break them down into multiple items that are easier to carry out and manage. To further clarify the terms used, we can conceptualise the items as:

action: work carried out by an employee based on the action plan;
activity: set of tasks with a common objective - corresponds to "how" and "where" the work is carried out during the process;
task: work of lesser complexity than activities;
action item: brief description of the action or task required to fulfil an objective.

4. Setting deadlines

The time has come to organise and prioritise the actions to be carried out in order to achieve your objective. As well as paying attention to deadlines, it's important to define the appropriate period for carrying out each task. We know, but it's worth remembering, that unrealistic deadlines are unlikely to be met.

Another point to pay attention to is the organisation of action items, as there may be dependencies between multiple items, requiring more care to determine the sequence in which they will be carried out. This optimises the flow, removing obstacles that could prevent more important project items from proceeding.

Good time planning is essential for your team. So make sure you correctly categorise action items according to their priority and order of execution.

5. Record the action plan

With such important information already defined, it's time to record the action plan, requiring the following data:

resources required: stipulate what inputs are needed to achieve the objective;
delegating tasks: selecting those responsible for the stages of the tasks, always opting for a team made up of experienced professionals supporting the rest of the team;
setting goals: define specific, measurable and realistic goals;
defining milestones: identifying the specific points that indicate that important goals have been achieved or that a new relevant goal is beginning;
drawing up a timetable: stipulating a document that takes account of all the relevant information, such as item, action, resources required, person responsible for execution, start/finish, target and status.

6. Monitoring the project

When developing the project, you need to pay attention to the action items defined when drawing up the action plan, so check that they are being met within the deadlines set. It is also essential to identify points for improvement and, if necessary, draw up contingency plans to mitigate any risks that may arise. To ensure the effectiveness of the action plan, don't hesitate to change any stage in the event of problems.

As well as providing an overview of the project, producing weekly monitoring reports can engage the team, who can visualise the progress of the work and the points to be improved. These reports must be analysed in order to improve the project and guarantee timely deliveries. To do this, it is essential to develop monitoring strategies and define a schedule for measuring performance.

7. Closure

Closure is the time to analyse the effectiveness of the action plan and understand how to better develop future objectives. It's important to critically analyse the whole process and, together with your team, identify past mistakes and successes, both to develop important skills in employees and to guide new projects in the future.

Corporate action plan: example

The corporate action plan determines the steps that must be taken to achieve certain objectives. It is created at the company's foundation and serves as a guide to define the actions required during a certain period. After that, it can - and should - be revisited as the goals are achieved or changed.

Business action plans can have different objectives and, although they have a defined structure, they must be moulded to the needs of each business. It is therefore impossible to define a generic plan as the right one to follow. Each plan depends on specific objectives and the profile of the team responsible for carrying them out.

Example of a specific action plan

Let's now highlight a specific example, the project management action plan. This document will be used to implement, manage and monitor the results of a project and must contain at least the following information:

task;
responsible;
deadlines;
target;
execution status.

Each project has its own specifications, so use more items if necessary. The more descriptive the document, the better it will be used by employees.

Action plan template to download

Using a plan template can make it easier to start the project.

Download a free action plan template ready to print and make sure your work is organised. Simply fill in the blanks with your project information:

Methodologies and tools to help draw up the action plan

With so many details, creating an action plan can seem daunting, but there are methodologies and tools that make it easier. Here are a few.

5W2H

The 5W2H model consists of 7 questions to guide your action plan:

What: defines the steps to achieve the result;
Why: determines the need for the activities to fulfil the plan;
Where: specifies where the tasks will be carried out;
When: stipulates the period of execution;
Who: shows to whom the tasks have been delegated;
How: defines the methods to be used;
How much: estimates the amount invested in the success of the plan.

This model was created by professionals in the Japanese car industry to be used with PDCA, especially in the planning phase, allowing activities to be mapped out with extreme clarity.

PDCA

Considered an interactive method, PDCA ( Plan, Do, Check and Act) aims to maintain control and improve the quality of actions. The name summarises the actions envisaged in the methodology:

Plan: defining the actions required for the plan;
Do: carry out the previously defined actions;
Check : analysing the work done so far;
Act: time to correct errors and promote action.

Ishikawa

Developed in the 1960s by engineer Kaoru Ishikawa, the Ishikawa Diagram is used to identify faults and generate solutions in processes.

Its different visual format, known as the "Fishbone Diagram", highlights errors in the process: by listing the factors that result in an effect, the points for improvement become clear. In theory, this methodology can also be applied to a company's success factors in order to identify competitive differentials.

SMART

This methodology aims to create achievable objectives. Each letter corresponds to a characteristic:

S (specific): specific;
M (measurable): measurable;
A (achievable): realisable;
R (realistic): realistic;
T (timely): timely.

The SMART methodology is constantly being developed, with the following variations: SMARRT, with the new R indicating " relevance", and SMARTER, with the addition of E " evaluated" and R " reviewed".

Software for creating action plans

There are many software options for creating and monitoring action plans, with different interfaces, utilities, plans and prices.

This is the case with monday.com, an operating system with an intuitive and simple interface, but capable of managing complex workflows. Adaptable to various uses and sectors, the monday.com platform has more than 15 unique visualisations to help you move from idea to execution more quickly.

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