Effective Action Plans for 2008
HI All,
I'm working on my Goals and Actions for 2008, and a few thoughts come to mind about the very best way to develop them.
Last time I wrote, I detailed how to develop SMART Goals, and how to relate those goal to Coaching. (See my Dec. '07 blog.) Now I want to continue that discussion by moving on to ACTION PLANS.
"I thought a goal and an action plan were the same thing?"
No, a goal, especially a SMART goal, is a statement of intended outcome, w/ a deadline.
An Action Plan is a specific action you will take to help you accomplish that goal.
We are getting down into the granular side of goal-setting. Depending on the size of your goal, and any goal worthy of being worked on is likely to be sizable, you will therefore need an Action Plan.
Example of a SMART goal: "Launch the new small group ministry by Sept. 1st, 2008 w/ 20 small groups, and 40 leaders so that we can effectively disciple our people." Specific - "launch the new small group ministry"; Measurable - 20 groups; 20 leaders; 20 apprentices; Achievable - (this one depends on the size of the church to determine if 20 groups is achievable; good rule of thumb to 50% of adult population; 10 people per group;); Relevant - key words here are "so that we can disciple our people" that gives the goal motivational power; Timed - "by Sept. 1st" gives a clear deadline.
This must be backed up by powerful Action Plans. For example, you might see the following actions listed for the above goal:
1. Personally contact the 7 board members & 3 staff, and ask them each to lead a group.
2. Find 10 other people to lead groups.
3. Teach all 20 of these new leaders how to find and locate an apprentice [BTW, there is a HighPower Coaching tool on this].
I think you get the idea.
Now, here is the key thing you will want to understand when putting together Action Plans.
What makes a good action plan?
Well, if a good goal is SMART, having 5 key elements, then a good Action Plan is CCE.
Good Action Plans consist of the following three elements:
1. Comprehensive
2. Consecutive
3. Effective
1. Comprehensive
It is the nature of humanity to often take the shot-gun approach, and just throw down a bunch of ideas to attack an idea, but then never step back, and ask if that truly covers the whole picture. A comprehensive action plan, covers all the steps necessary to get the job done, from A to Z. When you look at your SMART goal, you need to ask yourself, what are the key elements to accomplish this. For example, in the above list, we only have 3 items all related to Recruiting of leaders and apprentices. But of course there is more to launching a small group ministry than that. There is Training; there is Needs Assessment; there is an overall Discipleship Philosophy; etc. So ask yourself, what will cover the waterfront? What will cover all the bases? What will comprehensively address all the major elements necessary for that small group to succeed?
A good Action Plan is comprehensive, because it includes all the elements necessary to make the SMART goal succeed.
2. Consecutive
A good Action Plan has a logical and chronological flow to what you are trying to do. Not only is it comprehensive, in that it includes all the Elements, but it is Consecutive because it includes those elements in the correct order. You have an orderly progression of steps to help make it happen.
3. Effective
This is the most important one. Does the Action Plan you have developed for your particular SMART goal actually get the job done? How well? Are there better ways to make it happen? The key idea here is that of execution - how you do it. The Greeks had a saying that "Execution is the chariot of success." That is, it is all well and good to have Goals and to have Action Plans, but actually getting it all done is the name of the game. You can be aiming for success, but how you do it - your effective execution of the actions steps - is what will carry you to your successful goal, much as a well-driven chariot will avoid the pitfalls and get to the destination.
So, if you want to your SMART Goals to be accomplished this year, take a look at the Action Plans you have in place to make this happen.
Blessings on your ministry,
Dr. Bill
I'm working on my Goals and Actions for 2008, and a few thoughts come to mind about the very best way to develop them.
Last time I wrote, I detailed how to develop SMART Goals, and how to relate those goal to Coaching. (See my Dec. '07 blog.) Now I want to continue that discussion by moving on to ACTION PLANS.
"I thought a goal and an action plan were the same thing?"
No, a goal, especially a SMART goal, is a statement of intended outcome, w/ a deadline.
An Action Plan is a specific action you will take to help you accomplish that goal.
We are getting down into the granular side of goal-setting. Depending on the size of your goal, and any goal worthy of being worked on is likely to be sizable, you will therefore need an Action Plan.
Example of a SMART goal: "Launch the new small group ministry by Sept. 1st, 2008 w/ 20 small groups, and 40 leaders so that we can effectively disciple our people." Specific - "launch the new small group ministry"; Measurable - 20 groups; 20 leaders; 20 apprentices; Achievable - (this one depends on the size of the church to determine if 20 groups is achievable; good rule of thumb to 50% of adult population; 10 people per group;); Relevant - key words here are "so that we can disciple our people" that gives the goal motivational power; Timed - "by Sept. 1st" gives a clear deadline.
This must be backed up by powerful Action Plans. For example, you might see the following actions listed for the above goal:
1. Personally contact the 7 board members & 3 staff, and ask them each to lead a group.
2. Find 10 other people to lead groups.
3. Teach all 20 of these new leaders how to find and locate an apprentice [BTW, there is a HighPower Coaching tool on this].
I think you get the idea.
Now, here is the key thing you will want to understand when putting together Action Plans.
What makes a good action plan?
Well, if a good goal is SMART, having 5 key elements, then a good Action Plan is CCE.
Good Action Plans consist of the following three elements:
1. Comprehensive
2. Consecutive
3. Effective
1. Comprehensive
It is the nature of humanity to often take the shot-gun approach, and just throw down a bunch of ideas to attack an idea, but then never step back, and ask if that truly covers the whole picture. A comprehensive action plan, covers all the steps necessary to get the job done, from A to Z. When you look at your SMART goal, you need to ask yourself, what are the key elements to accomplish this. For example, in the above list, we only have 3 items all related to Recruiting of leaders and apprentices. But of course there is more to launching a small group ministry than that. There is Training; there is Needs Assessment; there is an overall Discipleship Philosophy; etc. So ask yourself, what will cover the waterfront? What will cover all the bases? What will comprehensively address all the major elements necessary for that small group to succeed?
A good Action Plan is comprehensive, because it includes all the elements necessary to make the SMART goal succeed.
2. Consecutive
A good Action Plan has a logical and chronological flow to what you are trying to do. Not only is it comprehensive, in that it includes all the Elements, but it is Consecutive because it includes those elements in the correct order. You have an orderly progression of steps to help make it happen.
3. Effective
This is the most important one. Does the Action Plan you have developed for your particular SMART goal actually get the job done? How well? Are there better ways to make it happen? The key idea here is that of execution - how you do it. The Greeks had a saying that "Execution is the chariot of success." That is, it is all well and good to have Goals and to have Action Plans, but actually getting it all done is the name of the game. You can be aiming for success, but how you do it - your effective execution of the actions steps - is what will carry you to your successful goal, much as a well-driven chariot will avoid the pitfalls and get to the destination.
So, if you want to your SMART Goals to be accomplished this year, take a look at the Action Plans you have in place to make this happen.
Blessings on your ministry,
Dr. Bill
posted by Dr. Bill at
2:43 PM
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