An essential management tool in the management process, the action plan allows all teams to follow a precise course of action. Available to all participating members, a sample action plan is required. It is a tool to achieve the objectives set at the outset. It is a roadmap developed from the various stages of analysis and guides the teams on how to implement the decisions made. In other words, the action plan is the transformation of ideas into concrete and operational actions. Depending on the tasks assigned, each team is subject to a more or less tight deadline. With a management tool, planning is easier to schedule.

Why use a meeting management tool?

When an example of an action plan is put in place, it is in the company’s interest to adopt efficient software to manage its meetings. Indeed, a modern system of meetings must be realized with an appropriate technological tool. The company becomes more efficient as the planning of meetings is made easier for all employees. They can easily follow the schedule thanks to clear and easy-to-use dashboards. Reminder messages can even be sent to participating members a few minutes before the meeting starts. Meeting planning software can offer more options such as managing the documents needed for the meeting. Indeed, quick access to a particular document is very useful and saves a lot of time during the gathering. No more time-consuming preparation of documents and their distribution to participants. All information must be easily found in the action plan and meeting management software. In addition, employees can access documents at any time, which can increase their efficiency and productivity in the meeting. In fact, knowing the data beforehand makes it possible to work in advance on the themes to be addressed. This facilitates the final decision making and makes it possible to advance the discussions in a more optimized way. Thanks to the software, the data security is ensured by a sophisticated information system. The company benefits from a higher level of data protection. Whereas with paper, there is a risk that the physical document will be forgotten on the spot and confidential information can be read and stolen.

A tool to manage your action plans?

Preparing for the meeting

Even with the use of action plan and meeting management software, the preparation and planning phase is crucial for meetings to run smoothly. Preparation is a form of insurance in which everything is noted down so that nothing is forgotten during the meeting. The first step is to clearly define the topic to be covered. Then, depending on their status in the company, the participants take part or not in the definition of the objective to be reached. It is advisable to include an evaluation phase at the end of the meeting to determine whether or not the objective has been achieved. A table of indicators can be monitored and ticked off as the discussions progress. It allows you to know if all the points have been addressed or only a part of them. This table also serves as a roadmap for all the company’s trades involved so that they can follow the meeting closely. Finally, the plan for the meeting should be detailed in the agenda. All the points to be addressed should be listed. The priority of the plan is to bring the exchanges to the desired goal. Some working methods can be shared beforehand to facilitate exchanges. The creation of dashboards can also greatly assist in the treatment of each point to be addressed. In terms of equipment, all the communication tools must be prepared before the start of the meeting: visuals, overhead projector, whiteboard, etc. This will facilitate the meeting and the exchanges between the members.

Keys to a successful action plan

The use of a action plan management software is essential to ensure that the objectives are achieved under the right conditions. All teams can use it and follow in real time the actions taken. Depending on the progress of each team, employees will see the next priority task for their part of the work.

However, it is necessary to appoint a person to steer the action plan. It will be able to direct the various trades involved in the tasks to be accomplished. It can also help them to apply the work methods developed in the meeting so that the expected productivity is optimized and created within the given deadlines.

It should involve employees in the project, provide realistic deadlines as well as feasible actions. The indicators and dashboards set up will help the teams. Indeed, they represent a form of guarantee of the proper implementation of what has been decided upstream. The person leading the project also has the duty to control the actions taken and the methods used. This will allow for better coordination of the teams between them and a significant saving of time in terms of management and reframing.