A recent newsletter was about setting meaningful objectives and targets for ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems, AS 4801 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, and ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems. You know, the sort of objectives that help your business grow, reduce costs and even save lives.

If you have objectives you need action plans. Action Plans are simple lists of all of the tasks that you need to finish to meet an objective. They differ from to-do Lists in that they focus on the achievement of a single goal. Action Plans are useful, because they give you a framework for thinking about how you’ll achieve an objective efficiently and in the designated timeframe. They help you finish activities in a sensible order, and ensure that you don’t miss anything. Also, because you can clearly see each task you can quickly decide which tasks you’ll delegate or outsource.

Using Action Plans

To draw up an action plan for meeting your objectives try  this three-step process.

Step 1 Identify Tasks

List your objectives then go through them one-by-one and brainstorm all the tasks that you need to complete to accomplish your objective. Then put them in the order that you need to achieve your objectives. Simple but effective!

Step 2  Analyse and Delegate Tasks

Now that you can see what you need to do from beginning to end, look at each task in greater detail.

Could you drop some steps but still meet your objective? Which tasks could you delegate to someone else on your team, or could be dealt with by outsourcing? Are there any deadlines for specific steps? Do you need additional resources?

Step 3 Double Check with SCHEMES

Use SCHEMES to check that your plan is comprehensive. SCHEMES stands for:

Space
Cash
Helpers/People
Equipment
Materials
Expertise
Systems

You may not need to address all of these to achieve your objectives but at least think about them. It helps to ensure that nothing is left out.

If you’d like some guidance or need a sounding board please email me at liz.cole@groweq.com.au. Alternatively, visit my website where you’ll find my Top 5 Essential Tips and free ISO 9001 procedures.