The road to successful planning is paved with these 12 steps: Introducing the Action Process

The road to successful planning is paved with these 12 steps: Introducing the Action Process
We all know it. Success isn't just a destination; it's a journey marked by strategic decisions and supported by effective planning. That journey will require a good roadmap, where every turn and decision shapes the path forward.

Fun fact: This "journey" has a technical name. Known as the Action Process, it's all about how people approach planning and bringing their ideas to life. And it applies even when there's no formal planning methodology in play.

The good news is, you don't have to be an organisational development boffin to build on your knowledge in this area.

Instead, to understand the action process, there are interactive tools available now, to assist teams in gaining insight into how the people involved in planning are likely to approach what needs to happen for their plans to succeed, into how clearly they define goals, and into how they navigate challenges and opportunities along the way.

These tools can offer valuable insight into what people do, or will do, in key areas of planning, for example:

  • Do we set clear objectives, whether for ourselves or for our teams?
  • Are we proactive in setting deadlines or are we more flexible with timeframes?
  • How do we empower others and delegate responsibilities?
  • How do we measure success and learn from our experiences?

These questions (either deliberately or unconsciously, formally or informally) form the backbone of every Action Process, guiding us towards effective decision-making and strategic action. They help us strike a balance between structure and flexibility, empowerment and control, and innovation and practicality.

But things don't always go to plan. With a clearer idea about the Action Process, and people's preferred, specific, action process behaviours, analysis of plans gone awry can reach the root cause of system
problems faster, and people will be better empowered to predict future success in their planning efforts too.

Interested in your team's Action Processes?

Learn more

To learn more about the how a team's (or an individual's) Action Process preferences can be assessed, and to see a real-world example of someone's reported "action process factors", here's a link for you: