Involve employees in the development of the action plan. This will make sure the action plan better meets their needs and they will be more supportive when the actions are implemented. After all, the employees and employer share the responsibility for making this work. One way of doing this is the World Café method (see Appendix 9: World cafe). Clearly communicate that employee input is important, but that not everything will be possible and the selected actions will depend on their estimated feasibility and impact on employees.
4. STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- When you draw up the action plan, try to provide a combination of actions that can be implemented very quickly (quick wins), in the short and long term.
- Add the proposed actions to your project plan so that you can follow them up as well.
Make your measures “SMART”
Use the SMART method to draw up your measures. Appendix 10: SMART will help you do this. SMART is an acronym that stands for the following:
- Specific: Make sure you set clear and specific goals and actions. Check that everyone is clear on what the actions are and what purpose they serve.
- Measurable: Make sure that the set goals and actions are measurable. When have the goals and actions been achieved?
- Acceptable: Make sure that all employees, managers and directors support the goals and measures.
- Realistic: Are the proposed actions realistic and feasible? Is there a legal framework for the actions? Do the actions require too much from employees? Aren’t they too much at once? Strike a good balance between quick wins and longer-term actions. This will also keep the theme alive in the organisation.
- Time-related: When will the actions be implemented? What is their time span? Are they temporary or structural measures?