As my children returned home from school two hours early due to an impending snowstorm, I noted the school district’s quick and necessary action to close schools early with news of approaching difficult weather conditions.
No one could foresee what days would experience snowstorms. But generally knowing Minnesota’s weather conditions throughout the year, the school district anticipated the likelihood of experiencing snowstorms and strategized around the event: they created a system to quickly and decisively act in the event of adversity and implemented the strategy as smoothly as possible.
This event is an example from which entrepreneurs across all industries can grasp valuable information: it is critical to have a backup plan to deal with sudden disruptions, changes, and challenges to quickly restore order, resume operations, and continue pursuing objectives and goals.
What Is an Action Plan?
An action plan is a guideline for completing tasks in the pursuit of goal achievement. Action plans give precise directions for achieving goals in a specified timeframe. As the end of this year approaches, business owners are assessing their numbers and previous goal progress and are strategizing to achieve new goals for the next year with strategic and action plans. While necessary, this is a process based on the assumption that everything goes right.
Assess What Has Gone Wrong to Proceed
Further breaking down the process of the Wayzata school district closing schools two hours early, take note of the significant assessment and critical approach to executing an action plan to solve the disruption.
- They recognized a potential constraint around the weather.
- They adjusted accordingly to the challenge and executed a plan of action for this contingency.
In business, we usually create plans of action to achieve future objectives and goals with the expectation of a smooth process. However, unpredictability is constant in business. I would submit that the most important thing you can do as a business owner when creating your plans for the upcoming year is to recognize not just if – but when things go wrong. Some important things to ask include are:
- What are the constraints your business is facing at the moment?
- What might cause your business to get off track?
- How can you pinpoint any existing and potential roadblocks to success?
Building Plans Based on Contingency
By identifying your existing or potential constraints, you can create an alternative plan of action to eliminate, avoid, or minimize their impact on your business. An important skill in business is being adaptable – when you expect things to go wrong, you can plan accordingly to react and pivot quickly in the face of adversity so you can continue moving in the right direction.
Do you need assistance in adjusting your strategic and action plans? Contact me today by booking a consultation!
