Why is This Important to Your Role?

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Often, people don’t spend much time on developing an action plan before an initiative, which, in most cases, leads to failure.

As a DST you may be asked to plan and implement small projects involving technology changes. Being able to create and use an action plan will help ensure your project goes smoothly.

Planning helps you prepare for the obstacles ahead and keep you on track. An effective action plan will increase your productivity and keep your focused. 

Some benefits of an action plan

• Having your goals written down and planned out in steps will help you to stay motivated and committed throughout the project. 
• It gives you a clear direction. As an action plan highlights exactly what steps to be taken and when they should be completed, you will know exactly what you need to do.
• Since you are listing down all the steps you need to complete in your action plan, it will help you prioritise your tasks based on effort and impact.
• It helps to clearly communicate the activities that are needed to other staff members
• Since an action plan identifies the deadline for each activity, you can track your progress toward your goal and ensure you stay on track.