Whether it’s personal improvement or increasing audience engagement in our online content, the goals we set ourselves can vary wildly. But without a defined outcome or a route to get there, aligning a series of complex tasks can feel like navigating a maze without a map.

Fortunately, with action plans to set workplace or individual goals, you can manage any project step by step.

To keep things simple, we’ll explain below what action plans are, how you can use Adobe Express to create them and to share them with your team.

What is an action plan?

An action plan is a detailed roadmap outlining the steps towards a specific goal. The goal can be short or long term and more complex action plans can include multiple goals. Typically, a simple action plan will include a list of tasks to complete, the resources needed, and a deadline or multiple milestones.

Why are action plans important?

If your project features complex tasks running across multiple timeframes an action plan can help everyone involved follow a clear path towards shared goals. Simple action plans break down larger tasks into smaller, actionable goals. Detailed action plans can help in the following ways:

• Structure: By breaking down a larger task into steps, every aspect of the project can be monitored and evaluated.
• Accountability: Assigning tasks to an individual or group gives team members set goals and deadlines they are responsible for, without overburdening the whole team.
• Motivation: With established goals, progress can be tracked. Targets can be set – and rewarded.
• Efficiency: Resources can be assigned to very specific areas – whether that’s team members or consumables.
• Communication: A clear action plan can reduce the potential for misunderstandings within a team and enhance communication.

Who needs an action plan?

An action plan is essential for almost anyone looking to meet a set goal. Whether you’re an individual or a full-scale team, an action plan can keep you on track. Students might benefit from a breakdown of all the tasks, resources and elements needed to complete a dissertation. While a sales team could work towards actionable items, such as improving customer relationships to work towards a shared goal of increasing sales. For a more over-arching action plan, a company could implement an operational action plan with specific steps to improve day-to-day operations.

Action plan examples for personal and business use.

Key Components of an action plan.

Within any action plan you’ll find several key components, including:

• Tasks and actionable assignments for team members or individuals
• Timelines or deadlines for task completion
• Allocations of tasks and necessary resources.

Perhaps the most important feature of any action plan are SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound – they help you measure success in tangible ways.

How to create an effective action plan with Adobe Express.

Whether you’re a project manager within a large-scale business or a small team launching a new product, here’s how you can use Adobe Express to create your action plan.

1. Set your goals.

The key to any great action plan is a defined goal or set of goals. Be wary of vague aspirations, such as setting a target to increase newsletter subscribers. Instead, use a SMART goals template to outline a definable measure of success, such as ‘increase newsletter subscribers by 25% by year end’.

2. Create a list of actions and deliverables.

Start with a simple to-do list to help you break down your goal into smaller tasks. Make sure each step is clear and achievable, to make the overall goal feel easier. One action could be ‘research competitor adverts for newsletters’. This step will help you understand how other people achieve the goal you’ve set yourself.

3. Set a timeline and milestones.

The next step is to map out your actions and goals into a timeline with relevant milestones and deadlines. The free templates in Adobe Express are customisable with a selection of images and graphics. You can also upload your own files and logo to bring your timeline to life and keep all your media on brand.

4. Allocate resources and responsibilities.

Most projects require multiple teams or employees to work together. Using a strategic method such as cross team collaboration you can define each team or employee’s responsibilities. This also applies to action plans for students where, for example, you may need to participate in a group project or recruit research participants.

5. Track your progress and adjust your plan.

Track progress easily with a visual tool, such as the free progress bar charts in Adobe Express. Create branded charts that are tailored to your action plan, and can be added to presentations. Including a visual guide on your timeline will keep you on track and allow you to quickly adjust your action plan if, for example, a team suffers an unexpected delay.

6. Reflect on your plan and look for improvements.

Now your action plan is complete, take time to evaluate it and look for ways it could be improved. Have you got an action plan example you can compare it to? Perhaps your business action plan needs to sit within a much larger project. You could use our roadmap template to see how this plan fits with your other goals.

SMART action plan examples and ideas.

Make the most of AI tools and templates for action planning.

When you’ve followed all the steps above, your action plan will be ready to share. Rather than simply sending it out via email, you can present the plan using a video presentation. For example, to showcase the marketing action plan for your next product or to outline the steps in a student research project. Using our free AI presentation maker, you can quickly create a stunning video presentation. Our templates, images and assets ensure your presentation is captivating and will showcase your action plan in a way that keeps everyone engaged.

The creation process is a simple drag and drop. With the addition of a few AI commands, you can create high quality images and engaging voice overs – all accessible from simple prompts.

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Good to know.

What’s the difference between an action plan vs. other planning tools?

An action plan will outline a set goal and outline a timeline to achieve it with the resources needed. Alternative planning tools such as a to-do list is simply a list of tasks. Likewise, a project plan is more complex and will include more detail, such as the strategies needed to complete a goal.

How do you format a plan of action?

There are a few simple steps to format a plan of action. Set SMART goals, create your list of tasks, set your timeline or deadline, assign resources and then track progress. However, the format this could take will vary between individuals and teams. Adobe Express has hundreds of action plan templates to choose from.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.