8 templates to create an effective action plan

We’ve all been there — about to embark on a project, but unsure where to start. You know you need to create a plan, a roadmap of how you’ll achieve your end result, but with all the moving pieces, it can feel overwhelming to begin.

That’s where Freehand templates come in. These eight templates help you break down your vision into actionable next steps. 

1. Project Kickoff Template

When setting up a project, you’re basically taking steps to head into the unknown. The scale of the project ends up complicating the process. You’ll also have to manage expectations. One thing to note is, you don’t have to possess all the answers before starting.

The Project Kickoff Template allows you to lay out to your team members the particulars of the project. These include: 

• The purpose of engaging in this project
• The scope 
• The expected or projected duration

From here, it’s easy to crowdsource ideas and actionable steps from your team, which is one important aspect of project management; letting the team members participate in shaping the project. 

Try the Project Kickoff template

2. Problem Prioritization Template

With the Problem Prioritization Template, you can get your team to help you identify the goals you want to achieve and associated challenges. You can also brainstorm potential challenges and decide how to categorize them. 

Identify the problems and then rank them in your most preferred order. This could look like: 

• Which is easier or quicker to solve
• What problem to tackle first
• The resources to allocate to the problem

Try the Problem Prioritization template 

3. OKR Planning Template

OKRs exist at every level of the organization and they are deeply connected, as each function and team’s OKRs should map to the company-level OKRs in some way.The OKR Planning template helps you and your team to map out how each team’s OKRs map to the company objectives to gain alignment and better focus in the coming quarter.

Try the OKR Planning template

4. Lean Canvas Template

Business plans are tedious documents to research and draft. They can often take weeks, if not months, to come up with a final draft. 

The Lean Canvas Template affords you the opportunity of speed and simplicity when it comes to crafting a business plan. Rather than voluminous times, you have a one-page plan. The template breaks down a business plan into 12 essential sections, which has the pull of getting both stakeholders and collaborators to work together.

Try the Lean Canvas template

5. Opportunity Solution Tree Template

The power of visuals can help break down complex actions and strategies into simple designs that anyone can follow. This breakdown is of great importance, especially for organizational strategies that can twist and turn in various directions, making the expected outcomes not so clear. 

The Opportunity Solution Tree Template enables you to visualize your desired outcomes by linking them to opportunities and solutions. This is a great tool for those long brainstorming sessions when your team needs to come up with solutions that lead to your desired outcome.

Try the Opportunity Solution Tree template

6. Quarterly Planning Template

Organizations such as yours have a habit of planning their calendar in quarters. Within these quarters, you may set goals that fall within or span several quarters, depending on a variety of factors. The main purpose of this planning is to help individuals or teams focus on achieving those goals within the specified period. 

While there are many ways to put the plans, goals and initiatives in easy-to-follow forms, the Quarterly Planning Template helps you craft plans to support your organizations goals and objectives with success in mind. 

Try the Quarterly Planning template

7. Work Prioritization Matrix Table

The Work Prioritization Matrix Template helps you to do just that identify your challenges and prioritize them in order of most importance. You can categorize your work depending on which needs urgency or has a high impact on your goals and objectives. You can also choose to push others to the slow cooker as they don’t require immediate attention or sustained effort. 

Try the Work Prioritization Matrix template

8.  RACI Matrix Template

The RACI Matrix Template makes it easy to list who are the people responsible for the project, and what they should be doing during a particular phase of the project. In this way, everyone is accountable to project team members, timelines and expectations.

Try the RACI Matrix template