Workplan - Plan my work and work my plan

Introduction

A workplan can be a useful tool in the pursuit of your goals. A workplan is a list of objectives that are broken down into deliverables and further broken down into activities. These deliverables are then given dates for when to be complete. Daily checklists of activities can then be the created to complete the deliverables. Completing each activity will lead to completing each deliverable, which will lead to completing the objectives. Once you have your workplan in place, you should use it to put together checklists of tasks on a daily basis with the most important task first. When starting your day, focus on the most important task and work on it until it is completed. Then work hard to complete the rest.  This will allow you to be more flexible with the other tasks as the day goes on and other challenges arise. Remember that your checklist of tasks is best prepared as the last work thing you do the day before. 

Benefits of a workplan

1. Helps you achieve your goals quicker.

2. Keeps you focused on the most important things first.

3. Ensures you are more prepared for each day.

4. Keeps your work and projects organised. 

Skill example

I put together a workplan with the objective of, 1. getting healthy. The deliverables were, 1.1 eating healthy, 1.2 exercise, 1.3 drinking water and 1.4 sleeping well. The activities for eating healthy were, 1.1.1 to eat fruit for one meal a day and 1.1.2 eat a healthy dinner with vegetables each night. My daily task checklist then included, 1.1.1.1 getting fresh fruit and vegetables from the market each day, 1.1.1.2 preparing a fruit lunch and 1.1.1.3 preparing a healthy dinner. My daily task checklist also included the time I would eat lunch and the time I would go to the market to buy food. 

Jamie’s story

Jamie, a 42 year old, is the marketing manager of a large fast-food chain. Over the last few months, Jamie has noticed a decline in customer sales. After discussions with his staff, Jamie has decided to create a workplan to increase their marketing and sales. Speaking to his staff, Jamie discusses the plans to follow a detailed workplan. The objective of the workplan is to identify why customers have drifted away from the brand as well as finding possible solutions. After a few weeks and a lot of market research, Jamie finds that despite the brand being well-known and popular, advertising was not being done as aggressively as it was in the previous year. Jamie approaches senior management with a proposal for new adverts and budget figures, and his proposal is accepted. 

His workplan is detailed. The goal of the company is to increase sales by 10% over the next three months. They have a budget and a timeline in which this is to be achieved. The objective is to re-market and increase awareness of the brand again by using various social media platforms as well as building a customer email list to notify people of specials and product promotions with special coupon codes upon initial sign up. Another goal is to increase traffic to the website. The marketing team is aggressive in their advertising using most social media platforms, TV adverts, SMS, emails, advertising boards and pamphlets. They put daily checklists together and prioritise those checklists. After the initial few days, sales increased rapidly, and this rise has continued. Jamie was able to achieve the goal in under three months by sticking to the detailed workplan. 

How to execute your work plan

Setting and executing a work plan can help you to achieve your goals, stay focused, and be more productive. Here are some steps to set and action a work plan:

1. Define your goals: Start by defining what you want to achieve. Be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) in your goal setting.
2. Break your goals into tasks: Break your goals into smaller, more manageable tasks or milestones. This will make it easier to plan your work and track your progress.
3. Prioritise your tasks: Decide which tasks are most important and prioritize them accordingly. This will help you to focus on the most important tasks and avoid wasting time on less important ones.
4. Estimate time and resources: Estimate how much time and resources you will need to complete each task. This will help you to plan your work more effectively and avoid underestimating the time and resources needed.
5. Create a schedule: Use a calendar or scheduling tool to create a timeline for completing each task. Make sure to include deadlines and milestones to help you stay on track.
6. Take action: Once you have your plan in place, it's time to take action. Start working on your tasks and monitor your progress regularly. Make adjustments to your plan as needed to ensure you stay on track.
7. Review and evaluate: Once you have completed your tasks, take some time to review and evaluate your work. Identify areas where you could improve, and celebrate your successes. Use this information to inform your next work plan and continue to improve your productivity and achieve your goals.