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How to Create a Business Action Plan in Less than a Day
By Andrew Smith | May 26, 2008
I’m in the process of developing a free tutorial on the Accelerated Planning Technique.
This will be a simplified online version of a public seminar workshop that I have conducted in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA: “How to Create a Business Action Plan in Less than a Day”.
A visual flowchart of the Accelerated Planning Technique ™
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I would welcome your opinion on the following topics I have selected to cover. Please let me know what you think of the following suggested topics…
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1. Avoid Getting Stuck: Recognise the trap that 80% of people fall into. This trap kills creativity, blocks your thinking and soon causes discouragement. Once known, you can avoid this frustrating trap like the plague.
(Learning time approximately 7 minutes)
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2. Visual Planning: We think in pictures. Learn a visual approach for business and project planning that recognises how we think. It’s fast and you’ll be pleasantly surprised just how simple it can be.
(You will learn this in approx 6 minutes)
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3. The Idea Dump: Learn a simple and effective way to get your ideas out of your head and onto paper. If you can imagine it, this tool will grab it. And it works even if your thinking is unfocused or confused.
(Learning time approximately 5 minutes)
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4. Clear, Organised Thinking: How to bring greater clarity to your ideas, goals and implementation plans. This is very powerful. You will learn the essence of a technique taught to me by NASA. As well as bringing clarity to your business and project thinking, it’s the pathway to solving the difficult or complex “how-to” problems you may have to deal with.
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5. Combine Creativity and Logic: Imagine being able to quickly match creative thinking with logical solutions. If this appeals to you, it’s now time to introduce you to the tool that will enable you to combine creativity and imagination with practical “how-to” thinking. This is the APT Dream it, Design it, Deliver it method.
(Learning time approximately 7 minutes)
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6. Your Vision of Success: Learn a simple way to determine and communicate your vision of success. See how this can be done clearly and concisely on one sheet of paper.
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7. Solve the “How-To” Problems with Simplicity: See how the APT Solution Blueprint helps you avoid getting bogged down in excessive detail when it comes to working out the “how-to’s”.
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8. Action Step Formula: To get results, you need to be focused on getting things done. If you rely on the efforts of others, you need accountability. To conclude this learning material, you will learn the simple APT Action Step Formula, a concise tool that manages purpose, method and personal accountability.
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Again, any feedback on these suggested topics would be welcome.
Andrew Smith – The Business Plan Guy – Andrew”AT”apt.co.nz
Topics: Accelerated Planning Technique (APT), Business Plan Tips & Ideas | 4 Comments »
May 26th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Andrew it sounds like what I need to learn. Hope to hear more about it soon!
thanks
Diana
November 9th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
[...] with most things in life, there’s no time like the present to get started on your business plan [...]
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:58 am
Hiya Andrew
I’ve just found your blog, and am suitably impressed. This is my first article to comment on and I would like to add my ten cents worth.
Having been self-employed for the past fifteen years, and having tried many, many things I can safely say that the thinking in pictures bit does work for me.
When it comes to planning and plotting things I also enjoy using mind maps. I’ve been using them since 2002 and haven’t looked back.
You’ve got a great blog, and I will be back for more.
Cheers
Charles
November 22nd, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Hi, I have been stuck on doing an action plan so I Googled Business Action Plan and your flow diagram came up.
Very interested in 2 of your ideas, Avoid getting stuck, and Visual planning. I’m going to use your APT flowchart to help me get going.