Even well-written actions fail if they’re not achievable.
The Hidden Risk
In meetings, actions are often assigned without considering:
- Time available
- Skill level
- Competing priorities
What Achievable Means
An action should be:
- Realistic within the timeframe
- Appropriate for the person
- Possible with available resources
If any of these are untrue, the actioner will be unable to complete the action. Rewrite it! Chunk it down into smaller actions! Provide additional resources!
Real Meeting Example
Not achievable #1:
“Build fully detailed financial model by tomorrow”
More achievable #1:
“Draft initial financial model with assumptions and setup a review meeting with key stakeholders.”
Drop time-based descriptors from actions. That's what the "Due date" is for.
Not achievable #2:
"Reduce the project capital cost by 90% without incurring any additional risk"
More achievable #2:
"Create a Pareto chart of project costs and identify cost savings. List any additional risks that result from reducing any specific cost. Categorise each cost as mandatory or discretionary."
Manager's love "stretch" goals and they have their place. However, goals that stretch actioners too far are unlikely to be achieved. Don't be the manager that "cried wolf". Your team is smart. They know when you're bluffing. It will demotivate them.
On the other hand, requiring your team to move out of their comfort zone can deliver real innovation. There is little that is more fulfilling than watching you team achieve something they thought impossible. The trick is getting the balance right…but this is the stuff of "creating a vision" which is the subject of a future blog. Actions are smaller and must be achievable.
Why It Matters
Unachievable actions:
- Demotivate people
- Damage accountability
- Reduce trust in management
Better Meeting Behaviour
When assigning actions and reviewing progress:
- Check workload
- Clarify expectations
- Offer support if needed
- Chunk the action down further
- Assign sub-actions to others
A Simple Question
Ask the actioner:
“Are you confident you can complete this by the deadline?”
If not—adjust the scope or assign additional people to help.
Tip
It’s better to:
- Assign smaller, achievable actions
- and Build progress over time
Achievable actions lead to consistent execution which moves projects forward.
Build momentum from every meeting. Capture, track, and complete actions with the CalculitX Project Action Tracker.
#productivity, #projectmanagement, #meetingmanagement, #meetingminutes, #actionitems.
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