How to Create Effective Action Item Lists: A Template for Success

Creating an effective action item list is crucial for the success of any project or goal. Action items provide a detailed roadmap of the specific tasks that need to be completed in order to move a project forward. In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn how to write better action items, use them successfully in meetings, and create an action item template to organize and track progress. With tips on assigning owners, setting deadlines, and examples of good action items, you'll be equipped to boost your team's productivity.

What is an Action Item?

An action item is a documented task that needs to be completed. It's a specific assignment with a due date and owner assigned. Action items are used as a management tool to track progress and ensure completion of project deliverables. They provide clarity around the next steps that need to be taken in order to meet objectives.

Effective action items assist with project management by breaking down complex tasks into smaller actionable items. They help teams understand what exactly needs to be done, who will do it, and by when.

The Benefits of Using Action Items

There are many benefits to creating and using action items:

• Provide clarity around responsibilities - Action items make it clear who is responsible for what task. This ensures accountability.

• Improve communication - Documented action items help align everyone on priorities and next steps.

• Enable progress tracking - With assigned owners and due dates, it's easy to track progress on action items.

• Facilitate task completion - Action items that are specific and executable keep projects moving forward efficiently.

• Enhance meeting productivity - Creating action items during meetings captures next steps and ensures follow-through.

• Increase organization - Logging action items in a centralized place makes it easy to access and manage them.

In summary, action items are a simple yet powerful project management tool. When used effectively, they lead to improved team collaboration, increased productivity, and successful project execution.

How to Write Good Action Items

For action items to be effective, they need to be written well. Follow these tips for writing clear and actionable items:

• Use active voice - "John to finalize budget by Friday" not "Final budget to be completed"

• Assign an owner - Use names instead of "someone" so there is no confusion around responsibility

• Add due date - Set realistic but aggressive dates to instill a sense of urgency

• Be specific - "Update client presentation with feedback" not "update client deliverables"

• Use action verbs - "Schedule meeting with [x]" instead of "meeting to be scheduled"

• Keep it short - Brief 1-2 sentence descriptions get the point across

• Use consistent structure - Follow the same format each time for clarity

Some examples of well-written action items:

• Mary to send meeting minutes to client by Friday

• John to research pricing options and report findings by next Tuesday

• Kim to call web developer Tom and discuss timeline by tomorrow

Spending a little extra time to create detailed, executable action items will pay off when it comes to completing them efficiently.

Best Practices for Using Action Items

To maximize the effectiveness of action items, incorporate these best practices:

• Log all action items in meetings - Don't rely on memory. Capture them in real time so nothing falls through the cracks.

• Categorize based on priority - Flag action items as high/medium/low so you can focus on critical tasks first. 

• Assign owners - Make sure every action item has a single owner responsible for completion.

• Set due date - Due dates create accountability and prevent items from getting neglected.

• Review at each meeting - Look at open action items at each team meeting and check on progress.

• Update status once complete - Close the loop by marking action items done as they are accomplished.

• Track in a tool - Using a tool like a spreadsheet, Trello board, Jira or Asana to manage action items in one place.

Consistently applying these best practices will ensure your action items are implemented successfully to drive project outcomes.

Action Item Templates

Using a template is an effective way to create consistent and organized action items. Here are two action item templates you can use in your projects:

Basic Action Item Template

• Owner: [Name of owner]

• Description: [1-2 sentence description of task] 

• Due date: [Date for completion]

Detailed Action Item Template

• Owner: [Name of owner]

• Description: [Specific description of task to be completed]

• Priority: [High/Medium/Low]

• Milestone/Project: [Project name]

• Due date: [Date for completion]

• Status: [Not started/In progress/Completed]

These templates cover all the key information that should be captured for action items like owner, description, due date and status.

Customize them as needed to fit your project tracking needs by adding things like priority level, milestones, categories or revisions.

Action Items in Meetings

One of the most common and effective uses for action items is capturing them during team meetings.

Here are some tips for incorporating action items into your meeting flow:

• Review at start - Look at previous action items and status to begin.

• Capture throughout - Log action items as they come up during discussions.

• Assign owners - Make sure someone is responsible for each new action item.

• Set due date - Agree on deadline for completion based on urgency and workload.

• Categorize - Group action items by project, priority level or owner.

• Recap at end - Review new action items to ensure clarity before closing meeting.

Designating someone as the action item “scribe” can help ensure they are captured consistently. Treat action items as deliverables that need to be completed just like any other workstream.

Tracking Ongoing Action Items

Don't let your carefully created action items fall into a black hole. Have a system to track their progress.

Here are some tips for tracking ongoing action items:

• Set calendar reminders for due dates

• Check in on progress during 1:1 meetings

• Discuss open items at weekly team meetings

• Provide monthly status updates to stakeholders

• Flag stalled or high priority action items

• Celebrate when items are completed

• Keep action item list visible and accessible

Regular tracking provides visibility into what is getting done and what is still outstanding. This allows teams to course correct as needed. Tracking also creates accountability and motivation to complete items.

Common Challenges with Action Items

Action items are simple in theory but more difficult to implement consistently and effectively. Some common challenges include:

• Unclear owners - No single point of accountability. Leads to finger pointing.

• Lack of due dates - Without deadlines, items drag on indefinitely.

• Poorly written - Vague descriptions make items hard to execute.

• Not tracked - Out of sight, out of mind. No progress updates.

• Tool issues - Information gets siloed across multiple tools or email.

The best way to overcome these challenges is to make action items a priority like any other project deliverable. Allocate time in meetings for writing, reviewing, and tracking. And encourage a culture of accountability when it comes to ownership and completion.

Action Item Template for Success

Here is a handy checklist you can use to implement a strong action item process:

✔ Write clear, detailed and actionable descriptions

✔ Always assign an owner for each item

✔ Set due date based on priority and workload

✔ Categorize action items as needed (project, priority etc.)

✔ Log items in real-time during meetings

✔ Review new items at the end of each meeting

✔ Use template for consistent format and details

✔ Track status and progress regularly

✔ Share action item list across team and stakeholders

✔ Celebrate completed items!

Following this template will set your team up for success with action items that get completed on time and drive project results.

Key Takeaways

• Action items provide clarity on task responsibilities and due dates to keep projects moving.

• Creating detailed and well-written action items is crucial for their effectiveness.

• Use an action item template and capture items consistently in meetings.

• Regular tracking and review of open items prevents bottlenecks.

• Common challenges include unclear owners, missed deadlines and poor follow-through.

• Make action items a priority, and implement processes to write, assign, track and review them.

While simple in concept, excellent execution of action items requires discipline. But the payoff in terms of increased team productivity, engagement and results make it well worth the effort.

So next time you have a project that needs tackling, don't forget your action items! Applying the templates and best practices in this guide will set you up for success.