Avoiding POA Chaos, Part III: Implementation Best Practices

Ah, the plan of action (POA) meeting. It can be a fantastic tool for making sure the field teams are aligned and ready to execute. This final installment covers implementation best practices to ensure your POA delivers maximum return on the significant investment it represents.

Stay Organized

Create an implementation checklist covering all key tasks and deliverables before the POA meeting. This checklist should be customized for your specific organizational needs. Assign clear ownership for each item and track progress consistently.

Create Strategic Training

Training effectiveness depends on when and how you deploy it:

• Before the meeting: Focus on knowledge acquisition through pre-reads, microlearning modules, and knowledge assessments
• During the meeting: Apply knowledge through role-play, skill practice, and interactive exercises
• After the meeting: Provide performance support and reinforcement through job aids and follow-up microlearning

"Save your live training time for knowledge or skills application, not knowledge transfer." This is the most common POA planning mistake — using expensive, in-person time for content delivery that could happen asynchronously.

Use Microlearning Strategically

Microlearning works particularly well for preparing participants pre-event, delivering post-event reinforcement, and providing field personnel with quick-reference materials during their daily work.

Plan for Contingencies

Identify potential risk areas in the POA plan and develop backup options. Have "a Plan A, a Plan B, and probably a Plan C" to manage unexpected changes gracefully. In POA meetings, last-minute changes are not the exception — they're the rule.