Without the up-front investment in creating an effective and comprehensive plan it should be expected. Most people succumb to the pull of jumping to solution. This is natural given our innate desire to "fix" things but 75% of the execution is in the planning. If your efforts make you feel like you're endlessly circling your prey without actually moving in for the kill (my apologies for the hunting metaphor) my guess is you don't have a "real" plan.

 I've seen lots of things disguised as plans but it's not often I see something that makes me sit back and say "wow, this team has really got its act together" - results forthcoming! Some of this is lack of skill and/ or knowledge. Some of it is the desire to "just get moving". Most of it is a lack of understanding in just how much easier things can be with a good plan in place.

 In my work at Blommer I help to shape facility improvement plans into something designed to promote success. I know, from my personal experience, that if I can help our teams create a solid plan then I know their chances for success increase dramatically. The bonus in all this is the momentum that is created by success. Many continuous improvement initiatives die on the vine due to lack of momentum. Show me the cadavers (I know, the metaphors are getting a little creepy now) and I'll show you a lack of planning.

 None of what I'm going to describe below is new or brilliance on my part. It's pretty straight forward stuff but having the diligence to follow these steps is what prevents you from having an action item show up as a goal and trust me, I see this all the time.

 Step 1: Planning is all about moving from A to B. You're at A now and you would like to be at B at some point in the future. What does B look like that A doesn't? How is it different? What B looks like is your goal. The space between A and B is the gap you need to close to get to your goal. This is an important distinction. Don't confuse activity with a desired outcome. Activities create movement towards a goal. Don't lose sight of the goal.

 Utilize whatever sources of information you have at your disposal to identify improvement opportunities. Metrics are key sources as they provide objective analysis. Identify an opportunity for improvement based on getting "the biggest bang for the buck" utilizing S.M.A.R.T. goals:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

These act as filters in establishing your goals. There's lots of information on these widely available on the internet so no need to replicate here.

Identify your goal!

 Step 2: Remember those gaps mentioned above? This is where you go to work identifying ways in which you might be able to close those gaps. No idea is bad - some are just better than others. There are lots of tools widely available to help facilitate the generation of ideas: brainstorming, multi-voting and sampling. Again, all widely available on the internet. Cause and effect diagrams (fishbone), Pareto charts and simply asking "the five why's" can all be used to help filter the validity of these potential solutions as "root-cause" fixes, if you like. Band-aids may get you from A to B once or even twice but will they get you there consistently? You're looking for permanent fixes. You want to close those gaps forever.

Create an action plan!

 Step 3: MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE! But, measure the right thing. This is where the trap door typically gets sprung. You're not measuring activities - that's what timelines are for. You're measuring progress towards your goal. I see a lot of report-outs where teams make a production out of the work they are doing (which is fine to a point) but when it comes to capturing their progress as it relates to the ultimate end-game they come up short. Don't lose sight of what it is you're trying to accomplish.

 Step 4: What's your feedback saying to you? Like any good GPS it should be telling you that you're on course or not (except when that annoying voice, that initially sounded so pleasant, is now telling you to make a u-turn at your earliest convenience, I digress). This is typically where things get sticky. Some things will work and some won't and you need to be able to make the necessary mid-course adjustments to reach your ultimate goal. Don't lose sight of your objectives and don't be afraid to try things.

 "B" - well hopefully, this is where you end up! If you put the necessary effort into clearly identifying your goals, creating permanent solutions to close gaps and measuring your progress towards your goal I'm sure you will! It's not complicated but it does require the will and discipline to follow a time-tested process.

 There are lots of materials readily available on effective planning (that go into much greater detail) and I would encourage you to seek them out. My objective here is to simply overstate the need to have a plan in the first place if you ever expect to accomplish your goals.

 Good luck with your improvement efforts and remember - have a plan!