It is said that companies in the “growing” phase, with 16-20 employees, face a unique set of challenges. This is a time when the lack of established procedures and dedicated departments can leave it caught between two stages of growth. During this phase, companies are too big to operate like a startup, but often lack the resources needed to operate like an enterprise.
This is where Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) come in. Well-written SOPs ensure consistency in operations and quality, which in turn creates efficiencies between team members as well as facilitates employee training and knowledge transfer. Providing employees with clear, step-by-step instructions for daily tasks will ultimately drive accountability and performance.
While creating SOPs can significantly improve efficiencies, many other benefits make the time and money spent developing them worth every penny. For companies like Carlson Integrated, where our entire team is remote, having SOPs for new hires to review and follow reduces training costs and errors. They eliminate the unnecessary guesswork of how to perform a task and ensure consistent results. Working independently from home without constant checks and balances requires a certain level of confidence and empowerment, which can be achieved when expectations and processes are clear and direct.
If creating efficiencies and empowering your team isn’t enough to convince you – consider the increase in compliance that will occur when everyone has the same written expectations around legal, regulatory, and industry requirements. As a marketing company, our team often has access to sensitive client data and proprietary information. We have SOPs (safeguards) in place to ensure that our client’s data and information is protected and that the work Carlson Integrated is doing, represents our clients in the best possible way.
So, how do you create and write an SOP that people will follow? Having written numerous SOPs for Carlson Integrated, I have some tips to help anyone who needs to create one.
- Objective – Before starting an SOP – ensure that you know the objective or outcome of the specific procedure you are writing. Defining the objective should be the first step. This will give your audience a reason to follow the procedure. Understanding why a procedure is important could be the difference between a successful SOP and a failed SOP.
- Research – Implementing a new procedure may require some research. It may be helpful to know how other companies implement and utilize a similar process. This research could be done through an internet search, business connections, or even a business coach.
- Write – When writing an SOP, consider that well-formatted, short form content is easier to digest. Utilizing sections with bold headings, bullet points or check boxes, graphics/images, and hyperlinks will go a long way. Assume that the reader knows nothing – start step one from the very tippy top and break down the process into as many steps as possible.
- Implement – Once the SOP is complete, it’s time to implement! Consider the complexity of the SOP and determine how much training your team may need. Introduce the new process during a team meeting or via email. If the new process is complex, consider a training session before implementing. Request that everyone review the SOP and let you know if they have questions. Don’t forget to give a specific date that the process will be in place, which will eliminate any confusion about expectations.
I hope you have found this blog helpful and will start to implement your own SOPs. Watching a growing company become standardized and operate as a well-oiled machine is truly rewarding. Once you start writing and following your own set of standard operating procedures, you will likely see significant improvements in efficiency and consistency. Happy writing!
