Regardless if you are a leader of an organization or a teammate, it is very probable you’ve been asked for directions on how to carry out an instructional task. These responsibilities may include onboarding, how to launch a marketing campaign, or even scheduling a meeting with vendors. Of course, some questions seem self-explanatory, but if you stop to ask yourself, “What are the steps,” you might find it difficult to give explicit instructions. This is likely because you’ve been doing it for so long, the tasks have become habitual. 

Document your processes now to make your life easier later

The solution is to create standard operating procedures. SOPs for short, are written directions on how to carry out a task. It is imperative that organizations take the time to develop SOPs at every level, so their margin for error is minimal or nonexistent. 

Once you have detailed written procedures and processes for your business, anyone in the organization can have access to learn or refresh themselves. Additionally, new team members have a library of important information to pull from. This cuts down on training time and also increases efficiency. Training new team members becomes easier and more streamlined, and they are able to begin adding their valuable insight much quicker.

Consider which processes you should write for teammates. Simply, if it is a task that not everyone knows how to carry out, it should be documented. What happens if you fall ill for a week, your basement floods, or there is a family emergency? This is particularly critical in organizations such as non-profits, schools, and small social impact companies because they tend to run lean. Life happens to all of us. The last thing we want to think about is, “Who will cover me at work?” Educators have been creating backup guest teacher plans for decades. Why shouldn’t every organization have the same practice in place? 

Another advantage of process documentation is that when it comes time to fill a position, it becomes much easier to know the specific skills you, as a leader, need to hire if that former colleague has created SOPs. 

How to get started with SOPs

When you are ready to create a standard operating procedure, it is best to start by building a high-level process for the position you are currently in. List everything you do in a day as well as the roles you play within your organization. It may seem mundane to write things like ‘first check email, make a task list for the day, then check in with teammates.’ However, the more specific you can be, the better. The most important thing to remember is that SOPs are documents that are constantly being revisited and refined. You should check in on your processes monthly to make sure they are up-to-date. The more your organization adjusts its procedures for precision, the more efficiently all systems will run, and the happier your team will be! 

A few SOP examples

As an example, at Cultivate & Engage, we have more than 20 processes including:

• Client Onboarding
• Weekly Reporting 
• Client Meeting Protocol
• Revision and Approval Protocol
• Client Success Surveys

At Cultivate & Engage, SOPs are an integral part of our team’s culture. We are committed to amplifying the stories of purpose-driven organizations. In order to create meaningful partnerships, we take the time to cultivate streamlined processes internally and externally. If you have questions about how we implement processes in communications and marketing, please send us a note and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.