SOPs Create Thriving Teams
Often when many new business owners and ambitious managers think of SOPs they either have no idea what the acronym stands for or they recognize Standard Operating Procedures and fear the corporate culture that documentation can bring.
It’s time to reshape how we think of SOPs. They are not evil, rule-abiding mechanisms here to destroy the collaborative culture of startup companies. Instead, they are useful and essential resources for thriving teams.
Let’s get the myths out of the way.
SOPs are rigid
SOPs can become living documents. In between improvement sprints, well-document SOPs allow your employees to maintain the level of consistent quality that you want to associate with your brand.
SOPs replace creativity with control
In reality, SOPs provide structure, not control. They provide opportunities to spot inefficiencies, thus allowing teams the opportunity to invocate and collaborate on better ways to do things.
SOPs don’t need to be too specific as long as important steps are document
Well-documented and efficient SOPs are ones that are almost overly specific and borders the line between detailed and insulting an employee’s intelligence. It leaves little (and ideally no) room for confusion or questions. This allows employees to easily step into new roles and accomplish tasks with consistent quality.
Better Management, the SOP Way.
The benefits of SOPs don’t stop at consistency, quality, and efficiency (but, wow, if those aren’t great reasons already). Building a culture of thriving employees means giving them the resources to succeed while setting them up for innovative growth. And that’s exactly the goal of standard operating procedures.
SOPs give employees easy to understand, easy to execute resources from day one. This reduces training time but also gives them a sense of confidence to take ownership, increasing engagement and productivity.
SOPs allow supervisors to take a step back from trivial trainings. Instead of having to focus on teaching the details of completing a task, supervisors and managers can focus on more in-depth career and professional development in their teams.
SOP Essentials
As you build out your standard operating procedures, you want to make them specific and easy to understand for multiple types of learners. When we complete SOP packets for clients, there’s three main components and an occasional bonus.
Detailed Process Outlines: The main component is a word document with details on every step, every what-if, and every possible question in that particular process.
Process Flow Chart: The flow chart is created second but often presented at the front of a workflow packet. It provides a visual overview of the process. (Champion Tip: Ramp up the effectiveness of a flow chart by adding swim lanes.)
RACI Chart: A personal, six-sigma favorite, RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. This chart identifies the roles of various people involved in the process.
Bonus Training Videos: Occasionally, for more complex or creative processes, it’s smart to pair a training video with the workflow. It should mimic the details of the process outline and will become the visual go-to.
As you build out your processes and streamline operations, you’ll discover all the ease and efficiency that SOP’s can offer. Remember to make them as detailed as possible and remain open to improvement ideas. If you need help tackling your processes, automating your systems, and streamlining your SOP’s, then reach out to us about our operation solutions!