Creating SOPs That Actually Get Used

If I had a dollar for every organization I've worked with where the SOPs were good, I wouldn't have a dollar. From my work with companies such as GSK, Novartis, and Pfizer, I hold that: 📋 SOPs must be functional above all else. Their purpose is to help people complete tasks successfully and safely, on time, with expected outcomes. ❌ But most SOPs fail because of: 1. Too Much Information • Every task 20+ steps • Information not concise or focused • Steps containing rationales (belongs in policy docs) • Poor titles that don't indicate task purpose Example of what NOT to do: "Please take a moment to review the testing documentation below." (It's not a favor—just write "Review the testing documentation") 2. Format & Language Issues ⚠️ • Walls of text without reading cues • No white space for visual breaks • Complex words where simple ones work ("utilize" vs "use") • Multiple actions crammed into single steps Real example of what NOT to do: "Remove one packet from the pouch and carefully add all contents to the water sample, swirl the sample until all the reagent dissolves into the solution." (That's 3 separate steps crammed into one!) 3. Structure Problems 🔍 • Steps not chronological • Sections bleeding into each other • Missing process mapping (critical for understanding flow) • Key information (like definitions) buried at the back ✅ The solution starts with three key principles: 1. Map Before Writing 🗺️Process mapping isn't optional; it's the foundation for any usable SOP (like your clinical trials, start with a protocol, not a prayer). 2. Write for Real Use ✍️One action per step, simple language (save the fluff for your cotton swabs). 3. Structure for Success 🎯Put key information where readers need it (hint: definitions belong up front, like your safety goggles). 💡 As I tell my pharma clients: "Will incorporating these concepts make your SOPs longer? Yes, sorry. Will it make them more usable? Yes, not sorry." ⚠️ Because in pharma, unusable SOPs aren't just inefficient—they're a compliance risk (or worse, accident) waiting to happen. Questions? AMA in the comments ⤵︎

Ok guys. You fought one fire too many and said enough's enough, our agency needs a process for this. So you made that beautiful SOP with all the links and had everyone dump everything from their brain... and yet... still nobody knows wtf is supposed to happen. You want to actually solve the problem, your process has to be 1. simple 2. usable 3. scalable. Easier said then done. I know, me, an ops/finance/leadership expert and I'm still saying it's tough. Why? Bc we're human! This is the work we want to just be done already so we can have the results, but we don't actually want to invest the time, discipline, or finances to do it well. So here’s the method that worked best for me growing an agency from startup to $10M with systems that actually stuck (& didn't suck 🤣 ). 🔍 Simple = clear. Simple ≠ basic. Start with a visual map. (Miro, Canva, or ClickUp all work great.) Something that helps your brain see the big picture before zooming into the steps. Then outline the process in a doc: » Each task » Who owns it » When it’s due (relative to the overall workflow) » Description + links to resources/templates » Checklist of actions » Subtasks + dependencies Your tasks should be your source of truth, where the process is integrated into the actual work. Great process documentation doesn’t have to be hunted down bc it's right in front of your face where the work happens. 💪🏽 Usable = actually followed. Usable ≠ I understand it, why don't you. Once the process is defined, build it into your PM platform as a template. Monday, ClickUp, Asana, Teamwork... take your pick, idc, but ideally use ONE. Then roll it out with patience. ↳ Host walkthroughs. Share the why, explain the goal, set expectations, & *walk* through the flow. Highly recommend multiple sessions for team-specific & role-specific nuances. ↳ Run a mock client exercise. Assign the full process like it's real and watch for friction. You'll catch gaps, errors, missing links, unclear instructions, before it goes live. ↳ (I know I'm a broken record but) Build accountability into the process. If something gets skipped, the workflow should stall. If you have to manage people through reminders and nudges, that's a flag the process isn't solid yet bc when it's clear and owned, the gaps reveal themselves. 📈 Scalable = evolves with you. Scalable ≠ reinventing the wheel. The process doc is your editable hub. When something needs to be changed, you should have roles responsible to update the doc, confirm with leadership or team, & apply the update to the task templates. Use a highlighting system in the doc to track: • Needs updating • Changed, not yet confirmed/approved • Approved + ready to go • Remove highlights once it's live in the system And that’s it. That's how to build a process that holds steady AND stays flexible. And when you do it this way, your processes support growth without burning people out along the way.

How I Write an SOP That Actually Helps as a Program Manager at Amazon Most SOPs gather dust. Too long. Too vague. Too disconnected from the real work. At Amazon, a good SOP doesn’t just document a process. It makes the next person’s job easier…immediately. Here’s how I write SOPs that people actually use: 1/ I write it like a checklist, not a policy doc ↳ Clear steps ↳ Clear triggers ↳ No corporate speak Example: I once rewrote a 5-page doc into a 1-pager titled “How to Launch a New Data Feed.” Each step was 1 sentence, each had an owner. Adoption went up overnight. 2/ I start with the “when” and “why,” not just the “how” ↳ Why does this SOP exist? ↳ When should someone follow it? Example: I added a top section: “Use this when onboarding a new team to the dashboard. Purpose: prevent access issues and missed metrics.” That framing reduced questions by half. 3/ I link directly to the tools and templates ↳ No “search the wiki” ↳ Just: click → fill → done Example: Instead of “Use the onboarding tracker,” I write “Fill out this tracker → [link].” That one link removes 3 minutes of confusion. 4/ I include edge cases and common mistakes ↳ “If X happens, do Y” ↳ “Avoid this—it’s where people get stuck” Example: I once added a tip: “If permissions fail at Step 3, ping analytics-infra in Slack.” That one line prevented dozens of Slack threads. 5/ I test it with someone new ↳ If they’re confused, the SOP isn’t done ↳ Feedback closes the loop Example: I had a peer follow my SOP step-by-step, cold. Their questions helped me rewrite 4 sections before publishing. A great SOP doesn’t just live in Confluence. It lives in your team’s day-to-day execution. What’s your #1 tip for writing SOPs that actually get used?

𝗜 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗣𝗠𝗢 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱. 🥴 Beautiful governance framework ✅ Fancy project templates ✅ Weekly status meetings ✅ Zero actual adoption. Teams kept working around us. Leaders stopped showing up. And I was basically running a compliance theatre that added zero value. That's when I realized: I was building for perfection, not for people. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘆: Most PMOs fail because we start with process instead of problems. We design the "perfect" intake form before we know what decisions we're supporting. We build dashboards before we understand what questions leaders actually need answered. (Look at me 🥹 spending months on a framework nobody asked for) 𝗦𝗼 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿. This time? I led with questions: ↳ What decision is keeping you up at night? ↳ What's the biggest bottleneck in delivery right now? ↳ If this PMO could solve ONE thing, what would change everything? And I listened. Like, really listened. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗠𝗢 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝟯 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: ☝🏼 𝟭/ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Your PMO can't prioritize work if the organization hasn't defined what matters. I stopped building intake processes and started facilitating priority conversations. We defined criteria. We killed projects that didn't fit. We said no with evidence. Turns out, a simple scoring model beats a 47-field intake form every single time. ✌🏼 𝟮/ 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Nobody wants another status meeting. I replaced weekly reporting theatre with monthly decision sessions. One agenda item: What choice do we need to make today? Attendance went from 40% to 95%. Because we were finally making decisions instead of just talking about work. 🤟🏼 𝟯/ 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 The best PMO framework is the one that actually gets used. I stopped designing for perfection and started designing for adoption. Simple templates. Clear accountabilities. Just enough structure to add value without adding friction. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸: The last time you built something in your PMO that people actually wanted to use? That's usually the moment things start working. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗣𝗠𝗢 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲? Drop "GUIDE" in the comments, and I'll send you the Ultimate PMO Setup Guide. It's the exact roadmap I use to help organizations build value-driven PMOs from scratch. 𝗣.𝗦. What's the ONE thing your PMO could do differently that would actually change how work gets done? --- Found this helpful? Repost ♻️ to help another PMO leader who's building process when they should be building trust.

I’ll never forget it. A few months ago I watched an editor waste half a day trying to find our caption guidelines. We eventually found them… In some random Google Drive folder, with half broken links that hadn’t been updated since 2023. It was 99% useless. If you are part of any creative team: I need you to read this. Gurus love to glorify SOPs. "Build repeatable systems into documents... You'll save so much time" But I've seen many marketing and media teams lose time trying to build repeatable systems. Making SOPs FEELS good, like you've done "higher order work." But docs only provide value if people use them. The moment you finish an SOP, you've gained nothing. Think of it as debt. You and your team have to use that doc enough to pay it back. & SOPs often don't last more than a couple quarters, especially if there's any kind of team turnover. My two cents on documentation 1) 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭. Nobody wants to re-read a 5-page document every time they go through a process. Every word in an SOP should fight for its life. Quick hack here: record a 5 minute loom that can be skimmed and embed it at the top of the doc. These are often lower cognitive load to consume. 2) 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Most of the world-class operators I’ve met all say this. Your instructions shouldn't be buried in the onboarding manual they got in day one or in a “master doc with 47 nested sub-bullets” It's right there where the work is done so no context switching is required. -Posting guidelines are auto-populated in the template that is checked off before hitting post. -Your editing guidelines are turned into project templates and safe zone overlays used in Premiere itself -Copywriting guardrails are copy pasted in the header of every working doc that is assigned to a freelancer I've made the mistake of over-engineering processes many times, I am begging you not to do the same!

Most SOPs fail before they even get written Why? Because they’re written for the boss, not the team. A lot of small business owners treat SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) like a rulebook. Long. Rigid. Complicated. But real documentation isn’t about control. It’s about CLARITY. One client came to me after her VA kept missing steps in the onboarding process. She had a Google Doc. It was 7 pages long. No one used it. So we rebuilt it, together. ↳ We started by identifying just the three core workflows she needed help with most. ↳ Then we simplified. ↳ Created a step-by-step checklist for each task. ↳ Added visuals to show exactly how things should look. ↳ Recorded short Loom videos (each under 3 minutes) to walk her VA through the process. The result? ✅ Her VA stopped asking the same questions. ✅ Tasks were completed on time. ✅ She finally stopped waking up to Slack messages at 6 a.m. Here’s the truth most people miss: Good systems don’t live in your head…. They live where your team can find and use them. And when your team has access to simple, repeatable SOPs, they stop waiting, guessing, or spiraling. They just do the work. Struggling to get your team to actually USE the SOPs you’ve created? I created a free guide to help you build simple, streamlined SOPs your team will follow, without extra meetings, micromanagement, or overwhelm. Link is in the comment section below. This is exactly what I help small business owners do: Turn over complicated processes into clear, practical systems that actually get used So your team runs smoother, and you stay focused on growth. #systems #leadership #business #strategy #ProcessImprovement

1 thing I realized is - the best teams don’t rely on memory. They always work from clarity. And I remember this one time, my team and I were asked to help a fast-growing fintech product agency. They had a strong company. Talented people. But every few weeks, a delivery would get delayed. It wasn’t laziness. It wasn’t bad hires. It was this: No one REALLY knew who was supposed to do what, by when, or how. So we helped them write what most skip: An SOP - a Standard Operating Procedure. Let’s say your UI/UX person has to deliver wireframes. • What are the exact steps? • Who checks it? • When is feedback given? You map all of that out. Step by step. It all starts with: 1) Identifying the process 2) Listing all the steps into clear actions, for example: a) Receive project brief   b) Conduct user research c) Sketch initial ideas d) So on... 3) Defining responsibilities - like the UI/UX designer builds, the product manager briefs.  4) Setting timelines - like 6-9 days total for wireframes.  5) Including quality checks - like team feedback or stakeholder sign-off.  6) Providing resources - such as Figma 7) Planning for updates - checking the SOP every 6 months or post project to tweak it And once you do that, the product manager knows what’s next The team knows what "done" looks like And if something goes wrong? You don’t blame. You fix the process. A good SOP is important for this. Because it converts the confusion into clarity. It lets your team run faster without burning out. And it gives leadership real visibility - without micro-managing. This is one of those small things that keeps companies scaling smoothly. Because real growth hardly ever JUST comes from talent. Real growth always requires structure. ---  👉 TL;DR: Growth doesn’t just come from talent. Real growth needs clear processes, structure, and a good SOP to convert confusion into clarity.

I just got back 8 hours of my week! (And I’m planning to reclaim at least 10 more!) How? I built 8 systems to delegate those 8 hours. But wait—doesn’t creating systems and writing SOPs take forever? That’s what I’ve seen with countless clients. They spend weeks writing elaborate SOPs! But them become irrelevant before anyone even reads them. I was about to fall into the same trap until I read this 👇 “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬.” Instead of following the old playbook, here’s what I did: 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: Identify what needs to be systematized. I started by listing every single task I could outsource, delegate, or automate. Then, I broke them down into: - Frequency (How often I do them) - Time consumption (How much time they take) - Energy impact (How draining they are) 𝙄 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨: 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝘼𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙩 (𝙨/𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙐𝙥 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙗𝙮 Tanya Alvarez) 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: Record the process while doing the work. I just turned on Loom and narrated while doing the actual task. I did the actual work while doing it, so no time wasted here! 𝙄 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨: 𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: Turn the video into step-by-step written instructions. Loom automatically generated the transcript for me. I dropped that into ChatGPT and asked it to create clear, step-by-step instructions. Now the person taking over gets a video + written instructions. 𝙄 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨: 𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙢 → 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙂𝙋𝙏. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: Store everything in a centralized database. I created a custom structure in Notion with tags and folders so anyone can find the instructions instantly. 𝙄 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨: 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 And that's it… This is the playbook I’m gonna use from now on! The longer I use it, the more time I get back! This way, I’ll be able to focus more ON DESIGNING my business, instead of drowning in it. You can take the first step now: 1. Start with a small and manageable task that you can take off your plate permanently. 2. Use this playbook to capture your first system. And here’s the best part 👇 I’m giving out the Notion database I’m using to store my systems. If you’d like me to send it over to you: - Like this post. - Comment: “systems” (PS: You need to be connected with me to receive it!)

I spent nearly 10 years creating safe work practices the wrong way before I figured out this 7-step system.   I'd write procedures nobody followed. Create documents that lived in safety binders. Spend weeks training on procedures supervisors ignored.   Then I realized the problem.   I was creating "safe work practices" as separate documents. Not integrated, detailed, or optimized plans.   On top of that, I was doing it all by myself. Not collaborating with employees or supervisors.   This left employees with an impossible choice Do what their supervisor said, or do what safety said.   Here's what actually works 👇 The 7-Step System for Effective Safe Work Practices:   1️⃣ Step 1: Start with detailed JHAs Break down every task into steps. Identify hazards at each step. Document the safe way to do it. Include required qualifications, training, tools, and PPE.   2️⃣ Step 2: Correlate all JHAs for each job title Don't do this by task. Do it by job title. Gather all the tasks one person performs. Combine all the requirements. This shows you the complete picture of what each role needs.   3️⃣ Step 3: Update job descriptions with HR Now you have detailed physical requirements for every position. This helps HR avoid mismatches that lead to injuries and turnover. Plus, it protects you from labor relations issues.   4️⃣ Step 4: Create a light-duty program You already know which tasks have specific physical requirements. Use this to build meaningful work assignments for employees with restrictions. This keeps injured workers engaged while they heal.   5️⃣ Step 5: Update related policies Review every policy connected to these tasks. Make sure they're aligned with your JHAs. Contradictions between policies and procedures kill credibility.   6️⃣ Step 6: Create a combined SOP Here's the key: The SOP is job title-based. It combines operations, quality, AND safety into one document. It's owned by the operations team, not safety.   7️⃣ Step 7: Use the JHA to write SOP instructions Copy and paste your detailed safety work practices from the JHA directly into the operations SOP. For the workers, the SOP becomes "how we do the work." The JHA stays as your separate safety analysis.   Here's why this works: → Employees aren't choosing between production and safety. → Supervisors own the SOPs because they're operations documents. → Safety is embedded in how the job gets done, not added on top. → Training becomes simpler because there's one source of truth.   What this means for you: Stop creating separate "safe work practices" that nobody follows. 💪 Start building JHAs that feed directly into operational SOPs.   Make safety part of the process, not separate from it.   ----- Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Brye Sargent, CSP for more.   Want to learn how to run your safety program through a system that ends the overwhelm?   Get the Free Course: https://lnkd.in/eZV6yt-u