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 Create job procedures:
Incidents and lost productivity due to NOT using or having the proper
operating procedures can and should be avoided. Easy-to-use and up-to-date
procedures provide your company with job-specific training and morale
building tools. The policies should communicate expectations between both
parties in a simple, easy to read form. Too much detail can lead to problems,
therefore less is best. State the do's and don'ts, leaving room for management
discretion. A word of caution: If you do not intend to follow the written
policy, then do not write it down. A written policy must be implemented
in order to be useful.
Deciding to embrace policy and procedure is one thing. Figuring out how
to incorporate it into your business is another. Yet it doesn't have to
be painful or complicated. Here are some steps to get you started:
- Set priorities. The first and perhaps simplest thing you can do to
delineate your company's values is to create a clear mission statement.
What is your highest priority?
- Start now to create company policies and procedures that guide you.
To a homebased entrepreneur with no employees, writing a policy manual
may seem unnecessary. In reality, putting guidelines on paper will not
only help you make decisions now but will also guide the employees you
may someday have. Look for procedures that help guide you through the
kinds of dilemmas you face daily.
- Get advice. Don't reinvent the wheel. Ask one of your industry's trade
associations if it has a policy and procedure manual; the information
it contains may help you establish your company's policies and procedures.
At the very least, it will highlight important issues to consider.
- Avoid hypocrisy at all costs. Suppose you have no compunction about
lying to your employees, you cook the books at tax time and, worst of
all, you have no interest in changing your evil ways. Whatever you do,
don't promote yourself to employees and the community as a paragon of
virtue.
If bulking up your company's moral fiber seems like a lot of work, consider
the alternative. Imagine your company dogged by disgruntled clients, hapless
decision-making and a poor reputation.
Not
exactly your vision of success? In fact, it's hard to envision any company
being successful under these conditions. And while it's believed that
virtue offers its own spiritual rewards, the rewards of running an ethical
business usually involve financial gain as well. Unscrupulous behavior,
on the other hand, generally leads to havoc.
Codifying
your policy and procedure should be part of the strategic planning of
an organization early on. Clarifying ethical standards--for yourself as
well as others--is a critical step toward entrepreneurial maturity. A
code of ethics gives [you] a structure within which to make decisions.
As your business grows, that code will help ensure everyone in the company
is on the same wavelength.
In
any business, developing and preserving procedures is an ongoing process--and
an imperfect one. And while it's not necessary to cover every base and
perform flawlessly in every situation, it is important to try.
Here
are a few guidelines to use when writing policy and procedure:
- Keep Your Writing Style consistent by maintaining the same verb tense
throughout the policy or procedure.
- Set up a review and approval process for corporate documents.
The review process for the majority of policies and procedures should
include a review by the users of the process, by senior management,
and by a Policies and Procedures Department.
- Incorporate a Distribution Method.
Collate printed paper documents into binders and make policies and procedures
available to readers.
- Train employees in new or updated procedures.
Through training classes, the employees are taught how, when, and where
to use guidelines established in the policies or procedures.
- Plan how to keep documents up-to-date and marking up revisions
An established policy or procedure
that doesn't reflect current practices is about as effective as having
no written guidelines.
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