Do you Own a Business? How to Determine if Your Policies and Procedures Too Long

Have you ever wondered what the right length for all your policy and procedures manual is? Very few authors draft short SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures). Creating long SOPs ranging between 50 and 70 pages long is more common. So, do you know how long your policy and procedures manual should be?

last updated Monday, December 16, 2024
#Policies and Procedures #Long Procedures

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by John Burson

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Key Points:

• Long SOPs cause confusion and difficulty in updates.
• Business policies should be clear and concise (e.g., title, purpose, scope).
• Avoid scope creep by keeping SOPs focused.
• Use simple, one-page process maps for procedures.
• Follow the Rule of Seven for clarity:
  • 7 procedures per process,
  • 7 activities per procedure,
  • 7 lines per paragraph,
  • 7 tasks per activity.
• Shorter SOPs are easier to understand and follow.
• Keep SOPs up to date for relevance.
• Test SOPs with employees for practicality.
• Simplicity leads to better efficiency and fewer errors.

Why Lengthy SOPs and Business Procedures Are a Mistake: Keep It Simple for Better Understanding and Efficiency

In today’s fast-paced business environment, clarity and ease of use are key to ensuring smooth operations. While creating policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) is essential for establishing organizational guidelines, one major mistake businesses often make is lengthy procedures. Lengthy and complicated SOPs are not only hard to understand but also lead to confusion among employees, making it difficult to follow or update them. In this post, we’ll explore why keeping your procedures short and simple is critical for your business’s success and how adopting the Rule of Seven can significantly improve your operational efficiency.

Why Lengthy SOPs are a Bad Idea

The longer your procedures, the harder they are to understand and follow. Lengthy SOPs tend to overwhelm employees with information, leading to:

• Confusion: With excessive details, employees may struggle to pinpoint the important steps or processes to follow.
• Increased Difficulty in Updates: The more information you include, the harder it becomes to keep everything up-to-date.
• Complex Navigation: When policies and procedures are spread across lengthy documents, employees can get lost in the content, which slows down their ability to execute tasks efficiently.

Ultimately, long SOPs can lead to errors, delays, and a lack of consistency across operations. To avoid this, businesses must focus on simplicity and clarity when creating their business policies and procedures.

Assessing the Length of Your Business Policies

Before diving into specific procedures, it's important to first assess your overall business policies. Business policies provide a broad framework that guides your company’s operations. These are foundational documents that set the direction for how employees should conduct themselves within the organization. Some examples of business policies include:

• Sexual Harassment Policy
• Accounts Receivable Policy
• Warehouse Procedures Policy

These policies should be clear, concise, and easy to follow. They are the backbone of your company's operations, so don't overcomplicate them.

Business Policy Meta Data: Key Information to Include

When creating policies, you’ll need to structure them properly to provide clear guidelines. Business policies should include the following key components:

1. Title: Clearly states what the policy addresses.
2. Policy: A summary of the overall rule or guideline.
3. Definitions: Clarifies any technical terms used.
4. Purpose: The reason behind the policy.
5. Responsibilities: Outlines who is responsible for what.
6. Scope: Specifies which areas of the business the policy covers.
7. References: Links to any related documents or legal requirements.

These elements help in providing a structured, understandable policy that won’t overwhelm employees with unnecessary details.

Understanding the Scope of Business Procedures

Your business policies and procedures manual should not be overloaded with excessive information. If your manual runs beyond a few pages, you may be veering into scope creep, where too much content is added, or you might be mixing up business strategy with operational steps. While it's tempting to include every little detail, remember that some content is more appropriate for a work instruction or detailed procedure, not a policy.

A solid business procedure describes a clear process for employees to follow, focusing on repeatable actions that achieve consistent results. The best procedures often use simple tools like high-level process flow maps, which give a quick overview without overwhelming the reader. These visual aids, if used, should also be kept short and sweet – ideally no more than one page.

Adopting the Rule of Seven

A great way to keep your SOPs and business procedures clear and concise is to apply the Rule of Seven. This rule suggests that, to maintain clarity and simplicity, business procedures should adhere to the following guidelines:

• Less than seven procedures per process: Break down each process into smaller, manageable steps.
• Less than seven activities per procedure: Keep each individual task within a procedure short and focused.
• Less than seven lines per paragraph: Ensure readability by avoiding long-winded explanations.
• Less than seven tasks for any activity: Keep activities manageable and straightforward.

The Rule of Seven ensures that your procedures are not overwhelming and are easy to understand. It simplifies the communication of processes across your organization, making it easier for employees to follow steps and meet goals efficiently.

Why Short SOPs Lead to Better Results

Keeping your SOPs and business procedures short doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing quality or thoroughness; it simply means you’re focusing on what’s important and eliminating unnecessary information. Here’s how shorter SOPs can benefit your organization:

• Increased Employee Understanding: Shorter procedures make it easier for employees to grasp what they need to do without wading through unnecessary details.
• Faster Updates: With less content, updating your SOPs becomes a quicker and less complicated task.
• Improved Compliance: Employees are more likely to adhere to clear, straightforward procedures than to long, convoluted ones.
• Enhanced Efficiency: Simplifying processes enables employees to work faster and with fewer mistakes.

When procedures are streamlined, employees can focus on execution rather than spending time deciphering what to do next.

The Key to Writing Effective SOPs

Here are a few practical tips for writing concise and effective SOPs:

1. Use Simple Language: Avoid jargon or overly technical language that could confuse employees.
2. Be Specific: Rather than being overly general, provide specific, actionable steps.
3. Use Visual Aids: Process flow diagrams and checklists can clarify complex procedures and make them more engaging.
4. Test the Procedures: Before finalizing, test your SOPs with a small group of employees to ensure they’re easy to follow.
5. Regularly Review and Update: Ensure that SOPs remain relevant and accurate by reviewing them periodically and making necessary updates.

Conclusion

Creating short and focused SOPs and business policies is essential for maintaining clarity and efficiency in your organization. Adopting the Rule of Seven and keeping your procedures simple will help ensure that employees understand their roles, can follow processes effectively, and can adapt to any changes quickly. When procedures are concise, it’s easier for your employees to comply, execute tasks, and stay on top of their responsibilities, leading to improved overall business performance.

If you're looking to improve your SOPs and business procedures, remember: less is more. Shorter, focused documents will benefit both your employees and your business operations in the long run.

 
 
 

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