How to Document Processes and Procedures

Several policies and procedures include documenting tasks by different people in an organization so they can use them as a reference when training new team members. Others document processes so they can improve their outcomes and overall results. The motivation behind your policies and procedures often defines the outcome of the document. Changing outcomes begins with changing your thought process.

Procedures instead of Processes

Procedures that document your tasks daily serve as good training documents for new employees while also helping you provide evidence for ISO 9001 compliance and other compliance bodies. However, the process is not documentation but the production of ‘ballistic,’ where employees blindly follow procedures to complete a checklist to complete tasks and fill their working hours merely.

This approach is common in unions that start with a detailed and specific job description and rules that strictly prohibit activities outside the specified checklist. Instead of focusing on productivity, the emphasis is on tasks individuals must accomplish. If you are looking for a different outcome, you need a fresh mindset.

Procedures and Processes

A different approach allows you to focus on the process, which gives you better control over each process and allows you to focus on its outcomes. You need to take control of the chaotic process, allowing you to introduce improvement measures quickly. One tool you can use is the process map, which allows you to document and gradually control the process.

Process maps are graphical tools that allow you to relay different steps, the outcome of a process, and the decision points. They help you improve your understanding while focusing on steps that remove you from ballistic procedures.

Documenting Processes and Procedures

The documentation of processes and procedures is not an event; initial stages may include ballistic procedures that follow checklists; however, you can employ process maps to improve the process.