Towson University’s Outreach Blog

Dawn

Halloween, the season for scaring is upon us.  So if you really want to frighten those co-workers, don’t send a freaky e-mail with some screaming face jumping out, just mention “Standard Operating Procedures” better known as “SOPs”.     SOPs are merely a documented account of a process.  I can hear the screams of panic now.

The reaction many employees give when they hear about SOPs for the first time is an angry, frightened or panicked “WHY?   I know how to do my job”.  In the current business climate the thought seems to be if I write down what I do, then they won’t need me anymore; I can be laid off.   “I’m too busy to write them?”  is another reason many people resist the whole SOP concept.  It’s understandable for people to have these reactions.  However, there are good reasons for writing and maintaining SOPs that have nothing to do with job security.

• By writing down in a step-by-step format how something is accomplished, it makes it easier to see ways to improve the process, ease workloads and save money.
• How can you implement a new piece of software, piece of equipment or law change if processes aren’t documented?  If you don’t have a starting point, how can you make a process better without a major change or a major cost?
• Written documentation will make training a new or temporary employee easier and more cost effective when business is booming.
• Institutional knowledge can easily be lost through retirement, changes within the workplace structure and the one thing everyone hopes for, winning the lottery (my personal goal).
• Another good reason is to make sure everyone who does a particular task does it the same way.  This is especially important when you have employees in different offices, where each group may have developed their own way of doing things.

I have been writing SOPs for almost 9 years.  I have worked with people who appreciated the process from the get-go, along with people who, in the beginning, didn’t. Eventually after going through the process, everyone understands the importance of SOPs.  As people work through the process of writing down what they do, it is amazing what they learn about their job, co-workers and how everything ties together.  People sometimes don’t fully comprehend how what they do everyday affects the person in the next cube or office or even their customers.  SOPs bridge the gap between divisions, units and even between management and the workforce.

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What I am saying here is really not a new or profound concept; it will not change the world as we know it.  But the world as we know it today is already different from the world of last year and hopefully from the world of next year.  I decided to write about SOPs because it is something I do understand and something many people are afraid of doing, even though they really do serve a legitimate purpose in the workplace.  So I chose to use my blog time to help remove the fear. Maybe someone reading this will take a minute and think about SOPs without clenching their teeth, breaking out into a sweat or experiencing an accelerated heartbeat.  After all, there are so many scary words out there, and “Standard Operating Procedures” shouldn’t be included among the mix.