Systems
6 min read
By Amara Otieno
Why nobody reads your SOPs
Standard operating procedures fail when they are written for auditors instead of the people doing the work.
In short
Most SOPs go unread because they’re written for auditors, not for the people doing the work. Write short, step-by-step guides for the moment someone needs them, link them from the tools where the task happens, and review them with your team every month.
If your process documents live in a folder nobody opens, the problem is rarely discipline. It is usually format.
Write for the moment of need
A good SOP answers one question at the moment someone needs it. Use short steps, screenshots and a clear owner.
Review them in the work
Link each guide from the tool where the task happens, and ask the people using it to suggest edits every month.