We must document the simple things. And yes, by simple I do mean easy. And if it’s easy, that means anyone can do it. Right?
In theory, the answer is yes. But I think it’s important to consider that what’s easy to me might not be easy for others – and on the flip side, what’s easy to others is often not easy for me. For example, tasks that require good hand-eye coordination or spatial vision are not strengths I possess.
Instead of getting caught up in and hindered by what our associates/team members should find “easy” … just document it.
Why? Because once we begin to document things, we can begin to recognize patterns. We can start to look at things that are typically familiar from an objective point of view.
Consider the following benefits of documentation:
- Documenting helps you to get clear on your expectations. You thought you were clear, buy you are not really clear until you write it down. How often do you want something done? Do you really care whether it is done in LucidChart versus Visio?
- You may learn that doing the process the way it’s currently being done doesn’t make sense anymore. When you put things on paper, you sometimes end up realizing that some things need to be changed. It’s more difficult to recognize change is needed if you can’t see the whole picture.
- There are a lot of things we do on auto-pilot – things we’ve been doing for the past 10 or 15 years. Sometimes we have forgotten all that we have went through and the experiences that we have had that has made us an expert at something.
Often, we make decisions on what to do next based on a mental rolodex of meetings, failed projects, successful projects, contentious conversations, fun times, etc. As you begin to document the process, you will realize that each step is… “It depends.” For those things that I just intuitively know, I create a checklist of things that I think someone should consider. As best we can, let’s give our people the benefits of our learning and considerations so that they can go further faster.
If you are still considering whether it’s worth your time to document, give it a shot. What do you have to lose by trying? If you are clear enough, you might gain more comfort in delegating those things that you thought were too complicated.
Holloway Consulting Group would love to help you with documenting your processes. Schedule a complimentary discovery call HERE to learn more about how we can help you and your organization.
