While we all have encountered difficult customers in our
line of work (whether internal or external to the establishment), any negative
emotions we have should never find their way into a “professional” SOP document.
In documenting procedures, we should also ensure that we leave out any biases,
as displayed in the second paragraph below (Part four):
Some
people may not see an issue with the way these portions of the SOP are written because
they may view it as just background information for an employee in effectively
dealing with the “meter out” customer. However, I pose a question to those
people. Have you ever been in a situation where you received some negative
information about a person (whether assumed or fact) and later found that upon
meeting that person your own mannerisms or conversation were negatively influenced
by this negative information? While some people are greatly skilled at maintaining
professionalism and unbiased actions when relating to others, a greater portion
of society is not so skilled in this area. Therefore, I think it is a great
responsibility of establishments to ensure that they at least help set a
positive tone in their written documents that employees use for processes with
both internal and external customers.
One of the
best practices for writing professional SOPs is to be concise without usage of
speculation or biases regarding people and situations. I would re-write the
very first sentence of ‘Part 5: How will I know it is a meter out customer?’ in
this manner: “Ask a series of questions to assess whether the customer has a 9-digit
number from Ameren.” The rest of the process should only address this “specific”
question. Always be direct. I would also suggest breaking out any subcategories
to the question into another “Part” to ensure ease of reading for employees.
Starting with a flow-chart as a guide for the steps in a process is a great
practice to use before converting that process to written documentation—the SOP.
Here are
some detailed tips for writing SOPs:
·
Start with a flow chart to map out each step
for writing
Where possible, keep sentences
brief with simple words. Being overly technical can confuse the process’ meaning
for those using the document.
·
Be mindful of formatting
Numbered or bulleted steps in a
process are easier to follow than long paragraphs of text. This may or may not
be effective for an establishment’s internal processes. Play with what works
best.
·
Avoid being ambiguous
Use wording that enforces
consistency in completing a process. Words like “may,” “should” and “in general”
leave room for those following the process to make their own decision in how to
carry out a process. Unless the process includes conditional statements, words
should always be chosen to indicate a directive.
If you read
a SOP that sounds more like a conversation (or blog) instead of step by step
procedures, I would suggest that it is time for an overhaul. Not only will the processes
have more ease for following, but an overhaul may very well protect the image
of the establishment.
Visit: https://www.writingbychar.com
Visit: https://www.writingbychar.com
About the blogger: With close to 20 years of
experience in a human resources environment, six of those years in a law firm,
Charlotte participated in writing procedures part of her entire career. She
currently freelance writes weekly for a local newspaper and owns a writing consulting
business.
No comments:
Post a Comment