Procedures and Process: There for You on Your Worst Day

Procedures are the greatest way to improve the performance of an organization. After all, if we have determined the best way to complete a task, why wouldn’t we want to share it with everyone so we can do it again and again? Consistency isn’t the only reason for a well-written procedure. In case you don’t remember, here are some other advantages of having and using procedures:‍

·        Reducing error rates‍

·        Easier to replicate a successful process‍

·        Transferring and retaining valuable knowledge‍

·        Documenting and sharing lessons learned‍

·        Augmenting training‍

·        Making information accessible in the field‍

·        Increasing efficiencies through prescriptive actions‍

·        Eliminating rework‍‍

There are so many reasons why procedures are valuable to organizations you would think that people would only be willing to work with them. Instead, we find ourselves trying to convince workers that procedures are a good idea. One of the most often heard reasons for not using one is “Procedures are for people who don’t know what they are doing.”‍

I argue that this statement is deflection from what the worker wants to say: "I want to do it my way. I know where the hazards are. I know how to work around hiccups. I’ve found a few shortcuts that work for me. I can do this quickly if I can cut a few corners.” This is not to say the worker is looking to put themselves or others at risk. The Trap of Overconfidence has them thinking they can control the risk.

‍As a coach, it’s important to help them understand that procedures aren’t there for you on your best day; they are there for you on your worst day. But here’s the problem: You don’t know if today is your best or worst day. That’s why procedures must be with us EVERY day.‍

Knowledge Vine is here to help you improve, implement, and even create procedures. Reach out today and see what we can do for you.