Consider this: Recently, a new process for addressing customer complaints was implemented by your team. It is intended to expedite the procedure and enhance reaction times. You announce the change via email, have a brief meeting, and then assume that everything will go according to plan.
However, it doesn’t.
Rather, your staff members are perplexed. There is a mess of inconsistency and frustration as a result of some people sticking to the old method and others attempting to follow the new steps but missing important details. What went wrong?
The issue is that merely announcing a new procedure to your staff does not make it actual. It’s similar to attempting to construct a house without a blueprint. Without precise documentation and practical instruction, people are left in the dark, and guesswork breeds error.
You must do more than just communicate if you want your new procedures to be successful. Making them a reality requires investment in the form of appropriate documentation and hands-on training. In addition to creating confusion, skipping these steps demonstrates a lack of regard for the time and effort put forth by your staff.
The good news? The outcomes speak for themselves when documentation and training are done correctly: fewer mistakes, quicker adoption, and more contented workers who are confident in their work.
Put It in Writing: The Influence of Explicit Records
The saying “If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist” is probably familiar to you. Employees feel the same way about procedures in the absence of documentation.
Employees require more than a one-time announcement when a new procedure is implemented; they need something concrete to refer to. More than just outlining procedures, proper documentation establishes consistency, eliminates uncertainty, and provides staff with a clear source of truth.
The catch is that it goes beyond simply producing new documents. It is equally important to update the documentation that already exists. Consider a business that modifies its vacation policy without updating the employee handbook. What takes place? People make mistakes and become frustrated when they rely on out-of-date information.
The secret to successful documentation? Make advance plans for it.
Waiting until the last minute makes documentation a hasty, side-of-the-desk task that is easy to overlook, unclear, and incomplete. However, if you prepare for it in advance, you can make sure the process is accurately documented and available for staff to use right away.
Useful Tip: Assign documentation to a person who is well-versed in the process. Additionally, remember to make it easy to use! Make it simple to follow by using checklists, illustrations, or step-by-step instructions.
Use Practical Training to Help It Stick
Let’s face it: simply reading a document or watching a PowerPoint presentation won’t teach you a new procedure. Doing is the best way for people to learn. For this reason, practical training is crucial to ensuring that new practices are retained.
Recall your very first driving experience. Did you read the handbook from beginning to end and gain confidence as a driver? Obviously not! To practise, make mistakes, and become accustomed to the process, you needed time behind the wheel. The same is true of workplace protocols.
It is worthwhile to invest in training sessions where staff members can practise in a low-risk setting if the change is substantial enough to affect their day-to-day work. This allows them to gain confidence, ask questions, and make mistakes before the procedure becomes a regular part of their routine.
Make sure to update current training materials, even for minor adjustments, to prevent staff from depending on out-of-date guidelines. A brief Q&A session or walkthrough can greatly aid in your team’s seamless transition.
Pro Tip: Design a training space that simulates actual circumstances. For instance, create a sandbox environment where staff members can test new software procedures without fear of repercussions.
Employees are less likely to revert to old behaviours out of confusion or frustration when they feel ready for the change.
Respect the Time and Effort of Your Employees
Clear documentation and practical training have one thing in common: respect. Employee success is important when you take the time to thoroughly document a process and provide insightful training. “We want you to get this right, and we’re here to support you,” you’re saying.
Conversely, omitting these steps conveys the opposite meaning. Workers feel underappreciated and unprepared, and they question why they are expected to solve problems independently. At that point, errors occur, output declines, and annoyance sets in.
Planning for documentation and training early on, rather than as an afterthought, is essential to respecting your employees’ time. It entails providing them with the resources they require to be successful rather than relying on them to “wing it.”
Real-World Example: Take the example of a business that introduces a new time-tracking system without offering adequate training. Workers are unsure of how to record their hours, which leads to missed deadlines and inaccurate payroll. The remedy? A training session lasting an hour could have avoided days of frustration.
By making these upfront investments, you’re creating a culture where workers feel capable, appreciated, and prepared to accept change.
A Useful Checklist for Bringing Employee Procedures to Life
Here is a helpful guide to make sure you’re going over every necessary step for a successful implementation:
Checklist for Making Procedures Stick:
1. Document the Procedure: Write down the steps in detail. Use checklists, simple language, or illustrations to make it easy to follow.
2. Update Current Documentation: Remember to update any digital documents, manuals, or guides that reference the outdated process. Verify that every resource uses the most recent procedure.
3. Arrange for Hands-On Training: Prior to the procedure going live, schedule training sessions for staff members to practise it. Establish a low-risk atmosphere where staff members are free to make mistakes and ask questions.
4. Collect Feedback During Training: Encourage staff members to offer suggestions throughout the training session. Utilise their input to enhance documentation or modify the process.
5. Follow Up: After putting the new procedure into place, ask staff members how it’s going. Modify as necessary to increase efficacy and clarity.
Pro Tip: For every change, incorporate training and documentation into your standard operating procedure. You won’t ever need to assemble it at the last minute if it’s ingrained in your procedure.
Plan for Achievement by Bringing It to Life
Implementing a new process involves more than just deciding on a course of action and sending out an email to the entire organisation. It’s about ensuring that your employees experience the change. And that only occurs if you take the time to properly train and document.
Not only is it dangerous to skip these steps, but it is also unjust to your team. Errors, annoyance, and a delayed adoption of new procedures are all consequences of confusion. However, you are preparing your staff for success if you make an early investment in documentation and practical training.
It all boils down to respect in the end. Respect for your workers’ time, their capacity for learning, and their contribution to the smooth operation of your company.
Don’t just announce a change the next time; actually implement it. Because when your employees believe in your procedures, your organisation will experience real results as well.
