I don't do SOPs or sobbing, for the most part. SOPs have been a crucial part of many organizations, but I think there's better. I use this better option in my company to gain great success.
The truth is out there, and I'd like to share it with you.

Demerits of standard operating business procedures

SOPs are confusing as they put employees in situations where they have to decide whether to follow what's written in the SOP or what's in the task description. These tasks might need to be handled in a manner contrary to the set guidelines found in the SOP. SOPs limit employees, is inefficient, and does not tap into the employee’s potential.

See: Enhancing Productivity with Video Feedback in 2024.

Experience has shown me that SOPs present a challenge to newly onboarded employees. The rules and regulations found in the SOPs are often daunting, putting new employees in a constant state of worry as they try to abide by the rules and regulations. It makes their assimilation into the organization harder than expected as they conform to particular ways of doing things, even if it stunts their growth and productivity. Everyone wants to be part of the group, and SOPs make it hard for them.

SOPs are resistant to change. This resistance makes organizations static, and static organizations tend to die out. Organizations do not change the processes documented on their SOPs since they believe it to be the reason for success. This shuts out any creative solutions that employees may have, thus discouraging any autonomy in work. Autonomy is a principle we use in our organization. You can read more about it here. How We Do Software

Now you understand my issues with SOPs. Let me tell you about the alternative I use.

The beauty of checklists

Checklists are simple, powerful tools that help people and companies handle all responsibilities accurately as required.

Checklists have lists of items that are checked upon completion. They offer a wide range of practical applications in various departments.

I implement checklists in the day-to-day running of my business. I see many benefits and improvements in the overall systems of my business. Let me share some of them with you;

1. Improved Communication

Checklists serve as an underrated means of communication in my organization. I use checklists to detail tasks to be accomplished before sending them to the team member responsible for them. The simplicity of the details in checklists promotes the easy passing of the information to my team members.

This saves us from making corrections, time and resource wastage, and reduced team morale. I found that our work turnover increased without sacrificing the quality. This has contributed to the great success we’ve been enjoying.

See: Make it easy to do the right thing: A Team-Lead Initiative

2. Time Management

Checklists have improved our time management. The tasks are well-detailed and simplified as opposed to their original complex formats. This saves us time as we do not need to break down the complex instructions.

We all focus on the requirements and proceed to handle all our tasks. We’ve increased the amount of work we get done by incorporating checklists.

3. Improved Organization

My business has improved ever since I started using checklists. Every department is well organized, information flows swiftly, and all tasks are well handled. My business is moving from strength to strength because of it.

See: How Many Team Leads are Sufficient?

Conclusion

We reap the benefits of using checklists and thus want to share this with you. SOPs are good and still have their part to play in a thriving institution in the late nineties. The rigidity and resistance that SOPs innately have make them less than efficient at running your organization in multiple scenarios.

Checklists are easy to make and follow. They are simple and adaptable. They free you to choose how to handle your tasks, making them viable in all scenarios. Checklists are the embodiment of the Swiss army knife. Take a chance on checklists today and see yourself, your team members, and your organization prosper.

Do you want to start using checklists in your organization? Are you finding it hard to make a good checklist?
You can message me for an in-depth consultation on how to make, implement, and employ checklists to enhance your organization. You can reach me at Martin@martinbaun.com. Alternatively, reach me through my blog Martin Baun today. Take your organization to the next level.