| How many times have you asked someone to do | | | | task. In business forms are commonplace, acting |
| something like "draw up a plan for such and such | | | | as a guide for such things as purchase orders, |
| project"? Your employee completes the plan, but | | | | employment applications or asset requisitions.4. |
| then you say, "That is not what I wanted" or | | | | Reduce Business Process Training TimeA policies |
| "That is not how you do it". And so the employee | | | | and procedures manual is a functional guide for |
| thinks: you didn't tell me exactly how you wanted | | | | training new and existing employees. It prevents |
| it done.If you find yourself having back and forth | | | | difficulties in performing duties due to lack of |
| misunderstandings with your employees, then you | | | | understanding or inconsistent approaches from |
| might have a communication problem. And this | | | | personnel changes. And it will assist you in |
| could be creating bad feelings, low morale and | | | | developing a consistent method in handling any |
| inefficiencies. To remedy this, perhaps it's time | | | | task.5. Improve Productivity and Decision Making |
| you thought about creating a Policies and | | | | Policies and procedures speed up employee |
| Procedures Manual.Let's look at 7 methods to | | | | decision making by having a handy, authoritative |
| strengthen communication and performance.1. | | | | source for answering questions. Well-developed |
| Implement Effective Policies and ProceduresA | | | | and documented manuals can ensure compliance |
| Policies and Procedures Manual is a communication | | | | with regulatory agencies affecting your business, |
| tool designed to empower employers, managers | | | | including the Occupational Safety and Health |
| and employees with a consistent approach to | | | | Administration (OSHA), Food and Drug |
| accomplishing their daily tasks. It provides a set of | | | | Administration (FDA), government contracting |
| policies, plans, reports, forms, and work routines | | | | authorities and independent certification |
| that convey the pulse of the organization.A | | | | organizations (i.e. ISO).6. Strengthen Organization |
| properly developed manual focuses your | | | | and QualityA comprehensive manual covering all |
| everyday business communications between | | | | departments within an organization can become a |
| employees and management on what is really | | | | "quality" manual for the whole company. This will |
| important to get the job done. This focus is the | | | | help ensure optimal operations and consistent |
| first step in empowering your employees. | | | | delivery of the finest in product or service from |
| Empowerment requires a shared vision, the | | | | the company.It will "empower" employees to |
| communication of necessary information and | | | | make decisions independently without the need or |
| adequate training.2. Convey Management Policy | | | | time delays of involving various levels of |
| and VisionA manual should be used to | | | | management. A well thought out manual will |
| communicate both corporate policies and the | | | | enable just about everyone in the organization the |
| appropriate procedures for implementation of the | | | | ability and flexibility to make the right decisions in |
| policy in a combined style format. If employees | | | | his or her job responsibilities.For example, a |
| know the vision, then they feel confident to make | | | | customer service representative should be able to |
| decisions. Keep in mind, though, policies should not | | | | handle a customer's problem and have the |
| be confused with procedures.Policy - A definite | | | | authority to resolve the problem right on the spot. |
| course or method of action to guide and | | | | In addition, a production team should be able to |
| determine present and future decisions. A policy is | | | | diagnose a quality problem and formulate and |
| a guide to decision-making under a given set of | | | | resolve the problem in conjunction with |
| circumstances within the framework of corporate | | | | engineering without having to go through various |
| objectives, goals and management | | | | channels up and down the corporate ladder.7. |
| philosophies.Procedure - A particular way of | | | | Meet Objectives with Policies and Procedures |
| accomplishing something, or an established way of | | | | Manual The goal of the policies and procedures |
| doing things. A procedure is a series of steps | | | | manual is to identify the ways and means of |
| followed in a definite regular order that ensure the | | | | communicating, as well as getting the service |
| consistent and repetitive approach to actions.3. | | | | performed or the product manufactured at the |
| Improve Communications and Efficiently Run | | | | least cost in the minimal amount of time. Not only |
| Operations A manual serves to translate the | | | | will it be used to empower the organization, but it |
| company's business philosophies and desires into | | | | will have the added benefit of increasing job |
| action. A well-designed manual is an invaluable | | | | satisfaction and employee morale.Chris Anderson |
| communication tool for efficiently running | | | | is the managing director of Bizmanualz, Inc. and |
| operations within departments and bridging the | | | | co-author of policies and procedures manuals, |
| gap between interrelated departments. If a | | | | producing the layout, process design and |
| department has specific information that it | | | | implementation to increase performance.To learn |
| requires to process a task, then this information is | | | | how to increase performance, visit: Bizmanualz, |
| easily captured in a form that accompanies the | | | | Inc. |