Arvo Delights
25 Tips for Writing Great Process Docs
Implement these tips within your SOPs, how-tos, and process docs to improve adoption.
Micah Johnson
25 Tips for Writing Process Docs, SOPs, and How-to Guides
Click on any of these tips to learn more…
- Keep things simple — most people make things too complicated.
- Make them visual — nobody wants to read text.
- Start with the basics — a title, description, and video is all you need.
- Prioritize and ship — focus on what moves the needle the most first.
- Establish an “ask the KB” policy — this saves everyone a headache.
- Use templates — don’t reinvent the wheel.
- Stop bottlenecking the process — don’t do everything yourself.
- Use (a lot) less words — refine your brain dumps.
- Make them easy to find — stop using folders; use libraries instead.
- Leverage existing assets — don’t recreate; repurpose.
- Use the best tools — hint: it’s not Google Docs.
- Ensure they look good on all devices — this should be automatic.
- Embed into existing workflows — embed inside the workflow.
- Empower your team to create — create a culture of documentation.
- Create a source of truth — versions are your enemy.
- Professional docs are better — design matters.
- Provide quick reference guides — nobody remembers everything.
- Make them engaging — people don’t have attention spans.
- Limit access — stop overwhelming people with info.
- Iterate — your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Use bite-size pieces — make it easy for everyone.
- Create reusable resources — don’t repeat yourself.
- Capture knowledge from key team members — no time like the present.
- Get feedback — be open to improvement.
- Write subtractively — start with a lot and subtract as much as possible.