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SOP Writing Principles

Philosophy: Minimum Viable Structure—just enough documentation to enable autonomous execution without decision fatigue.

The 5 Rules

1. If it takes longer than 5 minutes to read, it won't be read

  • One page max for routine processes
  • Checklists over prose
  • Bold the actions, trim the explanations

2. Every SOP needs an owner (not a committee)

  • One person accountable for accuracy
  • Their name on the document
  • Review when triggered (process breaks, tool changes), not on arbitrary schedule

3. Store where work happens

  • Slack bookmarks, ClickUp templates—not separate wikis
  • If people have to go looking, they won't

4. Test with newcomers

  • If someone new can't complete the task using only the doc, it's incomplete
  • Their confusion points are your revision points

5. Document after the process works, not before

  • Run it manually 3 times first
  • Only formalize what's proven
  • Process MVP before Process SOP

What to Document First (80/20)

  1. Handoff procedures - How work transfers between people
  2. Recurring meetings - Standup format, weekly agendas
  3. Escalation paths - When and how to raise issues
  4. Onboarding checklists - New person → productive
  5. Client communication - Response times, formats, channels

Skip for now: edge cases, "obvious" things, processes still being figured out, low-frequency tasks.

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Anti-Pattern What Happens
Shelfware Written once, too long, nobody reads
No owner Nobody updates it, goes stale
Wrong location Buried in folders people don't check
Overly prescriptive Stifles judgment, creates resistance
False security Managers assume compliance because doc exists

SOP Template

# [Process Name]

**Owner:** [Name] | **Updated:** [Date]

## Purpose
[One sentence: why this exists]

## When to Use
[Trigger condition]

## Checklist
- [ ] Step 1: [Imperative action]
- [ ] Step 2: [Imperative action]
- [ ] Step 3: [Imperative action]

## Done When
[What "complete" looks like]

## If Stuck
[Who to ask / escalation path]

Decision Fatigue Reduction

The goal: your team executes without waiting for guidance.

  • Standardize routine decisions → "Always do X in this situation"
  • Define clear parameters → "Within these bounds, you decide"
  • Explicit escalation → "Beyond this point, ask [person]"

Autonomy within guardrails—team moves fast without constantly asking permission.

Update Triggers

Update an SOP when: - Process fails or causes issues - New tool introduced - New team member can't follow it - Workflow changes

Not on a calendar schedule—on event triggers.