“There is an ideal standard somewhere and only that matters and I cannot find it. Hence the aimlessness.”
-T.E. Lawrence
I cut my teeth as a leader in the policy-rich U.S. Army. There seemed to be some written, binding regulation for everything we did. The Army is one year older than the United States, so it has had ample time to form and enforce its governing regulations. Old as it is, policies do change with the times and from commander to commander or CEO to CEO. Creating a new policy letter in the Army simply took some good guidance from the boss as to what they wanted standardized and regulated, a review by an Army lawyer, and the crafting of a letter to be signed and posted wherever soldiers operated each day. The process is not as easy for a private company, especially a new one.
In my leadership practice, I’ve worked with several companies which struggled to standardize and regulate their organizations. It contributed to dysfunction and employee disengagement. Policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and the like are important. Employees want them, but they can be poorly received if not produced and presented properly. Therefore, it is incumbent for leaders to follow a methodology when creating them.
Policies are usually created to solve a problem, such as no standards for pay, paid time off (PTO), or work from home, to name a few. The goal is to produce something that features common sense and is fair to both the workers and the company. Good as your policies may be, someone or some group may not like them; thus, pushback is likely.
Learn more: https://robcampbellleadership.substack.com/p/a-methodology-for-your-policy
