“Standardize things… not human beings.” – Albert Einstein
Standard operating procedures (SOPs), rule books, or company policies serve as blueprints for how things get done within an organization. I can’t tell you how many I’ve read, written, or ignored. I’m not here to knock SOPs outright (they have their place), but there’s a better way to create and use them.
In the Army, I saw many commanders cycle into a unit for their relatively short 2-3 year stint, eager to create SOPs for everything. Their intentions were solid: get everyone on the same page and leave a lasting impact. But their execution often fell short. Too often, I heard, “That’s SOP,” meaning, “That’s how we do it here.” But that approach has some fundamental flaws. Here are a few common problems with SOPs and how to fix them:
The Flaws
- They become outdated quickly. What works today may not be relevant tomorrow when things change.
- New people don’t know them. Saying, “That’s SOP,” loses water when contractors or new team members aren’t familiar with them.
- They’re too long. If an SOP is buried in pages of detail, most people won’t read it. Like emails, the longer they are, the less attention they get.
- They’re rigid and unrealistic. Too many SOPs are created in a vacuum, overly strict without considering how work actually gets done on the ground.
