Congratulations, I hope this series of blog posts has shown you the value of documentation for your business. I can anticipate your next question, “Now what?!” Here are three quick next steps you can take now that you’ve started on this path.
First, revise the documents for both content and formatting. If you’re like me, your drafts are full of notes for things to double check. Formatting will help make these documents more useful, creating sign posts. Take some time to add heading text, create a table of contents, conform to a consistent font.
Second, reflect on the parts that were difficult for you to complete. Do you need to rethink some processes? Could you benefit from a refresher training on software or procedure? Is there something you detest and could delegate?
Third, set an appointment with yourself a month from now to review this documentation. Why? The time away allows you to view it with fresh eyes that can find mistakes, business areas that were inadvertently skipped, and ways that your procedures could be revised. Thereafter, create a quarterly reoccurring appointment for this review.
Over the next weeks as I rework this blog post series into a guided worksheet, I’ll explore several ways to expand on lessons from your documentation. I hope you continue to join me.