How often are your policies and procedures reviewed and
updated? If you’re having trouble answering this question, chances are you’ve
got a credenza-ware problem, a not-uncommon malady in our current business
environment.
The cure for this condition is to decide at what intervals
policy and procedure documentation will be reviewed, and by whom. Even if no
changes are to be made, a quick review and validation that everything is
up-to-date is a powerful tool. Keep the date of last review and revision handy
too.
The reason for this is simple—anyone can pay to have
policies built to satisfy a regulatory requirement, but if you want to get true
value out of them, you have to see your corporate policies, standards, and
procedures as something more like a mirror, meaning that they reflect a
commonly understood reality of your corporate life.
Envision your policies as hierarchical, with a few broad
policies at the top, and more specific sub-policies and procedures supporting
them. Then take the time to allow your standards and procedures to flow from the
initial design that you’ve chosen.
