Common Mistakes In SOP Creation

If I had a dollar for every organization I've worked with where the SOPs were good, I wouldn't have a dollar. From my work with companies such as GSK, Novartis, and Pfizer, I hold that: 📋 SOPs must be functional above all else. Their purpose is to help people complete tasks successfully and safely, on time, with expected outcomes. ❌ But most SOPs fail because of: 1. Too Much Information • Every task 20+ steps • Information not concise or focused • Steps containing rationales (belongs in policy docs) • Poor titles that don't indicate task purpose Example of what NOT to do: "Please take a moment to review the testing documentation below." (It's not a favor—just write "Review the testing documentation") 2. Format & Language Issues ⚠️ • Walls of text without reading cues • No white space for visual breaks • Complex words where simple ones work ("utilize" vs "use") • Multiple actions crammed into single steps Real example of what NOT to do: "Remove one packet from the pouch and carefully add all contents to the water sample, swirl the sample until all the reagent dissolves into the solution." (That's 3 separate steps crammed into one!) 3. Structure Problems 🔍 • Steps not chronological • Sections bleeding into each other • Missing process mapping (critical for understanding flow) • Key information (like definitions) buried at the back ✅ The solution starts with three key principles: 1. Map Before Writing 🗺️Process mapping isn't optional; it's the foundation for any usable SOP (like your clinical trials, start with a protocol, not a prayer). 2. Write for Real Use ✍️One action per step, simple language (save the fluff for your cotton swabs). 3. Structure for Success 🎯Put key information where readers need it (hint: definitions belong up front, like your safety goggles). 💡 As I tell my pharma clients: "Will incorporating these concepts make your SOPs longer? Yes, sorry. Will it make them more usable? Yes, not sorry." ⚠️ Because in pharma, unusable SOPs aren't just inefficient—they're a compliance risk (or worse, accident) waiting to happen. Questions? AMA in the comments ⤵︎

How I Wrote SOPs at Amazon (And Still Do Now) Early in my career, I thought an SOP was just… A document explaining how to do something. Then I watched a new team member follow one of my SOPs. They stopped every few minutes. Asked questions. Made assumptions. That’s when I realized: A great SOP isn’t written for the person who created the process. It’s written for the person who has never seen it before. That changed how I wrote them forever. 1/ I started with the “why” ↳ What is this process? ↳ When should someone use it? ↳ What problem does it solve? People follow processes better when they understand the purpose. 2/ I assumed zero prior knowledge ↳ No acronyms ↳ No tribal knowledge ↳ No “everyone knows this” If a new hire couldn’t follow it… It wasn’t finished. 3/ I wrote in the exact order someone would perform the work ↳ Step 1 ↳ Step 2 ↳ Step 3 Seems obvious. It’s amazing how many SOPs jump around. The reader shouldn’t have to think about the sequence. 4/ I included decision points…not just steps Instead of: ↳ “Review the request.” I’d write: ↳ “If the request is missing required information, return it to the requester. If complete, continue to Step 4.” Good SOPs remove ambiguity. 5/ I documented common mistakes This became my favorite section. ↳ Common failure points ↳ Frequent questions ↳ Things to double-check Example: ⚠️ Before submitting, verify the customer ID matches the request. This is the most common error. One sentence can prevent dozens of mistakes. 6/ I asked someone else to follow it Without me explaining anything. Every question they asked… Became an improvement to the SOP. If they got stuck, the document was wrong…not the person. 7/ I treated SOPs like living documents Processes change. Systems evolve. So should documentation. The best SOPs were updated continuously…not once a year. Amazon taught me something simple: A good SOP explains the process. A great SOP makes the process almost impossible to do incorrectly. That’s still the standard I use today. 📬 I write weekly about leadership, execution, and building systems that scale in The Weekly Sync: 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6qAwEFc What’s the best SOP you’ve ever used…and why did it work so well?

I’ll never forget it. A few months ago I watched an editor waste half a day trying to find our caption guidelines. We eventually found them… In some random Google Drive folder, with half broken links that hadn’t been updated since 2023. It was 99% useless. If you are part of any creative team: I need you to read this. Gurus love to glorify SOPs. "Build repeatable systems into documents... You'll save so much time" But I've seen many marketing and media teams lose time trying to build repeatable systems. Making SOPs FEELS good, like you've done "higher order work." But docs only provide value if people use them. The moment you finish an SOP, you've gained nothing. Think of it as debt. You and your team have to use that doc enough to pay it back. & SOPs often don't last more than a couple quarters, especially if there's any kind of team turnover. My two cents on documentation 1) 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭. Nobody wants to re-read a 5-page document every time they go through a process. Every word in an SOP should fight for its life. Quick hack here: record a 5 minute loom that can be skimmed and embed it at the top of the doc. These are often lower cognitive load to consume. 2) 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Most of the world-class operators I’ve met all say this. Your instructions shouldn't be buried in the onboarding manual they got in day one or in a “master doc with 47 nested sub-bullets” It's right there where the work is done so no context switching is required. -Posting guidelines are auto-populated in the template that is checked off before hitting post. -Your editing guidelines are turned into project templates and safe zone overlays used in Premiere itself -Copywriting guardrails are copy pasted in the header of every working doc that is assigned to a freelancer I've made the mistake of over-engineering processes many times, I am begging you not to do the same!

90% of SOPs die in Google Drive purgatory because they’re either too complicated, too basic, or written by someone who's never actually done the job. Here's the framework that actually works (written by someone who’s actually used it): 1. Do you even need an SOP? Only document when: The same questions keep coming up repeatedly Multiple team members need to execute consistently The task happens on a regular schedule The current process owner is leaving or scaling More than one person needs to know how to do it 2. Answer these 5 questions first What's the core objective? Who currently owns this process? Who else needs to execute it? How often does it happen? Where is it breaking down right now? 3. Match the detail level to the user For new team members: Step-by-step instructions with screenshots Basic terminology only Clear checkpoints throughout For experienced staff: Fewer checkpoints Technical language is fine Focus on efficiency, not handholding For leadership review: Technical enough to validate without drowning in details Clear success metrics High-level overview with essential specifics 4. Include these non-negotiable elements Every effective SOP must have: Time expectations (how long it should take) Clearly numbered steps Highlighted critical actions Validation checkpoints Common pitfalls and how to avoid them What success looks like 5. Validate with these 5 tests Not done until it passes these checks: Can leadership understand it? Can a new hire execute it without confusion? Does it solve the original problem? Are the time expectations realistic? Is there a clear path to completion? This will never change for how I'm creating or my team is creating SOP's but what will change is how the person uses it and has it evolve over time.

Most Amazon sellers build SOPs backwards. They document random tasks: "How to create a PPC campaign" "How to update inventory" "How to respond to negative reviews" Then wonder why nothing connects. Why their team still feels scattered. Why operations don't flow. Here's what 99% miss: Never build SOPs without the engine first. You need the big picture process. The high-level flow. The hierarchy. At Emplicit, we map the entire Amazon management engine: Client onboarding → Account audit → Strategy development → Campaign launch → Optimization cycle → Reporting Then we drill down to SOPs: - Account audit SOP - Campaign launch SOP - Optimization SOP Each SOP connects to the bigger engine. Everyone understands where their piece fits. Without the engine? You get isolated SOPs that don't talk to each other. Team members don't understand the flow. Critical handoffs get dropped. Map your high-level Amazon process first. Then build the detailed SOPs. Not the other way around. What's the main engine running your Amazon business right now?

If you haven’t done a task manually, to the point where you could do it with your eyes shut, you have no business automating it.   Most leaders screw up SOPs in 1 of 2 ways. They either skip straight to automation or lob half-baked docs over the fence to their team members and hope for the best.   No process, just wishful thinking. And then they wonder why they still have to do everything themselves.   There’s a better way.   After 20+ years building teams and delegating, I’ve nailed a 5-step framework to create SOPs that scale without killing your team’s agility:   👉 Step 1: Do the Work Manually Never automate a broken process. Do the task yourself until it works, and then systemize.   👉 Step 2: Record Everything Use tools like Loom to capture your process while you’re doing it. No writing. No perfectionism. Just hit record and describe the steps you're taking.   👉 Step 3: Turn Videos Into SOPs Hand the recording to the person taking it over. Have them build out the SOP doc. When they're done, edit and publish them.   👉 Step 4: Transfer Real Ownership Ownership means control. That means letting the new owner make the SOP their own, including changing it if they want. Don't micromanage. Let go.   👉 Step 5: Review and Refine Discuss any changes they make during one-on-ones. And be sure to track them in the SOP doc—if it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist.   I break these steps down in more detail—including why SOPs are essential for founders—in this week’s Blueprint newsletter. I’m dropping a link in the comments. 

Writing SOPs for your team, without your team, is one of the fastest ways to make sure no one actually follows them. You spend hours building out a “bible” of what should happen. Thirty-page docs. Every detail mapped. You think you’re being a strong leader. But here’s what really happens: - No one reads the SOPs. - Your team hates being told, “Just follow the steps.” - Processes get ignored. - You’re still the person everyone asks when things go sideways. I made this mistake myself. I built out onboarding docs, client delivery docs, reporting docs. The works. I believed detailed process = clarity. Nope. Docs gathered digital dust. Questions kept rolling in. I was still the help desk. Then I did something radical: I put the process in my team’s hands. I said, “You guys build it. I'll just help you out." Within weeks, everything changed. - SOPs turned from walls of text into simple checklists and loom videos. - Team actually used them - because they built them. - Even better: they made changes as they learned, without waiting for my sign-off. And the results? Questions dropped. Tasks stopped bouncing back to me. People started solving their own problems. If you create the SOP, it’s homework. If your team creates the SOP, it’s a playbook - and they’ll actually use it. This is where most agency owners get stuck. If you’re still the answer-person, double-checking work, putting out fires. This is why. You don’t need another mega-SOP. You need a team that owns the process.

Are your SOPs worth the paper they are written on? Do staff read them? If not... WHY not? SOPs are critical documents to have in business. They literally tell staff how a particular process or procedure should be done. What route to follow. Here's 5 quick tips on what makes a good SOP: 1️⃣ Use clear, concise, and unambiguous language 2️⃣ Ensure they have a logical flow and structure 3️⃣ Make sure they include defined roles and responsibilities 4️⃣ Ensure they have 'white space' and are not just a sea of words 5️⃣ Ensure they are specific with 'action-oriented' steps Just as importantly, here's 5 tips on what to avoid at all costs: 1️⃣ They are vague in their instruction and have ambiguous instructions 2️⃣ They are overly complex or filled with jargon 3️⃣ They have inaccurate or outdated information 4️⃣ They have poor formatting and structure 5️⃣ They are hard to find, inaccessible or uncontrolled SOPs must be worth the paper they are written on. They must offer direction and not allow easy short cuts to be made. If they do... then you need to close the gate and start again. Let's get talking. #SOPs #QualityMatters #LetsGetTalking

🟥Here are five red flags your SOPs might be doing more harm than good: 1️⃣ 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 If your SOPs say things like “The CRA should…” or “Someone will…” it’s time to rethink. Vague language kills accountability and leaves everyone guessing. 2️⃣ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 SOPs are your internal roadmap. If you’re telling CROs, vendors, or sponsors what to do inside your SOPs, you’re mixing roles—and that causes confusion. 3️⃣ 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭-𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 Pages and pages of dense text with zero visuals? That’s a guaranteed way to lose your audience. People need quick, clear guidance—not a novel. 4️⃣ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 If your SOP stretches beyond 10 pages regularly, it’s probably trying to cover too much. Keep it focused and concise—less is more. 5️⃣ 𝐍𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐧𝐝-𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 If the people actually doing the work aren’t involved in creating or reviewing the SOP, expect frustration and workarounds. So, what does a well-crafted SOP look like? ✔️ Clear, direct language that leaves no room for doubt. ✔️ Active voice — think “The CRA sends the follow-up letter,” not “will send” or “should send.” ✔️ Designed specifically for your team’s real-world tasks — no extra fluff or outside instructions. ✔️ Visual aids like flowcharts or tables to break up the text and guide the reader. ✔️ Reviewed and tested by the people who use it every day. What’s the worst SOP mistake you’ve encountered? Let’s get the conversation going! 👇 📢Keep following me and Qualistery for more GMP content and webinars #GMP #Pharma #Pharmaceutical #Pharmaceuticals #Quality #Pharmaceuticalmanufacturing