Many might think standard procedure
is unnecessary admin. A small business owner will sometimes be criticised for trying to be “too corporate” or “too bureaucratic” when setting up standard procedures or policies. Susan Cooney shares a case study.
Some prefer to fly by the seat of their pants – to take each day and each situation as it comes and rely on their skills to deal with every crisis. Mostly that’s OK unless the unexpected happens and things turn nasty.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are written when the author has time to think about the best possible actions without the pressures created by a crisis. The best SOPs are drafted after consultation with all parties and are often revised after a very positive, very negative or near-miss incident. In the heat of the moment, people tend not to think straight, and their actions are rarely the most effective, so it is good policy to have all staff familiar with your SOPs.
A client recently experienced a tragedy; the client owns a well-respected dog grooming parlour with a sterling track record and an awesome reputation. One particular dog (a repeat customer) was always anxious and seemed to dread the parlour. It was aggressive, frightened and rarely settled. The visits were always traumatic for the groomer and the pet. During this groom, the dog experienced extreme anxiety and snapped at the groomer, who placed a muzzle on him and continued grooming. The dog collapsed and died on the table.
An autopsy was performed, and it showed the dog had a minor heart problem and died table due to a lack of oxygen. Standard procedure dictates if the dog shows too much stress, the grooming should be stopped and the owner contacted. There were minimal health & safety procedures in place at that time.
This incident shows why policies and procedures are necessary; they protect everyone from impulsive decisions and serve as a ‘best practice’ guide. They also help indecisive employees make appropriate decisions and allow them to defend their decision against pushy clients. Aeroplane pilots will attest to this. Procedures have saved the lives of countless air passengers when a crisis is resolved or avoided in the cockpit by pilots who follow emergency procedures that were written by specialists who know the plane and who have interviewed pilots who have experienced in-flight failures.
When circumstances become overwhelming, SOPs become invaluable.