Question

Write a document providing instructions or procedures for your workplace. This should be 2-4 pages in length and focus on the written presentation to the audience. Instructions should provide a step-by-step path to accomplishing something. This could be operating, maintenance, use, or other activity requiring direction. Another idea would be product use. You may want to include safety items as you proceed or even materials required at the start or during the steps. Both the text and the web provide examples of instructions that you can "adopt" for your writing.

The other option is writing a procedure that will focus on and outline some process that is done repeatedly. As the text points out, instructions are for the "uninitiated" or someone new (like those who just opened the box). Procedures are established for those who know how and what to do but provide some uniformity or standard for the process. These could cover the same things that instructions cover like operations, maintenance, or even administration. That is where the term "Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) comes in. An organization can establish a best way of doing business with SOPs. These will also generally provide the steps in order to complete a process.

Use some standard font that is 12 PT. Single spacing is fine and you can then double space between steps.

Feel free to be creative with font size and emphasis for items of importance like safety or the critical steps. Color works well here too but text characteristics also work especially if you do not have a color printer. So bold or underlining can be helpful. Symbols can be used as well to get the message or point across to the reader.

You can include graphics or visuals but they are not required. The writing is the focus for this assignment.

Title your writing piece--include your name as well. Then the additional header info for company and product/process, etc.

Rubric and examples will be posted for your reference.

As before, you can submit via email, printed format, or Canvas Speed Grader.

Answer 1

Sol:

Note: This is just the detailed explanation of how to write the instructions.

Work instructions are also called work guides, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), job aids or user manuals, depending on the situation. In any case, the purpose of work instructions is to clearly explain how a particular work task is performed. They’re like the step-by-step instructions we receive when we learn to drive a car: check gear stick is in neutral, start ignition, press clutch, change to first gear and so forth.

What’s important is that work instructions should not be confused with processes or process maps. Let’s quickly look at where work instructions fit into our overall process documentation levels:

1. A process hierarchy shows your overall process architecture and how it supports your business.
2. A process is a chain of activities that transform inputs to outputs.
3. A procedure outlines how to perform a process – sequence and who does what.
4. A work instruction – or work guide, job aid or standard operating procedure – describes in detail how an activity within a process (or procedure) is performed.

Your work instruction should therefore be part of an overall process improvement plan.

With this clarity let’s move on to the topic of how to write work instructions.

What does a good instruction look like?

Work instructions should make crystal clear how employees perform their tasks. There should be no room for interpretation. They should not be vague. You want to minimise the chance of them confusing your workers. This means your instructions should be as brief and simple as possible. The Internet is littered with amusing examples of poorly written instructions, and others that having hilarious double meanings. Here some ground rules to help you along:

1. It’s clear

You look straight through it and immediately grasp the meaning. Every employee should be able to understand your work instructions. Avoid multi-syllable words, complex sentences, jargon, acronyms, too many technical terms (without explaining them) and unnecessary blather.

Write your work instructions in a way that makes them easy to understand for every employee who does the task. Use the active voice to help your reader, which refers to the subject, verb, noun sentence structure. For example, the man (subject) sipped (verb) his beer (noun), not, his beer the man sipped.

2. It’s accessible

It’s all very well having work instructions, but what use are they if they are only accessible in the office when the employees that need them are on the factory floor? The people performing the job should have easy access to its works instruction when and where they need it.

3. It’s credible

Employees must view the work instructions as credible, helpful and accurate. Otherwise, they’re just another nice idea no one cares about. Consult the most experienced employee performing a task and ask him or her to explain how the job is done. Make sure your instructions match reality.

4. It’s consistent

Work instructions should follow a single style. Consistency in terms of terminology, layout, media and method make them easier to follow and digest. Also in terms of consistency, they should adhere to the skill set of the employees.

5. It’s short and simple

We touched on this above, but it really is an important point. As Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Take time to understand it thoroughly. This will avoid mistakes later. Writing a work instruction is not about sounding clever. Instead, think about the language in your television user manual. Or better yet, look at the language used in a children’s book. Try to keep it as short and simple as possible.

6. It’s visual

We live in a visual culture. Many of us are more comfortable with visual media than with reading books and newspapers. To cater to this, try to use images, drawings and videos where possible in your work instructions. Think about who it is who will be consuming your work instructions and try to prepare them accordingly.

7. It’s written by the people that know

The person who is the most experienced in how to do the task should be the one to write the work instruction. Do not give the task of writing your work instructions to an individual who is not 100% familiar with the job. You can not expect an operator to know how to write work instructions to their full potential when they are not yet completely intimate with the role. This means that it can never be one person to write your company’s work instructions unless it’s small.

So, with these ground rules clear how do you actually write it? That’s what the next section is about.

7 steps to clear work instructions

Here are seven steps to improve your work instructions:

STEP 1

Write a clear title

What’s in an introduction? Well, quite a lot actually. It is crucial to get this part right. To do so make sure you do the following:

• Give some context: briefly, explain which process the task is part of.
• Identify the owners: briefly, explain who process owner is an who the task owner is
• State the output: briefly, explain what the output or purpose of the task is
• The title must refer to the job: A good example might be, “how to disinfect your hands”.

STEP 2

Describe the purpose – the why

What’s the purpose of your work instruction? Why are you preparing it? Asking why questions help you to step back and think about what you’re trying to achieve. The answer to the why isn’t simply the output you have already identified. Asking why is about deepening your understanding before jumping into the details. Read more about the value of the questions why here.

So, a clear purpose to “how to disinfect your hands” would be “Avoid spreading bacteria so that other risk falling ill.”

STEP 3

Describe how to do it

First of all, you need to list the materials required to do the job. For easy reading, it’s best to list these in bullet points and to distinguish between the materials that are provided and not provided. Order your bullet point list logically. For example, in the case of disinfecting hands:

• Household soap
• Liquid antimicrobial soap in a dispenser
• Running water
• Towels

Include any relevant or helpful references directly into the text as natural hyperlinks. This makes it easy for your reader to clarify things.

To describe how, for example, employees should disinfect their hands you must first choose a format to explain this. There are three basic options. The cookbook format, the decision table and the flowchart. You might choose different formats for different jobs, perhaps according to their complexity. Remember here that many people are visual learners so tables and flowcharts, perhaps with images, might be the best approach.

STEP 4

Format for easy reading

Think of your work instruction document as an educational tool. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes and think about what would help him or her digest the document.

1. Choose how you will format the document and stick with it. If you are practising Lean, then here’s an example format to consider using.
2. Break down any steps into a number sequence. If there are more than 10 steps, then subdivide the different topics. One step describes one action that takes no more than 15 seconds to complete.
3. Use images or drawings. Make sure the image fits the text. Refer to the image in the text. Place images on the left side of the paper and keep text on the right side.
4. Emphasise important information by using upper case, bold or italicised text.
5. Turn any list into a bulleted or numbered list.  

STEP 5

Rewrite and simplify

The key rule for good writing is brevity. Short, simple and clear.

1. Use short and simple sentences. Sentences should be no longer than 15 words and should be without clauses.
2. Use short and simple words. Multi-syllable words sound brainy but slow the reader down. Make it easy for them and imagine you’re writing for a five-year-old.
3. Avoid acronyms, and if you must use one then spell it out the first time and enclose the acronym in brackets next to it. Use the acronym from then on.
4. Include a list of abbreviations the reader can refer to.
5. Decide which word or term you will use to describe something and stick with that. Don’t use different words for the same thing. For example, if you use the term “household soap” then only use that throughout the whole document.

As discussed above, use active sentences, not passive:

Correct: Dry your hands thoroughly.

Incorrect: Your hands should be dried thoroughly.

STEP 6

Add references

It’s always helpful to provide sources and suggestions for further reading and learning. Either add footnotes or have an appendix at the end of the document.

STEP 7

Test with a colleague!

To make sure your work instructions are easy to understand and follow, ask a colleague to perform the task by following it. This will tell you if certain parts or explanations are confusing or need further clarification.

1. Ask an appropriate colleague to read the draft of your work instruction and to give you feedback on it. Does the work instruction match the way the task is performed in reality? Is it confusing? What could be clearer?
2. Request the colleague to perform the job by following the draft work instruction. Do NOT help him/her, or give further explanations. Observe.
3. Make notes of what should be added or changed on your copy of the work instruction.