Learn to Write Effective Policies & Procedures

Here's just some of what we'll cover:

• Wording that could land your company in a legal landmine
• The difference between a policy and a procedure - and how to reflect them in your writing style
• Red flags that tell you a policy should be reconsidered or communicated more effectively
• Shortcuts that trim hours off your writing and compilation time
• Guidelines on writing policies and procedures about sensitive subjects without offending
• How to make sure your manual doesn't turn into a long list of "don'ts"
• Four questions to ask yourself before publishing any policy

Write clear, concise policies and procedures that eliminate gray areas and end confusion

Writing policies and procedures is probably one of your least favorite tasks, maybe even something you've been putting off for weeks - or months. You know it has to be done, but it seems like there's always something more pressing to handle. And when you do try to get started, you have so many questions about the process…

• "Is it best to write in the positive, or do I focus on what employees should NOT do?"
• "What exactly are the legal traps I need to watch out for?"
• "Can I post this on our Web site, so it will be easy to update…or should I distribute hard copies?"
• "What are the specific words and phrases that make people angry? I really want to avoid those!"
• "I'm no writer - so how am I ever going to tackle this job?

You can get the help you need and answers to all these questions - including dozens you haven't even thought to ask - at this information-packed one-day seminar. Here's the simple truth: Well-written, concise policies and procedures are the framework that holds your organization together and makes everything run smoothly and efficiently. Attend this one-of-a-kind, career-enhancing program and learn valuable techniques for writing policies and procedures with skill and ease.

Don't wait until there's an unfortunate misunderstanding, a critical mistake, or even a lawsuit that solid documentation could have prevented. Take action today!

The Basics

• Policies and procedures defined - and how they’re different from each other
• Telltale signs that your organization needs a written policy or procedure
• The benefits of policies and procedures - with respect to money, time and peace of mind
• How to identify the areas within your company that are most in need of a new or refreshed handbook or manual
• The very real risks of poorly written policies and procedures
• What the law says about a company’s employee communications
• The role of HR in developing documentation - what your department can and cannot do
• Clues that your verbal guidelines may need to be formalized into written rules

The Critical Pre-Writing Phase

• Four foolproof steps to designing an on-target policy or procedure
• When it’s best to start from scratch, and when you should revise existing documents
• A simple way to know which policies and procedures to include
• Great ideas for communicating complex procedures
• Tips that save time without sacrificing quality when information is needed fast
• How to choose the appropriate voice or tone for your writing: firm, friendly, compassionate, clinical, confident, authoritative or even a combination
• The four critical phases of development
• How to identify your company’s style and follow this standard
• When it’s better not to put a policy in writing

The Written Word

• Tools and techniques that make corporate writing a snap
• Wording tips from the pros to help you craft clear, concise, and correct documentation
• Five easy steps for writing the perfect document every time
• What you don’t include, and why it’s as important as what you do include
• The four essential elements of every workbook or manual
• Phrases that connect with employees - and others that are turnoffs
• The most important thought to keep in mind while writing your manual
• Which of the "old rules" no longer applies
• How the pros walk the fine line between clarity and thoroughness
• The art of cutting text without mortally wounding your message
• Strategies for avoiding language that creates an uncomfortable, legally binding contract
• How to set aside personal feelings about policies you don’t agree with

The Ideal Format

• How to determine which format matches your message
• Simple graphic elements and techniques that add interest and pizzazz that draw the reader in
• How graphics affect the readability and accessibility of your information
• Various ways to deliver your message (the Web, contracts, forms, handbooks, email, and intranet) and the advantages of each
• The vital element that is often omitted from a manual
• Flow-charting techniques that eliminate pages of text and communicate the message clearly
• Common design mistakes and how to avoid them

The Final Development Phase: Approval

• How to determine who should — and who shouldn’t — review your document
• A proofreading process that catches not only spelling and grammar mistakes, but content errors as well
• The best time to edit your own work
• A proven way to speed up the review process without sacrificing quality
• What to do to prevent a jumbled mess of changes you can’t follow
• How to diplomatically put a limit on further changes once the document has been circulated
• The complete revision process, start to finish, and how to manage it

Implementation and Enforcement

• A surefire way to get employees to read your policies and procedures
• Advantages and disadvantages of distributing policies online
• The best approach to distribution — how and when
• Techniques for defending a policy that employees dislike
• How to handle “fear of change” among doubters
• Three proven guidelines for announcing changes that you know will be unpopular
• The secret to being firm and committed without seeming like a steamroller
• Tips for preventing the misunderstandings that often develop when employees are notified of a change as a group

Maintenance — How to Keep Up Your Good Work

• Why you should have a timetable for updating policies and procedures
• A sure sign that it’s time to bring things up to date
• The hidden danger in not regularly reviewing old policies and procedures
• How to know whether your organization has too few — or too many — rules
• Going digital: what it means, when and how you should make the leap