Business operations
Explain a procedure change to a small team
Put the old step and the new step side by side, give the date the new one applies and name one person to ask. A note that says who does what differently is easier to follow than a description of the policy behind it.
A text to start with
We are changing how we [procedure]. Old steps: [old steps]. New steps: [new steps]. Reason: [reason]. It applies from [date] to [roles or people]. Questions go to [name]. Write a short note for a team of [number] people that shows old and new side by side, says who is affected and states what each role does first. Use only the reason I gave.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Procedure change note
Procedure name: [ ] Start date and time: [ ] People or roles affected: [ ] Roles not affected: [ ] Old step: [ ] New step: [ ] Reason for the change: [ ] Work already in progress on the start date: [ ] First action for role [ ]: [ ] First action for role [ ]: [ ] First action for role [ ]: [ ] Contact for questions: [ ] How the team will confirm they read it: [ ] Date to check the change is being followed: [ ]
Look for roles with no next action
Read the draft as each role in turn and ask what that person does on the start date. A change that affects the opening shift may leave the closing shift unsure whether anything applies to them. Make the start date clear about time and timezone if staff work different hours. Confirm the old step really stops, and say what happens to work already in progress. Check that the reason matches what you know, and do not add justifications you cannot support. Remove any step the team already does.
Ask another agent to check the result
Read this note as each affected role separately. Find any role with no clear next action on the start date, any work in progress the note does not address and any step that does not say who does it. Do not rewrite the procedure itself.
Confirm it was understood
Read the note aloud to one person in each affected role and ask them to describe their first task under the new procedure. Fix anything they misread. Decide how the team receives the note and who confirms they saw it. After the start date, check once whether the old step is still being used and update the note if needed.