How to Create SOPs for a Small Team
Practical SOP creation method — produce useful documents, not shelf-ware.
Summary
Small team SOPs should be short, visual, and written by the person doing the work. Long, committee-written SOPs go unread.
Step 1: Pick the right first SOP
Start with the process that: (1) runs most often, (2) has a consistent output, (3) currently has ≥ 2 different ways it gets done. Do NOT start with aspirational processes.
Step 2: Observe, don't imagine
Sit with the person doing it. Watch one real run. Write it down step by step. Don't invent steps.
Step 3: Write in active voice, one verb per step
- Bad: "The invoice should be reviewed by the finance team"
- Good: "Finance reviews invoice within 24 hours"
Step 4: Add visuals where faster
Screenshots for software steps. Short video loom for multi-click flows. A picture removes 200 words.
Step 5: Test with someone who hasn't seen it
Ask a colleague to run the process using only the SOP. Every question they ask is a gap in the doc.
Step 6: Publish in the right place
Wherever the team already works. Not a dedicated SOP portal. Notion, Google Docs, Confluence all fine.
Step 7: Review cadence
- Quarterly review for top-3 SOPs
- Immediate update when tools or people change
- Date-stamp every edit
Common traps
- Writing SOPs for processes nobody actually does
- "SOP documentation project" that never ships
- Too detailed — 50-page SOP that nobody reads
- No owner — SOP rots silently
Frequently asked questions
Video or written?
Written summary + short video works best. Video alone is hard to search.