Scenarios and Protocols

Many companies compose operations manuals that demonstrate how to successfully complete tasks. These can become important tools in training and developing people within your organization. Our operations manual did a great job in teaching processes to handle tasks. It is a clearly written step by step checklist that is easy to follow. Despite this, we were still experiencing unexpected breakdowns. Something seemed to be missing.

Many frustrating experiences later, the solution finally came to me. I needed to establish clear processes to successfully handle different situations. Thus, Scenarios and Protocols was born and I was able to clearly document what our team should do on in different situations.

It started off as a couple of situations that had caused us financial loss. Realizing the potential of this approach, I organized a brainstorming session with a few key people from my team and we were able to identify a base of scenarios that needed protocols. It has since grown into over 40 in number and continues to grow. The scenarios included opportunities and challenges. A sampling includes:

• What you should do if you have an idea to save or make the company money
• What you should do if you know of a potential client
• What you should do if you would like to recommend someone to fill out an application
• What you should do if you get in an accident driving a company vehicle
• What you should do if you will not be able to meet a deadline
• What you should do if you witness non-negotiable behavior

My team is now better trained and prepared to handle a multitude of situations. It has saved us time and helped us operate at a higher level of consistency. This section has become a key driver for the success of our personnel development.