aka, become a Sexy Overpowered Professional
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) are checklists for how a certain procedure is done, like marketing an offering or hosting a party. We use them extensively at The Service Guild, the organization I founded and steward.
And I’ll be honest with U: I have a love-hate relationship with SOP’s.
I love them, because they’re awesome. SOP’s make for a higher standard of performance and excellence. They take what would have been a complicated headache, becomes a straightforward, repeatable, step-by-step process. And I’m proud of the projects we’ve done that use them.
On the other hand, they’re annoying. Following an SOP for something U’ve done a thousand times can be irritating and obnoxious. On top of that, they take a lot of effort and work to create—to document something U know like the back of your hand, in fine detail and precision.
Not only that, but as a leader, it’s overwhelming and scary to hold others to the expectation of using them, too. People might get angry, and object to getting told what to do! Or they’ll say they’ll comply, but then not actually follow through!
Most people hate SOP’s when they first use them. They’re used to doing things the way they are used to doing them. People trust their own autonomy, intuitions, and habits, and don’t want to have to do something new.
I get that. I really do. I feel the same way myself.
But there comes a moment where people realize the power of SOP’s for themselves. They realize that their projects are complicated, and they would have missed a step.
Or they see how amazing the end result of using them is—that they are capable of doing bigger projects, more effectively, with a better result, because they followed.
That making and using SOP’s was worth the trouble and pain, because they saved U a headache, avoided certain problems, and made for outcomes you’re proud of.
When U have that “aha!” moment, U never want to do it the old way again.
U have a kind of faith and loyalty to SOP’s, and are willing to pay the price of making and following them.
I insist on using SOP’s at The Service Guild. SOP’s are our not-so-secret-sauce—part of how we do our fun service projects with a high standard for execution, excellence. In other words, SOP’s are how we pull off being funprofessional.
SOP’s have helped us so much at The Service Guild, and I would like to see this best practice adopted within more crews and more organizations.
When I believe in someone—whether it’s a talented friend of mine, or a team with a purpose I’m excited about—I want them to use SOP’s. I know that SOP’s are going to take what could be a pipe dream and turn it into a feasible reality.
If U have a team U want to see succeed, if U have a long-term vision U want to accomplish—one U can’t do alone, that needs to be done at a high standard for excellence—I think U should consider using SOP’s.
I would like to see SOP’s adopted more widely in the broader ecosystem. When more people use them, we can compare notes, and share our best practices between crews and organizations. We flourish together!
Who?
SOP’s are for any organization or crew that wants to level up. Duct tape and ad-hoc improvisation are no longer cutting it—predictable problems are popping up left and right, and it’s time to create clear solutions for how we do things here.
If U and your team have a grand vision for the future, a dream for a more beautiful world that will take many projects and years of effort to work towards—then implementing SOP’s will make it far more likely that U will actually achieve that goal.
They may not be sexy, but they’re a mission critical part of playing the long games U’ve chosen. And besides, U are sexy. U are a Sexy Overpowered Professional. A Strategic Optimistic Player.
This is not for organizations that already have extensive processes, procedures, and workflows that work for U.
And it’s not for solo creators and entrepreneurs who need 100% autonomy and freedom to follow the inscrutable intuitions of their soul, or at least whatever they happen to feel like doing on any given Tuesday afternoon, who would squelch and shrivel inside at the prospect of having to follow a pre-specified procedure (even one they created themselves).
The Format
I want to help U and your team implement SOP’s. Here’s how it works:
U send in an application. U tell me who U are, what your team is, and why U want to use SOP’s.
We’ll schedule a one-day training. Our goal is for key players on your team to understand SOP’s conceptually, and have the tools in place to be able to use them effectively.
- Everyone on the team will have some short pre-work to do (~30m) to set the team up for success.
- I’ll give a presentation on SOP’s. I’ll cover what they are, how we use them in The Service Guild, and how U can start using them at your organization.
- We’ll discuss any questions, concerns, reservations, ideas U and your team have.
- We’ll build infrastructure for your team to implement SOP’s, using Notion, Google Drive, Process Street, ClickUp, or another tool of your choosing.
- We’ll dive in to making SOP’s. Each team member will create at least one initial SOP for use. I’ll give feedback, answer questions, and troubleshoot.
By default, the training will be held online on Zoom at a mutually convenient time, but in-person trainings are also possible.
After the training, I’ll be available for follow-up consultations or support by email.
We’ll also have a follow-up call with your team or key leaders approximately one month after the workshop to discuss how it went, how it’s going using SOP’s, and unblock any obstacles or tensions.
Call to Action
If U are ready to get started bringing SOP’s into your team’s best practices, apply here:
U can also drop me a line to ask any questions U may have (tasshinfogleman @ gmail).
If U want to do this work, but have a very tight budget and need to do it for free or cheaply, U can read my blog post about Standard Operating Procedures. I also recommend Work the System by Sam Carpenter (notes) and The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande (notes), which inspired me to use SOP’s in the first place.