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This is often a question that people are embarrassed to admit, but the wonder and intrigue eventually get the best of them.

You should never feel like a nervous child in elementary school who’s afraid of putting his or her hand in the air to ask a question – especially when it pertains to your profession. But it’s completely understandable to want to shelve policy upkeep, considering the astronomical time commitment needed amidst your already hectic schedule. However, a lack of high quality, consistent policy management can cost your organization a great deal of money due to events such as breach of policy, disobedience, etc. There are slews of operational and fundamental advantages of sound policy and procedure management you may have not realized…until now.

Here are a couple reasons managing policies and procedures is not an option, but an absolute must.

1.  Sustains company culture 

Policies and procedures not only outline your organizational structure, but also cultivate and sustain your company culture. Ultimately, they serve as the glue that holds the company together. Everything from dress code to break-room etiquette can and should be included, because it puts everyone on the same playing field and creates unison. This sets the tone of the overarching vision of how your organization should run. Now whether every member of your personnel agrees with every policy and procedure is a different story. Therefore, creating opportunities for feedback,within reason, can help sustain a close-knit culture, because it gives personnel a voice and signifies that management values their opinions and suggestions.

2.  Mitigates risk

Cracking down on risk exposure is not a matter to take lightly. When well-written policies and procedures are implemented, personnel tend to exhibit more compliant behavior, since their expectations, obligations, and duties are stated matter-of-factly. Maintaining a complete lifecycle of the policy and procedure management process is crucial to mitigating long-term risks. This creates transparency regarding risk-exposure incidents that occur. One of the main benefits of effective management is the ability to evaluate a risky situation presented, and then revise pertinent policies and procedures to reflect the steps necessary to rectify that situation in the future.

3.  Fosters compliant mentality

An arsenal of policies and procedures that includes everything but the kitchen sink creates a more compliant environment. In turn, compliant personnel are typically more at ease and acutely aware of their boundaries, as well as what is and isn’t acceptable within the workplace (and out of the workplace, when representing the company). By outlining clear-cut guidelines that personnel must meet, your organization is simultaneously creating unity and acquiescence by eliminating any shadow of a doubt concerning roles, statuses, departments, etc.

4.  Highlights pitfalls in the system

SharePoint and similar intranet sites are great for document storage. However, they don’t provide the capability to keep track of the entire management process. If there’s no tracking mechanism in place, it’s easy for documentation to slip through the cracks, which inevitably translates to accountability issues. Paperless compliance management programs help to close the gap that the intranet can create. It’s amazing what a difference online collaboration and collecting electronic signatures can make. Aside from eliminating pitfalls that may have been in place, these programs can also establish a more centralized focus. Setting reminders takes the guesswork and human error out of the equation, which makes compliance that much easier to obtain.

Yes, managing policies and procedures can be a hassle and perhaps a struggle at times. However, there are several ways to simplify the management process to help keep your head above water. It’s important to take note of the great breadth of benefits you’re affording your personnel by investing your time and efforts into managing policies and procedures. So relish in the fact that your hard work pays off on a daily basis, because let’s face it: if policies were never established, chaos would definitely ensue.

In what ways has your organization found value in maintaining a policy and procedure management process?