With a solid SOP database, you can efficiently get your Filipino virtual assistant up to speed, cut back on unnecessary meetings, and ultimately buy back your time.
Here’s everything you need to know about creating effective SOPs:
SOP stands for standard operating procedure. It’s a document that outlines how to do certain tasks or processes in your organization. It’s essentially an instruction manual that your remote employees can refer to when they’re doing a task for the first time, or when they need a refresher.
An SOP database is especially useful if you work with remote team members. Instead of spending hours showing your assistant how to do certain tasks, you can just share an SOP document.
You can create SOPs for virtually any task that you can delegate.
If you want to delegate like a pro, creating clear and detailed SOPs is key.
Contrary to popular belief, SOPs don't have to be super complicated or overly structured. Effective SOPs should actually be simple, straightforward, and easy to understand.
That’s it! You don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to create an effective SOP. Instead, focus on creating them efficiently. Publish them on platforms where they can be viewed and updated easily.
Business owners used to balk at the thought of creating SOPs, since writing them down took hours. Thankfully that’s no longer the case. With the right process and tools, you can create an effective SOP in minutes.
Here’s how you can do that:
First, you need to determine what tasks you can delegate. Open a document on your computer or keep a notepad on your desk and list down all the tasks that you do throughout the day. List everything — from business-related tasks to personal chores. Do this for a week.
At the end of the week, go over your list and ask:
If it can't be automated and if it doesn’t need your specific skill set — delegate it.
Now, take that list and turn each item into an SOP.
You can easily create an SOP database on Notion. With Notion, you can conveniently customize pages, embed elements like videos and screenshots, and organize tasks based on frequency and category.
Alternatively, you can use other apps like Airtable or go the classic route with Google Docs. The important thing is you can access and update each SOP easily.
From here, you can write down the exact steps needed to accomplish each task. You can type it out step-by-step, adding screenshots and other media to help your assistant visualize the process. You can also use a flowchart format if they need help troubleshooting things.
Here’s the catch though: while both methods are useful, they also take a lot of time. A more efficient alternative?
Show your assistant how to do these tasks through Loom videos.
Video and screen recording tools like Loom are lifesavers when it comes to creating effective SOPs. Instead of writing each step of every SOP item, you can simply record your screen and voice while doing a task from start to finish. You can then embed the video in your database for your assistant to watch. This way, you can create an SOP within minutes.
Video SOPs are beneficial for your assistant too. A visual medium helps them understand the task better, plus you can offer context to the task as you’re walking them through the process.
It takes Loom about a minute to process these videos. When the video is ready, add it to your database. With a free Loom account, you can record up to 25 videos for free.
Make sure you're not sharing sensitive or private information on your screen recording! Close unnecessary tabs or use a separate window when recording a walkthrough video.
Once you’ve made several SOPs, all you have to do is share your database with your virtual assistant. The best time to do this is during your onboarding session, where you can grant them access to the database on your kick-off call.
It’s important to remember that your assistant won’t be able to go through all of the SOP items in one go. Organize the tasks according to category and frequency, so they know which ones to prioritize.
Ask your assistant to watch the video and then transcribe it. This way you’ll have written and video versions available. It’s also a great way for your assistant to absorb the content.
Onboarding new assistants can take a lot of time, but you don’t have to spend days on long Zoom calls just to get them up to speed. With informative SOPS, you’ll be able to delegate more stuff and focus on tasks that only you can do.
Wanna learn more about SOPs? Sign up for our free course, The Delegation Leap today and take your delegation skills to the next level.
SOP stands for standard operating procedure. It’s essentially an instruction manual on how to accomplish daily tasks in your business. Examples of common SOPs include:
SOPs make delegation more efficient. Instead of lengthy one-on-one training sessions, you can use SOPs to onboard new team members faster. SOPs also keep things organized and uniform throughout your company.
Start by listing down all of the tasks that you have to delegate. Organize this list into one document. Go over your list and record your screen while doing each task from start to finish.
Walking your assistant through these Loom videos is a fast and easy way to create SOPs. You can also ask your assistant to transcribe the videos so you have a written version of your SOP.
An effective SOP doesn’t have to be complicated. It essentially should include the following parts:
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