Writing down processes and procedures is important in virtually every line of work. Any task that benefits from being done in a consistent fashion is worth documenting. However, lots of people who try it find writing high quality instructions is harder than they expected. So today I am sharing my top 3 tips for writing beneficial process documentation.
Lists, not paragraphs
This is about both formatting and word choice. Yes, simply formatting your text as a list of steps will make it easier to follow. However, it will also help to take out unnecessary words like “next”, “and then”, and “finally”. Also take out “please”. In this context it is more important to be concise.
Boldface is your friend (in moderation)
When I was getting my technical writing certification, a phrase that was often used was “readers are raiders.” This means that documentation readers are looking to scan a document to find relevant information quickly, rather than carefully reading every word. You can make your instructions work better for this type of reader by putting important words in bold.
This isn’t something to be done without rhyme or reason. You should determine ahead of time what sort of “important” warrants bold formatting. For example, if you are creating instructions for a software based task, you would use boldface for named elements on the screen – “Click Next.”
Would context be helpful?
Is there an underlying goal for this task that could be clearly stated? Will you improve people’s attention to detail by stating why it is important? This tip isn’t necessary for every task you document. It certainly isn’t helpful to go on at length. However, sometimes a sentence or 2 can get everyone on the same page and significantly improve your results. For example, if you are writing instructions for using point of sale software, it would be overkill to add context for “charging a credit card”, “making change”, and “issuing a refund”. On the other hand, I would recommend a short introduction to the whole set of instructions reminding staff that being accurate and efficient when ringing up a sale is an important component of providing a positive customer experience.
Were any of these particularly helpful? Do you have a favorite tip for writing instructions? Let me know in the comments!