Document, document, document

What is one of the most common questions you’ll hear in the workplace?

If you guessed “How do we do that?” or “Do we have any documented procedures for that?” you are probably on the right track.

Responses to these questions usually range from “You should know how to do it”, through to “RTFM”, or the most common response “There is no documentation”.

Documentation of procedures, the bane of technical and support staff the world over, is one my passions. Anyone who knows me can attest to this.

If there is something I need to do, but don’t know how, I research, document what I believe is the correct procedures, ask an SME to confirm I’ve nailed the process, update the process as a step-by-step procedure and publish.

Why do I do this?

I’ve always been in roles that require work outside of my areas of technical expertise and I thrive on challenges and learning new things. Sometimes it may be months or even years before I’ll need to perform the same task. I’ve forgotten most of the technical knowledge I’ve gained during my working life (there’s only so much room inside my head), yet due to my passion for documentation, I’m able to quickly search for and find specific information without the need to reinvent the wheel.

Documenting processes has enabled me to pass on my knowledge, ensure timely and consistent delivery of services,  and enhance team members capabilities, freeing me up to investigate and document some more.

If you have tasks you wished you could have other team members perform, document the process, have someone else validate the process and transition the knowledge to a new owner.

You’ll be surprised how much free time you will have if you just do the hard yards and document, document, document.