Business Writing

Crafting Effective Standard Operating Procedures

Published by Evolang

https://evolang.info/business-writing/sops/how-to-write-standard-operating-procedures

Evolang.info article flagged and corrected by an internal fact-check sweep for fabricated citations, quotes, dates, or statistics.

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Correction

Emir BaycanExpert Contributor

Correction history

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  1. 19 July 2026 · corrected by Emir Baycan

    Fabricated direct quote attributed to William Zinsser from 'On Writing Well' - this exact quote about SOPs/instructions could not be verified; Zinsser's book does not specifically address SOP writing,; Fabricated direct quote attributed to Josh Bernoff from 'Writing Without Bullshit' - this exact quote could not be verified in the actual book or any secondary source.; Fabricated direct quote attributed to Ann Handley from 'Everybody Writes' - this exact quote could not be verified in the actual

    Before

    <blockquote> <p>&quot;Instructions are written for the person you cannot talk to. If you could talk to them, you would give them the context and the specifics. The SOP is the next best thing to that conversation.&quot; William Zinsser, On Writing Well</p> </blockquote> [...] <blockquote> <p>&quot;If an SOP does not tell me who does each step, it is describing a process that no one will be held responsible for. That is not an SOP. That is a wish.&quot; Josh Bernoff, Writing Without Bullshit</p> </blockquote> [...] <blockquote> <p>&quot;The best procedures are the shortest ones that still give the reader what they need. Every additional sentence is friction. Every missing detail is risk.&quot; Ann Handley, Everybody Writes</p> </blockquote>

    After

    <p>A useful way to frame it: instructions are written for the person you cannot talk to directly. If you could talk to them, you would give them context and specifics in conversation. A good SOP is the next best thing to that conversation.</p> [...] <p>A useful test: if an SOP does not tell you who does each step, it is describing a process that no one will be held responsible for. Naming a specific owner for each step is what separates an operating procedure from a wish.</p> [...] <p>The best procedures tend to be the shortest ones that still give the reader what they need. Every additional sentence adds friction, and every missing detail adds risk, so the discipline is to cut relentlessly while keeping what is essential.</p>

    Why: Fabricated direct quote attributed to William Zinsser from 'On Writing Well' - this exact quote about SOPs/instructions could not be verified; Zinsser's book does not specifically address SOP writing,; Fabricated direct quote attributed to Josh Bernoff from 'Writing Without Bullshit' - this exact quote could not be verified in the actual book or any secondary source.; Fabricated direct quote attributed to Ann Handley from 'Everybody Writes' - this exact quote could not be verified in the actual book or any secondary source.

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  1. Correction 19 July 2026

    Emir Baycan: Fabricated direct quote attributed to William Zinsser from 'On Writing Well' - this exact quote about SOPs/instructions could not be verified; Zinsser's book does not specifically address SOP writing,; Fabricated direct quote attributed to Josh Bernoff from 'Writing Without Bullshit' - this exact quote could not be verified in the actual book or any secondary source.; Fabricated direct quote attributed to Ann Handley from 'Everybody Writes' - this exact quote could not be verified in the actual

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