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We write procedures to help people accomplish tasks

If you've ever tried to use a website or print document to grab information and complete a task, you know the importance of well-written procedures. Here's some guidance we follow as we assist organizations and our students in creating procedures:

• Write to the user.
• Use the active voice.
• Use the present tense.
• Use simple language.
• Use headings.
• Keep instructions physically separate from each other.
• Group consistent thoughts.

If you are writing...

Remember to keep your procedures "verb-based." Separate your instructions from your descriptions (nouns). If your reader wants additional information, allow them the opportunity to link to it (if online) or refer to appendices, sidebars, or details. This is known as an "action-then-detail" structure.

For more information on learning how we can rework your procedures or manuals to make them user-friendly, contact us at thom@thomhaller.com,