How do you make your administrative policies and procedures sustainable?

1 Review them regularly

The first step to making your administrative policies and procedures sustainable is to review them regularly. This means checking if they are still aligned with your goals, vision, and values, as well as with the current laws, regulations, and best practices. You should also evaluate if they are working well, if they are achieving the desired outcomes, and if they are meeting the needs and feedback of your staff and stakeholders. By reviewing them regularly, you can identify any gaps, issues, or opportunities for improvement, and make the necessary changes or updates.

2 Communicate them effectively

The second step to making your administrative policies and procedures sustainable is to communicate them effectively. This means ensuring that everyone in your organization is aware of them, understands them, and follows them. You can use various methods to communicate them, such as training sessions, newsletters, intranet, posters, or manuals. You should also make them accessible, easy to read, and user-friendly. Moreover, you should encourage questions, suggestions, and feedback from your staff and stakeholders, and respond to them promptly and respectfully.

3 Monitor and measure them

The third step to making your administrative policies and procedures sustainable is to monitor and measure them. This means tracking and analyzing the data and indicators that show how well they are performing and impacting your organization. You can use various tools and techniques to monitor and measure them, such as surveys, audits, reports, or dashboards. You should also set clear and realistic goals, objectives, and targets for them, and compare them with the actual results. By monitoring and measuring them, you can assess their effectiveness, efficiency, and quality, and make the necessary adjustments or improvements.

4 Involve and empower your staff

The fourth step to making your administrative policies and procedures sustainable is to involve and empower your staff. This means engaging and consulting your staff in the creation, implementation, and review of your policies and procedures. You should also recognize and reward their contributions, achievements, and compliance. Furthermore, you should empower your staff to take ownership, responsibility, and initiative in following and improving your policies and procedures. By involving and empowering your staff, you can foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.

5 Align them with your strategy

The fifth step to making your administrative policies and procedures sustainable is to align them with your strategy. This means ensuring that your policies and procedures support and enable your strategic goals, priorities, and direction. You should also align them with your mission, vision, and values, as well as with your external environment, such as your customers, competitors, and partners. By aligning them with your strategy, you can ensure that your policies and procedures are relevant, coherent, and consistent.

6 Adapt them to changes

The sixth and final step to making your administrative policies and procedures sustainable is to adapt them to changes. This means being flexible, responsive, and proactive in adjusting your policies and procedures to the changing needs, expectations, and challenges of your organization and its stakeholders. You should also be open to learning, experimenting, and innovating with your policies and procedures, and embrace feedback, criticism, and failure as opportunities for growth and improvement. By adapting them to changes, you can ensure that your policies and procedures are resilient, agile, and future-ready.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?