Why Is It Important to Follow Policies and Procedures?
Grant Welling of the Pacific Crest Group support services company points out that following established policies and procedures is important because they provide a clear list of what employees can and cannot do directly from the management team at an organization. With established policies and procedures, there is little need for micromanaging, allowing employees to work quickly and efficiently within the set parameters.
Policies and procedures provide consistent, day-to-day operations for an organization. They also improve safety levels in a workplace by establishing rules that concur with state or federal workplace regulations.
There is a fundamental difference between policies and procedures. Policies are intended to bring a company’s vision to life. They work as a general guide for employees at all levels of an organization, describing company rules as well as the consequences for operating outside of the set limits described. To make certain that the policies are well-understood, they are usually written down and changed only as the direction of the company changes. Procedures are more specific than policies. A procedure tends to cover individual actions that an employee is to take given a specific situation that may arise. Procedures can cover activities within the company as well as those involving the company’s customers.
