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Avoiding Common Pitfalls: Don’t Mix up Policies and Procedures

Admin 2/13/24 9:14 AM

Policies and Procedures

Every day, we hear from organizations frustrated with outdated, disorganized policies and procedures. Many are still relying on binders or massive PDFs that no one reads or trusts.

A common issue? Confusing policies with procedures. When everything is mixed into one document, it creates confusion, decreases usability, and makes maintenance a nightmare. Auditors and regulators notice, too.

Take this example: A company prioritizes diversity in its strategic plan. HR creates a policy, but there’s no clear procedure to support it. Hiring managers are left guessing—each using different methods to recruit. The result? Inconsistency, bias, and a policy that falls flat.

This highlights why policies and procedures must be separate but connected. Each serves a unique purpose, and together, they drive clarity, compliance, and better outcomes.

Understanding the Difference Between Policy and Procedure

Policies and procedures work together to create a complete operational framework. They serve different purposes, but when clearly defined and used correctly, they reinforce each other. Policies set direction and boundaries—what employees need to know and why it matters. Procedures provide the specific steps—how to follow through and get the job done right.

When the line between the two is blurred, documentation becomes confusing, disorganized, and hard to maintain. Employees can’t find the information they need or don’t trust it when they do. Updates become more difficult and time-consuming. The result is inefficiency, inconsistency, and unnecessary risk.

Understanding the distinction is the first step toward building a documentation system that people actually use—and that drives real operational results.

What is a Policy?

A policy is a formal statement that outlines your organization’s rules, expectations, or guiding principles. Policies answer the question: What do I need to know?

Policies are not task instructions. They don’t include steps or actions. Instead, they set boundaries, define business rules, and reflect the organization’s values and positions. Policies support company culture and often cover topics like ethics, conduct, safety, compliance, and security.

Take a company’s code of conduct policy, for example. It may define expected behavior around attendance, dress code, and communication, while also addressing unacceptable behavior like discrimination, harassment, or bullying. A good policy clearly states the organization’s expectations and provides examples to support interpretation and application.

What is a Procedure?

A procedure (often called a standard operating procedure, or SOP) is a specific set of actions or steps for performing a task.

Where a policy sets the direction, a procedure tells employees how to follow it.

For example, a vacation policy may explain employee eligibility and guidelines. The associated procedures cover all the “how-tos”: how to submit a vacation request, how to notify a manager, when to update a calendar, how to set an out-of-office reply, and so on.

A well-written procedure removes ambiguity. It outlines the who, what, when, where, and how—giving employees a repeatable, auditable process to follow. That clarity promotes efficiency, boosts confidence, and reduces errors.

How to Handle Policies vs. Procedures in Operational Documentation

Policies and procedures should work in tandem—but they should be stored and managed separately, even if they are linked together. This structure improves usability, maintenance, and compliance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Putting policies and procedures in the same document.

There’s rarely a one-to-one match between a policy and a single procedure. In most cases, a single policy supports multiple procedures. When everything is mashed together, it’s hard to update, search, or reuse content.

People in different roles have different needs. If someone has to scroll through unrelated content to find the answer they need, they’ll either get frustrated or give up entirely. That leads to guessing or relying on others instead of using official guidance.

Mistake #2: “We only need policies.”

Having policies alone is like saying, “We value equal opportunity,” and then leaving it up to employees to figure out how to make that happen. Without procedures, execution becomes inconsistent and risky.

Policies need supporting procedures to be implemented effectively. Without them, your organization is vulnerable to compliance failures, inefficiency, and miscommunication.

Mistake #3: “We only need procedures.”

On the flip side, relying solely on procedures can result in “how-tos” that are disconnected from strategic direction or compliance standards. When authors write procedures without referring to policy, they often mix in policy content—causing confusion and inconsistencies.

8 Benefits of Having Both Policies and Procedures

When you provide both policies and procedures—and link them logically—you create a system that employees can trust and use.

Complete guidance.
Employees have access to both the "what" and the "how." They don’t have to ask for help on routine tasks—they can find the answers themselves.
Improved compliance.
Policies establish compliance standards. Procedures make it easy to follow those standards. Together, they simplify updates when regulations change and support industry best practices.
Greater accountability.
When expectations and steps are clearly documented, managers can hold individuals and teams accountable for performance.
Consistency across the board.
Standardized procedures mean fewer errors and a more consistent experience—for employees, customers, and regulators alike.
Transparency and alignment.
Employees understand how things work and how their role fits into the bigger picture. That visibility promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
Risk reduction.
Clearly documented policies and procedures help organizations identify, assess, and mitigate risks before they become issues.
Stronger training and onboarding.
New hires get up to speed faster when onboarding is based on documented procedures. Everyone is trained the same way, and employees know where to find answers post-training.
Increased efficiency.
Well-designed procedures streamline work, reduce guesswork, and drive down costs. Employees can focus on doing their job—not figuring it out.

Make Policy and Procedure Documentation Easy with Zavanta SOP Software

Zavanta is purpose-built to help organizations create, manage, and communicate policies and procedures effectively.

One of Zavanta’s most powerful features is the ability to link related policies and procedures together. This cross-referencing creates a connected system that’s easy for employees to navigate—and even easier to keep updated.

With Zavanta, you can manage the full lifecycle of operational knowledge: authoring, approvals, reviews, publishing, and more. Employees always have access to accurate, up-to-date information—right when they need it.

Ready to simplify and improve how your organization handles policies and procedures?

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