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Maybe that’s exactly what you needed—a clear and concise definition of policy vs procedure.

If so—great! We’re glad you got what you came for. (And we hope you’ll swing by again soon.)

But maybe you’re looking for more. Maybe you want to do a deeper dive on policies and procedures. Maybe you want to see some policy and procedure examples. Maybe you want to understand their benefits—and if the juice is worth the squeeze. Maybe you have a few frequently asked questions. Or maybe you’d just like to document way more, in way less time. 

In any of those cases—you should stick around.

Difference between a policy and a procedure 

Policy vs procedure—it’s a valid question. 🤔

While policies often inform procedures, the reverse is less common. How come? Because guidelines determined by decision makers influence the way things get done. But even the best step-by-step instructions don’t usually result in brand new, business wide philosophies.

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Policy and procedure examples

Raise your hand if definitions are 👍🏽, but contextualized examples are 👍🏽👍🏽. This section is for you!

Think about a vacation policy. It’s probably full of general guidelines: 

• Who’s eligible? 
• How much PTO is available? 
• Is a formal request necessary? 
• Does vacation accrue over time? 
• Is carryover allowed? 
• Are there any blackout periods? 

Those questions answer the what—and establish effective parameters for fast and fair decision-making. A *great* vacation policy may also include your company’s overall philosophy about time off—and explain why the policy is what it is.

A PTO-related procedure, on the other hand, might explain exactly how to submit your request. If your company has a strong culture of documentation (as it should 🕺), you might be able to use a step-by-step guide or checklist to speed up the process.

A universally accepted set of instructions for how to do things—and when to do them—should make following the overarching vacation policy easy.

Policy examples 

Policies don’t necessarily need to be written down—or related to work. Here are a few examples of personal policies:

• A savings policy—that drives what you set aside for future expenses, investments, or a rainy day
• A healthy living policy—that influences the way you exercise, eat, and sleep 
• A social media policy—that reflects your values about privacy
• A digital detox policy—that limits your screen time 
• A personal development policy—that helps you prioritize learning new skills and trying new hobbies 
• A no-complaining policy—that makes you more positive, grateful, and solution-oriented
• A regular self-care policy—that encourages you to do the things that make you feel your best
• An eco-friendly policy—that impacts how often you compost, recycle, ride your bike, etc.
• A punctuality policy—that means you call or text people if you’re running late

Workplace policies might include:

• A code of conduct—that covers confidentiality, conflicts of interest, dress code, use of company property, etc.
• A recruitment policy—that codifies how you hire new people
• An internet and email policy—that explains everything from security protocols to what is and isn’t appropriate
• A cell phone policy—that communicates any rules around phone usage at work
• A smoking policy—that goes over if, when, and where you can smoke
• A drug and alcohol policy—that prohibits the use, possession, and exchange of drugs and alcohol
• A travel policy—that informs how you should book and expense business travel
• An anti-discrimination and harassment policy—that provides clear guidelines for making sure everyone feels safe and welcome at work
• A disciplinary action policy—that helps managers address unacceptable behavior

Procedure examples 

Examples of procedures are everywhere you look.

If you’ve ever assembled a piece of Ikea furniture (💪🏼), applied for a driver’s license, painted your toenails, followed a recipe, conducted a scientific experiment, or evacuated a building for a fire drill, chances are you’ve followed a procedure to a certain extent. 

Well-documented procedures provide a clear roadmap for what to do, when. Here’s an example of how to make tea, in 10 steps:

The same logic applies at work.

You might rely on some pre-established procedures to make your job easier. Or you may be tasked with inventing them on your own. That’s the fun part, if you ask us! 

If part of your success hinges on helping others adopt something you’ve discovered or built, you probably already know how important knowledge-sharing is. And you probably already know how tedious, time-consuming, and underappreciated process documentation can be. But it doesn’t have to be. 🤩

If you teach people to use software, there’s a better way to share everything you know. Generating how-to guides automatically, as you work, makes process documentation:

• So easy → You won’t feel like you’re making documentation at all 
• So clear → You’ll never go back to dense text or long videos
• So fast → You’ll create 10x more tutorials in the time it used to take you to do one 

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Policy and procedure benefits 

If you’ve worked for a company that doesn’t have a policy and procedure manual in place yet, we don’t need to tell you there are some obvious upsides to having that kind of clarity. But! There are also some less obvious, equally important advantages. 

Let’s look at those in more detail.

Obvious upsides

• Process makes perfect. ✨ If it’s documented, it’s not just easier to learn and teach. It’s also easier to streamline and scale.

• A single source of truth. 🎯 We spend 3.6 hours each day searching for information we need. Pre-established policies and procedures help everyone take back time.

• Faster decision-making. 🚀  What helps people avoid indecision and move past points of uncertainty? Having clear guidelines and step-by-step instructions.

• Better onboarding experiences. 👋 Policies and procedures help new hires hit the ground running—without as many question marks.

• Increased compliance. ✅ Want to manage risk and protect your organization from legal liability? Two words: policies and procedures.

• More consistent results. 👍🏿 With processes, you can reliably replicate successes—and isolate and correct mistakes.

Underrated advantages

• Fewer interruptions. 🙌 With a framework in place (a policy) and instructions in hand (a procedure), you’re less likely to send that email—or be emailed down the road. 

• More autonomy and ownership. 🎉 Policies and procedures empower you to learn processes, use new tools, and be your best at work. 

• Less knowledge-hoarding. 👯 Knowledge is only valuable when it’s shared. Want to connect people and information? Have step-by-step procedures informed by overarching policies.

• Documentation as a differentiator. 🧠 What’s inside your head is a competitive advantage for your company—and the best way to protect and manage that knowledge is by documenting it. 

• A culture of documentation. ✍🏾 The easier it is to create documentation, the more documentation you and your team will create. And the more documentation you create, the more knowledge will be captured, shared, and put to work. 

• Operational excellence. 🏆 With policies and procedures that everyone can find, follow, and continuously improve, you can optimize the processes contributing to company growth.