An SOP from a talked-through process

Record the person who knows the job doing it and talking out loud, then turn that transcript into a written standard operating procedure.

Time: 45 min first time, 20 min after

You need

  • A recorded meeting or screen share with a transcript (Teams, Zoom or Meet, if your plan includes transcripts), or a phone recording
  • General chat assistant on a company account

Before you start

  • Many chat assistants can't read a video directly. Plan to work from a transcript. Meeting tools may offer transcripts or AI summaries depending on your plan; check the Finder (/tools/ai-finder).
  • Tell the person you're recording and why. Ask them to go slow and say what they click and why.
  • If the screen shows customer records, passwords or payment details, use a test record or pause the recording. Delete any password or code that ends up in the transcript before you paste it.
  • Pick one process with a clear start and end, like 'new customer setup,' not 'how billing works.'

Steps

  • {"do":"Record the person doing the task once, start to finish, narrating as they go.","tip":"Ask 'why that?' out loud when they skip something. The answers are the valuable part."}
  • {"do":"Get the transcript from your meeting tool or phone.","tip":"Look for a transcript or recap option on the recording. It may not be on every plan."}
  • {"do":"Remove passwords, codes, customer names and anything private from the transcript."}
  • {"do":"Start a new chat, paste the transcript and the prompt below."}
  • {"do":"Answer the AI's questions, especially any about steps that seemed to be skipped."}
  • {"do":"Give the draft to someone who has never done the task and have them follow it while you watch.","tip":"Every place they get stuck is a missing step."}
  • {"do":"Fix the draft, have the expert sign off, and save it where the team keeps procedures with today's date and a version number."}

The prompt

Below is a transcript of [PERSON'S ROLE] doing [PROCESS NAME] and talking through it. Turn it into a standard operating procedure for [BUSINESS NAME]. Include: 1) purpose in one sentence, 2) when to do it and who does it, 3) what you need before you start, 4) numbered steps, one action per step, with the reason when the transcript gives one, 5) common mistakes or warnings the person mentioned, 6) how you know it's done right. Use only what's in the transcript. Where the person said 'then I do the usual' or seemed to skip a step, don't fill it in; mark it [MISSING STEP] and list it as a question at the end. Don't name menu paths, buttons or settings unless the person said them. Write for someone new to the job, in plain language. Transcript: [PASTE TRANSCRIPT]

Check the result

  • Someone new followed the SOP from start to finish without asking the expert anything.
  • Every [MISSING STEP] is filled in by the expert, not guessed.
  • Button names and screens match what's really on screen today.
  • No password, code or customer detail made it into the document.

Written, not yet tested.

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