Job Aid, Quick Reference and SOP Template Pack

Six one-page layouts that help people get a task right while they are doing it, each with guidance, a template with prompts and a filled-in example from a real kind of business.

Who it is for

• Small-business owners who want the way things are done written down, so it does not live in one person's head.

• Managers and shift leads training new hires who keep asking the same questions.

• Supervisors in the field who need steps and checklists crews can follow on the job.

• Operations, L&D and HR professionals building a library of job aids and standard operating procedures.

The problem it solves

Most procedures live in someone's memory or in a long document nobody reads during the task. The result is missed steps, inconsistent answers and the same mistakes after every new hire. A good job aid fixes that, but only if it is short, clear and placed where the work happens. This pack shows you which layout fits which task, how to write each one so people can follow it quickly, and how to keep it current. Every layout comes with a finished example you can compare against.

What is inside

Part 1: The guide (3 pages)

• What a job aid is, how it differs from an SOP and from training, when a job aid is the right answer, and how to choose a layout (2 pages)

• Writing a job aid that gets used: seven writing rules with before and after examples, design rules, mistakes and tips (1 page)

Part 2: The six layouts (18 pages, 3 pages each: guidance, template with prompts, filled-in example)

• Checklist, with an example closing checklist for a clothing boutique

• Numbered steps, with an example for checking in a vehicle at an auto repair shop

• Decision tree, with an example for sorting maintenance calls at a property management office

• Phrase card, with an example for talking about costs at a veterinary clinic

• Quick reference, with an example drink build guide for a café

• SOP (standard operating procedure), with an example for client keys and access codes at a commercial cleaning company

Part 3: Keeping job aids useful (1 page)

• How to test a job aid, roll it out and keep it current, with a job aid control log (blank and filled in)

Editable files

• Word document with the guide, every template and every example (28 pages)

• PowerPoint in US Letter portrait: each template and example on its own slide, ready to edit and print as a one-page job aid (14 slides)

How to use it

1. Read Part 1. It takes about ten minutes.

2. Choose a layout with the table in Part 1. If you are not sure, start with numbered steps.

3. Read the guidance and the filled-in example for that layout.

4. Open the Word or PowerPoint template and replace each prompt in [brackets] with your own content.

5. Test it with someone new to the task, then print it and post it where the task happens.

Formats and file types

• PDF guide, 24 pages, US Letter, printable

• Microsoft Word (.docx), fully editable, 28 pages

• Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx), fully editable, 14 slides in US Letter portrait, one job aid per slide

Frequently asked questions