Why documentation is so important

When in doubt, write it out

I have to admit, prior to this year I was terrible at documenting my processes. I kept everything that I did in my head and it really created a roadblock not only in my mental headspace but also for anyone who was trying to learn how I did things.

Now that I work on a growing team, I am realizing the importance to document the work that I am doing. Wanting to get better at documenting for yourself? This is a great place to start.

Make your work life simplified

First and foremost, documentation makes work easier. Great documentation includes all of the key information in an organized manner that you and your team around a project may need. No more needing to chase down random items through email, Slack, etc. when you have it all outlined in a document to reference.

Example: For any new project idea, the project team clearly defines what the project is about, the timeline of ideation to launch, a database of meeting notes, etc. Having a documentation page like this keeps the project team accountable for the work and also any other team member who might want to be in the loop with the latest update!

Your OOO reassurance

Going away on a trip and need someone to cover you? This is where documentation really comes in handy. Instead of having your co-workers guess or remember all the different areas you’re in charge of, have it written down in a document for them to reference.

Example: In your OOO document sheet, you can list the tasks that you are in charge of, different escalation policies if problems arise, and other important information for your team to know of while you are away.

Setting your team up for success is not only good for them, but also for your peace of mind while you are taking some much-needed time off.

Onboarding new hires

When new people join your team, having documentation helps a ton in training them to get up to speed without a lot of hand-holding involved.

Onboarding can be overwhelming for the new person joining your team, and one way to make it easier is to have some documentation for them to follow along with their onboarding process.

Example: This documentation can include outlines of what the new team member will be focusing on their first few days, important references to review, team members who they can connect with, and more.

This not only helps in cutting out a lot of back-and-forth questions but also acts as a north star reference for them to check in on if they run into any issues. If you’re on a remote team without a lot of face-to-face time, an onboarding document is very valuable.

An important reminder is that documenting processes takes time, and isn’t something that will instantly solve everything. If you’re new to documentation, start with something small that you can get on paper and scale from there. You could even meet with your team to have documentation goals as part of your team’s quarterly OKRs in order to hold everyone accountable for this process.

Also, when you ask yourself, “should I be creating documentation for this?” the answer is most likely a yes!