Bonfire of the policies – Do you really need all that paperwork

I mean, seriously, what’s the point?

How many policies does your organisation have? Where are they? Do you know what they cover? Do you know what they say? And do all the relevant people in your organisation know they exist, where to find them and what they say?

Do you have enough policies? Years ago (back in the days of lever arch files), I had a client who asked me to check he had all the right policies. I asked what policies he had already and he pointed to a whole shelf of lever arch files! I said, “Michael, you have so many policies there can’t be anything you haven’t covered.” He replied “Yes, but there might be something.”

Another client said that she needed a few additional policies so she could complete a funding application. “But it’s OK,” she said. “I managed to download the ones I needed from the internet.” Presumably today she would have said, “It’s OK, I got AI to write them for me.”

So… we have policies because someone says we need to have policies – and the really organised ones amongst us have review dates for our policies, and actually review them on those dates.

But do we live by them? Do they guide what we do and how we behave? Or are they just a security blanket because we know we have got them, or a shield (or weapon!) when something goes wrong and we need to be able to show that we followed ‘the policy’?

Ticking the box
Most charities (and many other organisations) have Values statements. In theory, at least, these should go a long way towards summarising the principles that underpin our policies. But can we – must we – go further?

Most policies, at their root, are to do with treating people well and keeping people safe. What can we do to help our trustees, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders understand the spirit of our policies, as well as making sure they know where to find the detail, and indeed what the detail says? All too often, the induction process for new staff or trustees involves reading a plethora of policies, often literally ‘ticking the box’ as they read each one. Is this really enough?

Rationalise your policies
I’m sure my HR colleagues in particular will be having apoplexy at the thought of a bonfire of policies. And, of course, that’s not really what I am advocating. What I am suggesting is that we need to take our policies much more seriously. So take a look through the policies you do have and ask yourself these questions:

1. Have we got the right policies – not because someone says we should have them, but because they are directly relevant to our activities and needs?
    
2. Have we got any policies that we really don’t need and could get rid of, to make it easier to see the wood for the trees?
    
3. Are our policies well organised and easy to find – by all the people who might need to find them?
    
4. Are our policies up to date and directly relevant to the way we work and the language we use day to day? Or are they clearly AI generated and/or so generic they are of no practical use?
    
5. How do we share our policies with new joiners (whether trustees, staff, volunteers or others)? Is that sharing proportionate to what the new joiner will need, or are they just sat in front of a computer and told to keep reading until they have finished?
    
6. What do we do to keep our policies – and the principles that underpin them – alive and front of mind, so that they become a way of life rather than a safety blanket, shield, weapon – or straitjacket?

AI, when used well, can help you to keep tabs on your policies and whether or not you are adhering to them, but to get to that point, a little experienced human interaction is required. If you need help in reviewing your policies and paring them down to the ones you need, Action Planning can provide expert guidance. Get in touch to find out more.

Contact us for more information on our policy review service

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