Most people hate writing SOPs (I actually love writing them….true story!). The blank page feels impossible. You know the process in your head, but turning it into a document that someone else can follow? Blech 🤮. That’s where projects stall.
The fix: stop starting from scratch. Capture first. Edit later.
Record yourself doing the task and explain each step aloud
Example: “Step 1, log into [Tool]. Step 2, click [Button]. Step 3, download report.”
Show what you’re doing while explaining the why behind it.
Open ChatGPT on your phone and start an Advanced Voice conversation.
Share your screen, then complete the task while narrating each step and decision.
When you’re done, ask: “Draft an SOP from what I showed and explained. Put [CONFIRM] wherever you missed a step or couldn’t read the screen. Don’t guess.”
Get on a video call, hit record, and have your teammate perform the process and explain each action along the way.
Once captured with one of the above steps, you can drop the transcript, notes, or full video recording into ChatGPT (or your chatbot of choice) and say:
Turn the transcript below (or attached video) into a draft SOP for [task]. The reader is [role] and has [level of experience]. Follow the attached SOP template. Use numbered, actionable steps, and include decision points and checks mentioned in the transcript. If a step, tool name, permission, or expected result is unclear, mark it [CONFIRM] and list a question for me. Don’t fill gaps by guessing.
Transcript: [paste]
Then review the draft it creates against the recording you provided.
Finally, ask someone unfamiliar with the process to follow the SOP and show you where they get stuck.
Our SOP Style Guide Template makes this even easier (ask us for the details). It outlines required sections (purpose, scope, roles, tools, step-by-step instructions, version control), tone rules (imperative voice, short sentences, no jargon), and quick checks before publishing. You don’t need to guess what an SOP should look like—it’s all laid out.
This approach works because capturing is faster than inventing. Editing is easier than forcing yourself to write from memory. By pairing a capture method with the SOP template, you can build documents that are clear, compliant, and actually usable.