Best reason(s) for having policies?

Anka, thanks for your question. I’ve been reading through the responses with interest, and would in particular like to pick up on Nina’s point that policies and procedures are often introduced to deal with individuals perceived to be pushing a commonly agreed boundary. More widely, organisations can often find that new policy after procedure after process is introduced to close small loopholes in the ‘rules’.

That’s why the CIPD advocates a principles-based approach; whereby we start from a set of fundamental principles – enabling people to make good decisions even in new or complex situations by prioritising the right things. We think this will be more important than ever before because the changing world of work is bound to throw up new situations and decisions we’ve never encountered before, and principles can help guide us as we enter unchartered territory – offering guidance without being prescriptive.

Of course, there might also be some work to do around creating a culture where people feel confident and trusted to interpret your principles and make those decisions.

I’ve included a link to the CIPD’s principles for better work and working lives – in case you need some inspiration! www.cipd.co.uk/.../principles

Victoria (Head of Membership and Qualifications)

I wholeheartedly agree. Victoria. Too often policies are used like sticking-plasters to patch over either poor management, or aversely-perceived risk: "Someone sneezed! Oh goodness! We need an anti-germ-spreading policy!" (Instead of a five minute chat with the employee about the use of handkerchiefs and courtesy to his colleagues).

In my view policies should state where we want to be (starting with principles, but regarding practical objectives also) with procedure providing direction on how we advocate getting there. The key to those procedures being effective, however, being the complementary adaptability of good management and real leadership.

Without those latter, we end up with more and more trivial policies and complex, often unworkable, procedures, seeking to cross every imaginable T and dot every conceivable i.

....which of course no-one ever reads (or knows exist).

(Good for collecting dust on shelves though) :-)

P

I wholeheartedly agree. Victoria. Too often policies are used like sticking-plasters to patch over either poor management, or aversely-perceived risk: "Someone sneezed! Oh goodness! We need an anti-germ-spreading policy!" (Instead of a five minute chat with the employee about the use of handkerchiefs and courtesy to his colleagues).

In my view policies should state where we want to be (starting with principles, but regarding practical objectives also) with procedure providing direction on how we advocate getting there. The key to those procedures being effective, however, being the complementary adaptability of good management and real leadership.

Without those latter, we end up with more and more trivial policies and complex, often unworkable, procedures, seeking to cross every imaginable T and dot every conceivable i.

....which of course no-one ever reads (or knows exist).

(Good for collecting dust on shelves though) :-)

P