How should a leadership team document the EOS Core Process component so it remains high level and usable rather than turning into thick SOP binders that nobody reads?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The most common failure in documenting processes is overcomplicating them. Leadership teams hire technical writers or demand that department heads write 50-page procedural binders filled with screenshots. Nobody reads them, nobody trains from them, and they become obsolete the moment software updates.

EOS uses the 20/80 rule. Document the 20 percent of the steps that produce 80 percent of the results. Every business runs on six to ten core processes, such as HR, marketing, sales, operations, billing, and customer service. Each process should be summarized on two to five pages.

Document them in three clear stages:
- Identify: Name the six to ten core processes that define your operational engine. Agree on what each process is called.
- Document: Outline the major phases of each process using high-level bullet points, checklists, and clear handoff milestones. Define who owns each step using the Accountability Chart. Do not write micro-instructions; capture the critical checkpoints that prevent errors.
- Package: Store these simplified workflows in a single, accessible repository where every employee can find them easily.

Once a core process is documented high level, it becomes simple to train new hires, inspect operational compliance, and identify repetitive steps that can be automated with AI. Keep it lean. A simple checklist that is followed by everyone is infinitely more valuable than an exhaustive SOP manual that sits untouched on a shared drive.