Explaining a Procedure to Master: When I became in charge of a group of brand new Resident Assistants last fall, I needed to provide them with instructions they would make sure to read and follow carefully as they learned the process of going "on rounds" on nights when they were on call. To do this, I created "On Call for Dummies," a 7 (and a half) step process depicted in words and pictures. During our first meeting as a group, I provided the RAs with a copy of this handout to read along with as I went through the steps with them (n.b., a good handout always helps keep your audience engaged!). Most of the RAs kept the page for reference well into their first semester of the job, because its clear step-by-step layout made it easy to use for reference. Click here to download the .pdf file.
Features of the Document: The sheet has a clear heading, which is important if you're interested in your audience keeping it and being able to find it easily to reference later on. Because the on call process is one which we hope becomes quickly routinized for the staff, using big obvious numbers helps to point to the very step-by-step nature of the process, as well as making it very clear what constitutes *not* following the procedure properly. Adding images helps make the text more memorable and helps grab the attention of the audience, which is important when trying to communicate to a group of 19-21-year-olds. Not overcrowding the page is important as well, lest your audience experience sensory overload. Setting the standards with clear instructions (e.g., Step #7 on how to save the documents) ultimately saves a lot of time and additional effort on the part of the supervisor.
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