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clear and accurate instructions and
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procedures are essential to the world of
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work instructions tell and frequently
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show how to do something perform a
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simple task operate a machine construct
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installed maintain monitor adjust or
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repair equipment let's take a look at
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how to write instructions for business
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well the purpose of writing instructions
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is to explain how to perform a task in a
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step-by-step manner the process of
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writing procedures is slightly different
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often the two terms are incorrectly used
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interchangeably procedures refer to
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policies duties protocols and guidelines
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that a business or organization expects
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its employees to follow perhaps no other
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type of occupational writing demands
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more from the writer than to
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instructions because there's so much at
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stake for both you and the reader the
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reader has to understand what you write
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and be able to perform the steps you
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cannot afford to be unclear inaccurate
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or incomplete instructions are
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significant for many reasons including
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safety efficiency and convenience well
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written instructions help the business
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run smoothly and efficiently no work
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would be done if employees did not have
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clear instructions to follow clear and
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easy to follow instructions make a
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customer's job easier and less
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frustrating instructions reflect a
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product or services quality and
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convenience they can create goodwill or
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destroy it how many times have you heard
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complaints about a company because its
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instructions were hard to follow
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instructions can be given in a variety
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of formats both in print and online and
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can include numbered steps bulleted
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steps concise paragraphs and outline
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instructions assess your audience needs
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by putting yourself in the readers
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position do not assume that your readers
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have performed the process before or
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have operated the equipment as many
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times as you have the more you know
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about how and why your reader will use
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the instructions the steps will likely
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to cause problems and the background
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information you need to supply the
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easier and clearer your instructions
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will be to follow
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here's some key questions to ask
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yourself about your audience the more
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you know about your audience the better
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your instructions will be to determine
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your readers needs ask yourself the
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following how and why will my readers
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use instructions how much background
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information should I provide what steps
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will most likely cause the most trouble
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and what types of visuals do I need to
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supply to make sure your instructions
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are accurate and easy for your audience
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to perform you must plan your steps
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perform a trial run write and test a
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draft and revise and edit your
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instructions to make sure your
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instructions are accurate and easy for
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your audience to perform you must plan
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their steps perform a trial run write
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and test your draft and revise and edit
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plan your steps before writing do some
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research to understand completely the
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process you're asking someone to perform
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make sure you know the reason for doing
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something the parts or tools required
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the steps to follow in the right order
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the results of the job and the potential
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risks or dangers perform a trial run
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actually do the job go through it a
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number of times take notes as you go
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along and be sure to divide the job into
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simple distinct steps for readers to
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follow don't get readers too much in any
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one step each step should be complete
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sequential concise and easy for your
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audience to understand and perform write
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and test your draft transform your notes
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into a draft or drafts of the
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instructions you want your readers to
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follow then conduct a usability test by
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asking individuals from the intended
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audience like customers or technicians
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to follow your instructions that as
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you've written them ask participants to
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read your instructions aloud and ask
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questions observe where they run into
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difficulty or get results different from
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yours revise and edit based on your
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observations and user feedback revise
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your instructions to avoid missing steps
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too many activities in one step steps
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that are out of order or unclear and
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incomplete steps to write instructions
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that readers can understand and turn
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into effective action of
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the following guidelines write clear
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short sentences in the active voice use
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precise terms include connective words
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as signposts and number each step
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readers welcome visuals in almost any
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set of instructions a visual can help
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readers get a job done more quickly and
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increase their confidence to see what an
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object looks like fully-assembled
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identifies the size and placement of
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parts understand how to assemble parts
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and illustrate right and wrong ways of
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doing something further they help the
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audience see if a piece of equipment
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works properly identifying possible
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sources of danger and determining
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whether a problem is serious the number
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and kinds of visuals you include will of
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course depend on the process or
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equipment you're explaining and your
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audience background in needs some
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instructions may require only one or two
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visuals except for very short
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instructions a set of instructions
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generally contains six main parts let's
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take a look
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these parts include an introduction a
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list steps to perform warnings
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conclusion and troubleshooting the
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function of your introduction is to
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provide readers with enough necessary
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background information to understand why
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and how your instructions work clearly
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some instructions do not need a list of
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all the materials readers will need but
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when you do make sure your list is
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complete and clear and provided upfront
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the heart of your instructions will
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consist of clearly distinguished steps
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that readers must follow to achieve the
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desired results at appropriate places in
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the steps of your instructions you may
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have to stop the reader to issue a
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warning a caution or a note a conclusion
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might also tell readers what to expect
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once a job is finished describe the
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results of a test or explain how a piece
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of equipment is supposed to look or
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operate troubleshooting guides and tips
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help customers avoid frustration and the
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expense of a service call instructions
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are a critical tool in business
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communication a procedure is an
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established
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official way of doing something
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procedures deal with a wide range of
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how-to activities within an organization
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policy procedures have a major impact on
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a company and its workers they affect
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schedules payrolls acceptable and
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unacceptable behaviors at work and a
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range of protocols governing the way the
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organization does business internally
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and externally procedures also help an
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organization to run smoothly and
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consistently adhering to them all
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employees follow the same regulations
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and standards many times procedures
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involve a policy or a change in the work
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environment help readers by including
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whenever necessary definitions headings
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and explanations and offer to assist
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employees with any questions they might
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have always present the procedures to
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management to approve or revise before
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sending them to employees no one ever
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complained that a set of instructions or
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procedures were too clear or too easy to
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follow
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