Using policy summaries as a gateway to the real policy

We all wish that our employees would read our corporate policies, but we know that most won’t.

In response, we often write snazzy policy summaries, and we try to cram all the essentials on one page.

The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t increase the number of employees who actually read your policies.

There is a middle way. You can write summaries that entice, or even force, employees to go to the actual policy for critical information. For example, you can write in your summary that employees can accept gifts under $50 with their supervisor’s approval, but for higher-value gifts, they need to consult the policy for approval levels. The trick is to leave out of the summary critical elements, and to tell employees where to find them in the policy.

Writing policy summaries is great. Writing them in ways that channel your employees to the actual policy is even better.