“I have made this letter longer than usual, because I have not had time to make it shorter.”
– Blaise Pascal, “Lettres Provinciales” (1657)
Let’s be honest, most policy documents aren’t designed to be read. They’re written to check a box, satisfy auditors, or serve as CYA insurance. The result? Dense legalese, vague requirements, and 50+ pages of rules that no one follows because no one understands them.
It’s not that policies aren’t important. It’s that they’ve become disconnected from how people actually work.
Policy vs. Practice
Here’s a reality check: if your employees need a translator and a full lunch break to get through a policy, they’re not going to follow it. Not because they’re lazy, but because it doesn’t feel relevant or accessible.
- Policies are written like contracts instead of instructions.
- The tone is punitive instead of empowering.
- Key requirements are buried on page 38.
- There’s no connection to actual processes or systems.
And then we wonder why no one complies.
The Goal Isn’t Just Documentation, It’s Behavior
A policy is only as strong as its ability to influence behavior. If it doesn’t change how someone acts, then it’s not protecting your business.
So, how do you write policies people will actually follow?
Four Ways to Make Policies Work Again
1. Write like a human, not a lawyer
Yes, you need accuracy. But plain language is powerful. Aim for clarity over perfection, and assume your audience is smart but busy.
2. Lead with what matters
Put the “what to do” and “why it matters” up front. Save the background and citations for the appendix.
3. Make it actionable
Use checklists, bullets, and visuals to guide behavior. Tie the policy to workflows and systems where work actually happens.
4. Make it findable
A searchable PDF buried in a shared drive is not a usable policy. Use tools that let people search, reference, and apply policies in context – not just download them.
The Compliance Gold Standard? Usability
When policies are short, clear, and connected to real processes, something magical happens:
- People actually follow them
- Compliance improves organically
- Reviews and audits stop being firefights
- You stop sounding like a corporate version of HAL 9000
Shorter Is Smarter
A good policy doesn’t need to say everything. It just needs to say the right things, to the right people, at the right time.
So ditch the bloat. Say what you mean. And give your people policies they can actually use.
Need help translating your policies into something people will follow? We’ve got ideas.
