Create a How-To Guide

A Worked Example

Job: Close the shared inbox at the end of a shift.

Starting material: The owner is the shift lead. Unanswered messages must be assigned before the handoff.

What to check: Ask another person to follow the guide once. A short screen preview does not prove the printed page count or whether the exception works in practice.

Do It in the Tool

1. Name the task. Say who does it and what they need first.
2. Write the steps. Put the actions in order and say what done looks like.
3. Review the guide. Check exceptions and the printed result before sharing.

Have a person try the steps. A short preview does not prove the printed length.

Video walkthrough planned: Create a How-To Guide. Use the written steps above now.

Name the Task and Steps

Task

Name it as an action in a few words, so the title reads “How to ...”.

Steps

Give each step one action, in order, starting with a verb. Name its owner and what it produces.

Define Done and Exceptions

Done

Use a sign someone can check, such as a number, name or time, rather than a vague claim of high quality.

What can go wrong

Name the one or two likely failures and say what to do or whom to ask.

Try the Guide

Hand it to a colleague, or use it yourself on the next occurrence of the task. If using AI, say whether you want it to follow, review or tailor the guide. Keep it beside the work and fix the first step that proves wrong.

Print or Share the Checked Result

Inspect the full guide before copying, downloading or printing. Print length depends on browser and paper settings; the short screen preview cannot promise a page count.