The documentation illusion

Many organizations believe they have stable workflows because they have documentation. SOPs exist. Processes are "defined."

But documented processes and actual behavior are often completely different things.

Documentation describes how work should flow. Stability requires that work actually flows that way.

The SOP drift problem

SOP drift happens gradually:

  1. A process is documented during initial setup
  2. Reality changes: new edge cases, staff turnover, system updates
  3. People adapt their behavior but don't update the docs
  4. New hires learn the "real" process verbally from veterans
  5. The SOP becomes fiction—a compliance artifact that no one follows

This drift is slow enough that no one notices until something breaks.

Signs your documentation doesn't match reality

  • New hires are told "ignore that part—we do it differently now"
  • Veterans have undocumented shortcuts that become standard practice
  • Process maps show clean flows, but actual work involves frequent exceptions
  • When you ask "how does this work?", you get different answers from different people
  • Auditors are shown the documented process; operators do something else

Each of these indicates a gap between documented process and operational reality.

The tribal knowledge trap

When documentation drifts, knowledge moves into people's heads. This creates single points of failure—if that person leaves, the knowledge leaves with them. Documentation is supposed to prevent this, but only if it reflects reality.

Why documentation alone can't create stability

Documentation is a description. Stability is a behavior.

A workflow is stable when:

  • Ownership is clear and practiced, not just written down
  • Decisions follow explicit rules, not tribal interpretation
  • Exceptions are managed, not just acknowledged as "edge cases"
  • Handoffs work reliably, even when specific people aren't available

Documentation can support stability, but it can't substitute for it.

What actually creates stability

Stability comes from:

  • Mapping reality — Not how work should flow, but how it actually does
  • Clarifying ownership — Not just assigning roles, but making sure people act as owners
  • Managing exceptions — Not hoping they're rare, but having rules for when they happen
  • Living documentation — Keeping docs in sync with actual practice, or accepting they'll drift

The Workflow Stability Assessment starts by mapping the real workflow—what people actually do—before trying to improve it.

When to trust documentation

Documentation reflects reality when:

  • It was created from observation, not assumption
  • It's updated when behavior changes (not quarterly, but continuously)
  • People reference it in real work, not just compliance audits
  • Deviations are tracked and either documented or corrected

If documentation doesn't meet these criteria, treat it as aspirational fiction—useful for compliance, but not for operational decisions.