Recommended process for process document distribution

Picture a "process" document that describes how a group of people will need to do some part of their ongoing work from that point forward.  At some point that group needs to become aware of it.  Such times include:

• When it is first created.
• When it is updated.
• Introducing a new hire to it.

Should you send them the document?

No.  It's not the end of the world if you do, but, there is a better way.

Why not send the document?

Basically it wastes little slices of time multiplied by the number of recipients.

• Everyone who receives it is now responsible for curating their own private copy every time a new revision is sent out.  This wasted time is multiplied every time another update is sent.
• The document is just a snapshot of the actual document and will be out of date the moment any other modification is made.  There will always be doubt about whether any given copy is the most recent update, and possibly time wasted making sure.
• New hires will need to obtain a copy.  Usually after confusion caused by not knowing that the document exists.  Usually wasting their time searching and the time of other people as they are forced to ask around about it.
• Sending a copy of the document attached to a mass e-mail also wastes space in the e-mail system.

So then how to provide the document to the group?

Recommended Process

Get ready

Establish an official location for the document if one does not already exist.  If an effective broader official location for such documents does not exist, that is a larger problem to be solved separately, but if that is the case, don't let it stop you.  Work around the problem for now.  Pioneer a location.  Be a voice for positive ongoing improvement.  If this step is done properly, it will only need to be done the very first time.

Get set

Store the document there.  This shouldn't take much time.  Presumably you've saved the document "somewhere" before you want to send it, right?

Go

When attention is needed, send people of a LINK to the document along with any introduction or comments about what was just changed.

This process works even better if

• The "official location" of the document is within a broader "official location" for all similar documents, and that location is in the form of something that the audience can be subscribed to receive notifications when something is updated.
• New hires are given the location of the broader "official location", so they automatically have any new documents as they are added.