Claude Prompts for SOPs People Actually Follow

[Paste rough description of process]. Convert to SOP. Output structure: purpose, scope, owner, prerequisites, step-by-step (numbered), decision points (if/then), verification, exceptions handling, version + last updated. Each step actionable enough that a new hire could execute. Flag steps too vague to follow.

Build a runbook for [recurring task]. Output: trigger (when this runs), prerequisites (access, tools, data), step-by-step procedure, expected output, troubleshooting if step fails, escalation path, time estimate per step. Designed for someone tired or new to follow without thinking.

SOP for onboarding new [role]. Output: pre-day-1 prep, day 1 schedule + activities, week 1 milestones, 30-60-90 day expectations, who handles what (RACI), checklist signed-off when complete, feedback loop to improve SOP itself. Specific enough that any manager could run.

SOP for customer onboarding (post-sale). Stage: [SaaS / agency / product]. Output: kickoff call agenda, data collection checklist, account setup sequence, first-value milestone, success criteria, handoff to CSM. RACI per step. Goal: time-to-value < [target].

[Paste process or SOP]. Build RACI chart: Responsible (does the work), Accountable (one person, owns outcome), Consulted (input expected), Informed (kept in loop). Output as table: rows = process steps, columns = roles. Flag any step with multiple Accountables (anti-pattern).

[Paste process]. Audit for bottlenecks. Output: which step takes most time (% of total), where work waits (handoffs, approvals), parallelizable steps currently sequential, automation candidates, redundant steps that could be cut. Time savings ranked by impact.

Design a process backwards from desired outcome: [describe]. Constraints: [team, tools, time]. Output: outcome metrics, working-backward steps, owner per step, dependencies, success/fail criteria, what we measure to improve. Outcome-led design > activity-led.

Design an approval workflow for [decision type]. Constraints: [risk level, $ amount, time-sensitivity]. Output: who approves at what threshold, who can be bypassed, escalation path if approver unavailable, audit trail captured, automation hooks. Speed + control balanced.

[Paste SOP + describe how team actually works]. Audit gap between SOP and reality: which steps team skips (and why), which steps team adds (often valuable, undocumented), which steps are obsolete, where SOP is unrealistic. Update SOP to match reality OR change reality to match SOP.

[Paste current SOP]. Simplify: cut steps that don't change outcome, merge consecutive steps with same owner, replace prose with checkboxes, remove jargon for fresh-eyes reader, single-page if possible. Goal: same compliance, half the friction.

[Paste expert-level SOP]. Adapt for [junior level / new hire / contractor]. More context per step, definitions of jargon, assumed knowledge spelled out, common mistakes flagged, screenshots placeholder, escalation lower-threshold.

[Paste SOP]. Convert text-heavy SOP to visual. Output: process flow diagram description (mermaid syntax I can paste), checklist version (one-page sticky), decision tree if branching, quick reference card. Different formats for different consumption contexts.

Crisis response SOP. Crisis type: [security incident / outage / PR / data breach]. Output: severity classification, initial response in 0-15 min, escalation chain, communication templates internal + external, decision rights during crisis, post-mortem trigger, regulatory notifications if any. Designed for panic-state.

SOP for knowledge transfer when [employee leaves / role changes]. Output: documentation transfer (1-on-1 walkthrough format), system access, customer relationship handoffs, in-progress work transition, post-transition support window. Common mistake: transfer too late + too rushed.

SOP for onboarding new vendor. Vendor type: [describe]. Output: due diligence (security, financial, compliance), contract review, system access provisioning (least privilege), kickoff meeting, ongoing review cadence, offboarding plan. Vendor risk = real risk.