Write good principles.
We use principles a lot in our work. Changing an organisation demands the leadership team adjust their mindset. Well-written principles are a useful tool for achieving this.
Here is a set of principles to apply in order to write a well-written set of principles:
Start with a verb. Principles are instructions. Terse. Borderline rude in their abruptness. Missives. They tell us how to behave.
Be difficult. A principle isn’t a principle unless it costs you money, or is inconvenient, or requires effort. If it is too easy to accept then it’s not a very helpful principle. Ask, “If we adopt this principle what must we stop doing?” The tougher the implications, the more useful the principle.
Explain the application. If you can’t quickly offer three examples of how a principle might be applied then is it really going to guide our actions?
Make timeless. You might set a date for when you expect to be operating by the principles; the principles themselves are enduring. They are good until cancelled or changed.
Take a choice. A principle captures a decision taken and so there are valid alternatives, which you have decided not to adopt. Start with the user is a great principle. Start with the biggest cost driver is pretty good too. Strategic decision required. Try to invert the principle to test whether you’re making the decision you want to take.
Isolate the principles. Each principle should make one point and should not require another principle to make it useful. The fewer the principles the better but avoid compound principles. (Irony)
Exclude mutually. No overlapping or interdependent principles. Test this by writing a single word – one word! – to describe each principle. If the best word for a principle has already been used then you have two that are the same. Merge them, or make them distinct.
Omit needless words. With apologies to Steve Krug and Chapter 5 of his brilliant and definitive book on usability. Don’t Make Me Think
Co-create your principles. By the people, for the people. The more collaborative you are in writing the principles with the users of those principles, the better they will work in practice.
Traps to avoid:
Lame objectives as principles. Be the best widget maker. This is neither a principle (it doesn’t pass muster on the above) nor is it a SMART objective. Be one or the other, not neither.
Negatives. What not to do isn’t helpful. Watch less television could be a principle, sort of, but Maximize time outside is more useful. What is your instruction? Say it straightforwardly, don’t imply it.
Conditional or qualified principles. Principles should be universal. Treat all animals equally, especially animals with two legs dodges the difficult decision. If you meant Give absolute authority to humans, then say so (Sketchy example but you get the idea).
And if you want an example of great principles (both in style and content) then start with the UK Government Digital Service Design Principles - try using them as a way to test the principles we’ve set out.
How to really adopt and live by a set of principles, and how to be seen to be doing so as a management team, is another challenge. Having well-written principles you agree on is the best place to start.