09/09/2025
🔧 Tech Tip Tuesday: How Do You Eat an Elephant? 🪛
🐘 One bite at a time.
In the field, I often hear the same thing: “We need procedures written for everything we do.” And that is absolutely correct. Process, documentation, and safe work instructions are critical for safe and effective work.
But because the task of creating that documentation for an entire unit, project, or industry feels so massive, we freeze. We never even get the first word typed out.
Here’s the reality:
A technician will raise their hand, stop the work, and say “I need documentation for this.” The manager, safety, or a quality team replies: “Agreed, can you help us write it?”
Suddenly… crickets. 🦗
The elephant just seems too big to chew. But you don’t need to eat the whole elephant at once. Write one step. Capture one lesson learned. Build one small procedure today. Do it again tomorrow. And again the next day.
Over time, those bites add up into a full, documented system that everyone can rely on.
📋 Action Item:
Next time you face a task that feels overwhelming, whether it’s writing procedures, building troubleshooting guides, organizing SharePoint or your hard drive, or even learning a new skill, don’t wait for the perfect plan. Start small:
💡 Option 1: Write out the 3–5 most basic steps you’d tell a new hire. Don’t worry about formatting, just get it down on paper.
💡 Option 2: If writing isn’t your strong suit, narrate the steps. Tools like ChatGPT, Otter.ai, or your phone’s voice-to-text can turn your words into a draft. From there, AI can polish grammar, spelling, and standardize terminology.
🧠 Pro Tip:
Every “bite” you take builds momentum:
One paragraph becomes a procedure.
One diagram becomes a troubleshooting guide.
One cleaned-up folder becomes an organized SharePoint site.
One page of reading becomes the start of expertise.
The key is to start small, start now. A rough draft, a simple note, or a single recorded thought is infinitely more valuable than silence.
Over time, those small steps compound—and before you know it, the elephant is gone.
