In any size of organization where someone is in charge of directing the work of others, there is a need for issuing orders.
Most people do it without a formal structure. They send an email, text message, or pick up the phone, and they tell someone what they need them to do. If someone has questions, they can ask. This usually works, but there are circumstances where it can fail. For example, if the director is too busy to notice responses with questions about a recently issued order, the people who are supposed to be following it don’t get the information they need and they have to choose whether to delay taking the action until they get answers, or whether to make some assumptions and risk that the assumptions are incorrect.
A formal structure for an order provides an outline for the director to include the necessary information. Continuing the example above, the outline could include a point of contact for answering questions about the order.
There are various order formats that you can use. Keep things simple and only include the items that make sense in your organization. You can always change it later if needed.
Example format 1.
- Situation – what is the background or context that led to this order being issued; this could be a problem or challenge, or a mission statement; if the order is amending a previous order, it could be due to changes in the weather forecast or current events so mention whatever is going on that the person receiving the order needs to be aware of
- Directive – what is the person receiving the order supposed to do, or what does that person need to ensure is getting done? This can include who, what, where, when, and why. The “why” here is not a repeat of the situation, it’s the desired end-state.
- Execution – this is the “how” where you share the intent and any specific details on how to carry out the directive, or any restrictions on how it is carried out; if the person receiving the order needs to coordinate with others outside of their immediate organization, that could be mentioned here
- Support – if the person receiving the order should expect support from others outside the organization, this section can mention what support will be provided, where and when it will be provided, how to access it, etc.
- Communication – if the director has a point of contact for answering questions about the order, it can be listed here
- References – if there is a reference on how to do some of the things that are required, that reference can be cited here