1/18/26 - Documentation Feels Awkward—Until You Need It
Most leaders don’t avoid documentation because they’re careless. They avoid it because it feels uncomfortable, formal, or unnecessary—especially when things are “mostly fine.”
The problem is that documentation usually becomes urgent after something has already gone wrong. By then, leaders are trying to reconstruct decisions, conversations, and expectations from memory—often under pressure.
January is a good moment to reset this habit.
Focus Area 1: Documentation Isn’t About Distrust—It’s About Clarity
One of the most common misconceptions is that documenting issues signals a lack of trust. In reality, documentation creates shared understanding.
Clear documentation answers questions like:
What was expected?
What actually happened?
What support or guidance was provided?
What changed—or didn’t—after that conversation?
When expectations are documented, employees are less likely to feel surprised or singled out later.
Focus Area 2: Memory Is Not a Reliable System
Leaders often believe they’ll “remember the details” if they ever need them. But stress, time, and emotion distort memory—especially months later.
Even brief notes taken at the time of a conversation are far more reliable than trying to reconstruct events after a complaint, resignation, or dispute.
Documentation doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be timely and factual.
Focus Area 3: January Is the Safest Time to Start
If documentation habits have been inconsistent in the past, January offers a clean reset point. Expectations can be clarified without it feeling reactive or punitive.
This is a good time to:
Align on performance expectations for the year
Clarify attendance or conduct standards
Begin documenting coaching conversations consistently going forward
Starting now prevents the appearance that documentation only happens when someone is “in trouble.”
Focus Area 4: Good Documentation Protects Everyone
Well-written documentation doesn’t just protect the business—it protects employees too.
Clear records help ensure:
Consistent treatment across employees
Fair decision-making
Transparency around expectations and outcomes
When documentation exists, fewer decisions feel arbitrary, and fewer conversations escalate unnecessarily.
How This Ties Together
Documentation isn’t about creating paperwork—it’s about creating clarity before conflict.
The goal isn’t to document more. It’s to document better, earlier, and more consistently—so decisions feel grounded instead of reactive.
Looking Ahead
Next week, we’ll look at why performance conversations tend to get delayed—and how waiting often creates bigger problems than addressing things early.
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