01 · Choose
Pick a task you actually repeat
You do not need a large operations manual. Choose one task where clearer instructions would help someone repeat the work.
Example from the video
Task: arrange first interviews after the hiring manager selects the candidates to invite.
Starts when: the selected candidates are passed to the person arranging interviews.
Ends when: the interview arrangements have been confirmed and the master list updated.
No real candidate details or hiring decisions go into the practice prompt.
Your starting notes
Correct dictation errors and remove names, contact details, client records, payment information and passwords before sharing a walkthrough with ChatGPT.
02 · Organise
Seven parts of a clear SOP
You can describe the process naturally. ChatGPT can organise the draft into these sections; you then check whether each part is true.
Purpose
Why the task exists.
Trigger
What starts it.
Outcome
What “done” looks like.
Numbered steps
Actions in order, one clear action per step.
Decision points
What to do when circumstances change.
Quality check
What to verify before completion.
Owner and review date
Who maintains it and when it was actually checked.
03 · Draft
Copy the prompt, then add your walkthrough
Speak through the task, type rough notes or paste a checked transcript. You do not need to write the seven sections first. ChatGPT should ask about important gaps rather than fill them in.
Reusable ChatGPT prompt
Works with a checked, non-private walkthroughAfter ChatGPT responds, read the actual draft. Answer any questions and correct steps that do not match your process. Do not assume every draft needs the same correction.
04 · Make it usable
One-page SOP template
Use this as a review sheet, or print it and fill it in by hand. Keep the owner unconfirmed until supplied and the date as “not yet reviewed” until the process has been tested.
05 · Test
Check the SOP while doing the task once
A tidy draft can still have the wrong person, order or decision. Walk through it with the person who will use it, then edit what you find.
ChatGPT asked who makes the calendar booking and final confirmation, and what happens if a candidate does not reply or a slot changes. The revised draft named those actions, but its owner still needed confirmation and it was marked “not yet reviewed”.
Optional · Reuse the format
Save this SOP shape for next time
If you often create SOPs, ChatGPT Custom Instructions can remember the format. In the desktop app, open Settings → Personalization → Custom Instructions and enable customisation. Keep the actual process details in each new conversation.