Collaborating on Playbooks
A playbook built in isolation often misses the mark. The best ones reflect the knowledge and experiences of the people who actually do the work.
Effective collaboration not only improves accuracy but also ensures your playbook remains practical and relevant over time.
Start by identifying key contributors. These are the people who know the process best and will be most affected by the playbook’s content.
Typical collaborators might include:
Involving these groups early helps surface blind spots and ensures the playbook reflects actual workflows — not just idealized ones.
Collaboration doesn’t mean chaos. Break the work into clear sections, assigning contributors to areas where they have the most expertise. This approach:
- Speeds up the writing process
- Reduces bottlenecks
- Ensures a more comprehensive and accurate playbook
Use shared templates to maintain consistency across different sections. This helps contributors stay aligned without needing to rewrite or reformat later.
Good playbooks evolve. Set up a simple, accessible process for contributors to suggest edits or improvements.
This might include:
The goal is to make feedback easy to give and act on — without creating a bureaucratic bottleneck.
When multiple people collaborate, disagreements are inevitable. If contributors have different opinions on how a process should work, ground decisions in:
- The playbook’s core objectives
- What’s most practical for daily use
- Input from those who will use the playbook most
When in doubt, test the competing approaches in practice. Real-world application often clarifies which solution is most effective.
A playbook is a living document. Regularly update your collaborators on major changes or new sections.
Consider:
Transparency helps everyone stay aligned and reinforces the playbook’s value.
A playbook that reflects real input is easier to trust — and more likely to be used.
By involving the right people, simplifying feedback, and maintaining open communication, you turn your playbook into a tool that works for everyone — not just the person writing it.
