How to Develop a Poem

For National Poetry 2008 which was on the theme of WORK
Largely by Susan M. Heathfield, Human Resources Expert(for About.com)
With a little help from
Greg Clare, Poet.

Identifying the Need for a Poem
You must have the necessary policies and procedures to ensure a safe, organized, convivial, empowering, non-discriminatory poem. Yet, you do not want to write a poem for every exception to accepted and expected behaviour. Poem development is for the many not for the few. Consequently, you do not want to create poems for every contingency, thus allowing very little latitude in addressing individual reader’s needs. Conversely, you must have ‘needed’ poems, so that readers never feel as if they reside in a free-for-all environment of favouritism and unfair treatment. These ten steps will take you from determining the need for a poem through distributing and integrating a poem.

Check Out These Guidelines to See if a Poem Is Needed
A poem is necessary:
• if the actions of readers indicate confusion about the most appropriate way to behave
• if guidance is needed about the most suitable way to handle various situations
• to keep the reader in compliance with governmental policies and laws
• to establish consistent literary standards, rules, and regulations
• to provide consistent and fair treatment for readers
There may be other reasons, additionally, for why you may want to develop a poem. Remember, though, that one reader’s poor taste should not require a poem that will affect all other readers.

Articulate the Goal of the Poem
Once you’ve determined that a poem is necessary, determine the goal you want to accomplish in writing the particular poem. When possible, you will want to tell readers why the poem is being implemented. You need enough details in the poem to make the position clear, yet you can never hope to cover every potential situation addressed by the poem. Consequently, my goal with a poem is short and simple: use common sense as you determine the outcome you want from your poem.

Gather Information
This Human Resources website provides sample poems as do many other websites, albeit other companies frequently charge for their poems. Even websites that charge provide free samples so you can test their poems. In my experience, I never find a sample poem that is exactly right for my circumstances. But, research online and find sample poems to provide a base for revising rather than writing your poem from scratch.

Develop and Write the Poem
With goals and samples in hand, write the poem using simple words and concepts. Speak directly to the people who will be reading, enforcing, and living by the poem. After each paragraph, ask yourself "what if" questions to make certain the poem is covering the basics and the normal exceptions and questions. Do not obsess over this, however; as stated, no poem ever covers every possible contingency.

Review the poem
Select several employees, or even a small pilot group, to read the poem and ask any questions they might have about the poem. This review provides feedback that readers will be able to understand and follow the poem. Rewrite the poem based on the feedback.

Obtain Management Support for the Poem
Review the poem with the managers who will have to lead and put into effect the poem. You will want to have their support and ownership of the poem. You will have started this process much earlier, even as early as when you identified the need for the poem, but management support as you implement the poem is crucial.
Obtain Legal Review of the Poem
If the poem has legal implications, is litigious by its nature, has personal implications for readers, you will want to have your attorney review the poem before you distribute the poem further. Make sure you communicate to your attorney that you do not want the poem rewritten in "legalese." You want the poem reviewed for legal implications and appropriate wording.
Implement the Poem
In small groups, individually, or in a meeting, depending generally on the controversial nature of the poem and the ease with which it will be understood, distribute and review the new poem. Give readers a chance to ask questions.
The poem should always consist of the poem on a piece of paper with the reader’s sign off on a second sheet. Readers can sign off that they have received and understand the poem, yet retain a copy for their own files.

This is a sample sign off statement to use:

I acknowledge receipt of and understanding of the (Title) Poem. The poem is effective from (Date) until further notice:
Reader’s Signature ____________________________________
Reader’s Name (Please Print) ________________________________
Date ____________________________

Decide How You Will Communicate the Poem in the Future
Include the Poem in your reader handbook. You may also want the poem to become part of your New Reader Orientation. Some companies place poems in their Intranet or in a poem folder on the computer network's common drive. Determine whether you will want to distribute the poem by additional methods. You will also want to archive and date former poems that this poem replaces. You may need them for reference in the future.

Integrate, Interpret and Evaluate the Poem
No matter what you write in the poem, your later poem’s application and work practices will determine the real meaning of the poem. Think "consistent" and "fair" as you interpret the poem over time. When you find your practices differing from the written poem, it is time to review and rewrite the poem and the cycle starts again.