Why “Big D” Documentation and “Little d” Documentation Are Better Together

There’s a myth that documentation is always “capital D” — what I call “Big D” documentation — requiring teams of IT, systems, and information management experts to design and implement. If Big D is about how we traditionally see documentation, “Little d” is about the everyday practices and skills you and your team use, like your notes, to-do lists, emails, informal communications, reports, presentations, policies, and the skills to make this all happen.

You don’t need to be an expert in knowledge management, records management, or technical writing to leverage the skills of documentation. You can dress documentation up and you can dress it down. All you need is a pen and paper to get started with “Little d” documentation to take notes in your notebook, record what you are doing, and write your ideas and thoughts.

If you are in the corporate world or go to conferences, you probably hear a lot about Big D initiatives—innovation programs, information governance, change management, corporate minutes, and so on. But it’s those Little d skills, disciplines, and actions that keep Big D projects running.

Why the Little d and Big D Continuum Really Matters

On the continuum of Dynamic Documentation (which is an approach to documentation that is focused on momentum and action) Little d is about moving up from no documentation at all to getting your ideas, actions, thoughts, history, prospects, and opinions on paper to making yourself heard and seen while relieving the mental burden of carrying too much in your head. At the other end of the spectrum, Big D projects come with all their big terms, high-end tools, and consultants.

But before being dazzled by Big D’s promises, you need to size-up Little d’s bench strength. Build your own Little d skills and those of your team members to be wildly successful at your Big D projects and company goals.

A core aspect of understanding Dynamic Documentation as a practice is recognizing that all documentation, from formal to informal and big to little, plays an important role in getting everyone to work faster, smarter, and more nimbly.

I can’t say it enough. You can’t ignore Little d. Seriously. If you are at a conference and you fail to record the name of a new contact (a Little d practice), this person will never get in your sales funnel, you will never send them a proposal, you will never sign a contract with them, you will never send them an invoice, and you will never generate client files from them (all Big D results).

Documentation Math: How Big D and Little d Work Together for Better Results

I’m an accountant, so let’s do a little math here. There is a fundamental “equation” that defines how Big D and Little d work together.

Strong Big D + Strong Little d = Results

You need strong Big D and you need strong Little d capabilities for your projects or initiatives to be successful. The equation won’t work if the two aren’t working in harmony together. This concept can be illustrated by these simple quadrants:

If we look at the bottom left quadrant, this one is probably obvious to you. If you try to implement a lousy Big D solution (let’s say a poorly designed system, program, or framework), and you also have lousy documentation skills on your team, the project is going to fail.

Now, moving to the top left quadrant, you can see that if you have a skilled team, but implement a weak Big D system, methodology or framework – it also won’t work. If your solution, tool, or program isn’t the right fit for your team or organization, it won’t give you the structure, workflow, or functionality that you need or take you in the direction where you need to go. 

But the most elusive quadrant — and the one I see the most — is the bottom right quadrant where you implement a strong Big D initiative but your team doesn’t have the documentation skills to make the initiative successful.

I once had a client that wasn’t winning enough bids so they bought and implemented a high-end request-for-proposal (RFP) system. But they later figured out that their team lacked the necessary writing skills, which was the real reason why they weren't winning as many projects as they should.

• I had a client implement a sophisticated health and safety system, but later realized that their team wasn’t in the habit of recording safety incidents in the field. So, the system was not successful.

• I have seen countless clients pour time and energy into perfect frameworks for their policies, procedures, and internal control programs, and then they bring in analysts, consultants, or technical writers who don’t understand how to communicate with the appropriate tone for the audience. So, no one follows the documents.

As humans, we cling to the belief that systems, big concepts, and sexy solutions will solve our problems. But this isn’t the full picture. We need the everyday disciplines, skills, and habits — all the Little d practices — to make our projects and initiatives successful.

So, ask yourself:

• What are the Big D initiatives on your plate? 

• What are the Little d skills that you need to make these initiatives successful?

• What quadrant is your team or project in right now?

• How can you get your team or project to the Strong Big D and Strong Little d quadrant in the near future?