Do Your Damn Documentation, Please.
Believe it or not, Straight to Jail.
I almost murdered a coworker the other day. Not actually, but figuratively. These days, my role is pretty consistent: I’m there at kickoff, I pop in throughout the project to back up my technician with answers and resources, and then I swoop in at the end to tie the bow. I make sure commissioning is smooth and then deliver everything to the customer.
And it’s that last part that’s going to be the death of me. Nine times out of ten, the culprit is the same: documentation so thin, so confusing, that reading it makes stubbing your toe feel like a spa day by comparison.
So what was this coworker’s crime? You guessed it, bad documentation: straight to jail.
I was going to do that…
“I’ll get to it soon.”
“I’ve got a note on my phone.”
“It’s in a binder in this panel.” (It’s not.)
Pick whichever excuse you want, the result’s the same: missing documentation.
And listen, I get it. Doing as-builts is a drag. It’s boring, it kills momentum, it never feels urgent. Or maybe you’re just fried and promise yourself you’ll knock it out tomorrow morning. Morning? Morning?! Go wash your mouth out with soap.
Sure, those are valid feelings. But valid excuses? Absolutely not.
Why you’re wrong (and why it matters)
These days, I’m not in the weeds of every job. I’m there in pieces: at kickoff, at handoff, but I’m not living the day-to-day like my technicians are.
When documentation isn’t there, I get the pleasure of having conversations like:
Calling an electrician and awkwardly trying to leverage my relationship to ask for something that wasn’t on our drawings.
Explaining why programming a hot water system is two days behind schedule, and probably over budget.
Reassuring a customer that the system actually works, even though the records don’t show it.
This is how we all fail. Without accurate documentation, everyone ends up scrambling, no matter whose job it technically is. And until you’re the one having these conversations every week, you probably won’t realize just how bad it gets.
Documentation PTSD
And here’s the kicker: those conversations aren’t the end of it. They cascade into rework, late nights, and a whole lot of pain.
There was this one project with more red flags than I do: an ancient system duct-taped together, half of it staying in place, zero reliable drawings, and a scope that read like a late-night infomercial — but wait, there’s more! Basically, it was the kind of job that required flawless documentation just to survive.
Naturally, it had next to none.
What followed was a circus. System-level programming torn apart and rewritten. The database rebuilt so many times I reinvented our versioning controls just to accommodate. The schedule? What schedule? The hours? Way more than there were available. My patience? Value-engineered right out of the job.
Every late night, every angry phone call, every question of “why is this broken again” could be traced back to the same thing: poor documentation.
The project survived. My will to live did not.
Cause of death on the post-mortem:
“N/A — docs missing.”
Fixing the Documentation Problem
So how do we stop the chaos from repeating itself? It starts with one simple principle: document as you go, don’t rely on memory. Seriously, never assume you’ll remember what you just did, no matter how sharp your brain feels in the moment.
Here are a few ways to make documentation a habit instead of a hassle:
Pick your sweet spot. Choose a time that actually works for you. Whether it’s first thing in the morning or right before heading home, the key is consistency and picking a time when you’re most likely to do it.
Hold your coworkers accountable. Nobody wants to be a hypocrite. If you’re calling out your team to document their work, you’ll be more likely to do it yourself. Added bonus, they might actually improve too.
Use a checklist. Create a list of what needs documenting on every job: “Addressing? Check. Communication riser? Check.” Having it in front of you keeps you honest and ensures nothing slips through the cracks. Update it when needed.
These aren’t the only tricks out there, but they’ll get you moving in the right direction. Stick with them, and before long you’ll be thanking your past self for taking the time to write things down.
Your Turn
Documentation might not be glamorous, but it’s the difference between a smooth handoff and a full-blown circus. Your future self and everyone else on the project will thank you.
What about you? Have a story where missing documentation turned a simple job into a nightmare? Or a trick you use to actually get your notes done?
Hit reply and share your war stories, tips, or horror tales. I’d love to swap lessons learned, and who knows, your experience might just save someone else from the same headache.
