Those of you with any military background will be familiar with the concept of an SOP (aka Standard Operating Proceedure). Wikipedia defines an SOP as:

a set of instructions having the force of a directive, covering those features of operations that lend themselves to a definite or standardized procedure without loss of effectiveness. Standard Operating Policies and Procedures can be effective catalysts to drive performance improvement and improving organizational results. Every good quality system is based on its standard operating procedures (SOPs).

While it’s common practice to apply an SOP to a military system, during our 3.58 years of marriage, Beth and I have also discovered that SOPs are good for our relationship. Therefore, in honor of Valentine’s Day, Beth and I are sharing some of our many SOPs that we have helped one another discover during our time as husband and wife. [Read more...]