Difference Between Guideline and Policy

Guideline vs Policy

Guideline and Policy are two terms that are widely used wrongly. Others thought that they are interchangeable words that have the same meaning where in fact these two words are both course of action but only differs in its usage and application.

Guideline

Guidelines, as mentioned above, are a course of action that helps people not to get lost in doing things. It’s a collection of procedures that must be implemented in order and logically. Although guidelines have a high possibility of not being followed, having it will still make a company or an establishment set certain standards with their products and services.

Policy

A Policy is also a set of actions that SHOULD be followed. The execution of policies is compulsory to those who are involved with it like an employer’s policy to its employees. Every policy contains reasons and values as to why they are made and what they are for. It also means planned decisions wherein an individual facing difficult situations, s/he must base his/her decisions according to the set policy.

Difference between Guideline and Policy

Though they are not far from each other, Policies and Guidelines, share the same goal of improving peoples lives and minimizing chaos in doing things. While guidelines are made to sort out things and put things in order, policy on the other hand is a MUST follow procedures since it involves decision, reasoning, and values. Since policy is to be followed strictly, there are punishments to those who try to violate any of the policies imposed. Guidelines are not compulsory so it can be broken and easily violated with no regrets.

Without guidelines and policies, there would be chaos in our world today since there would be no standard in doing things. People would probably do things on their own and in their convenience. These two things exist to limit our human instinct in doing what we want and these things exists in order to put things and actions in proper order.