The Power of Checklists

The average person often overlooks the impact and benefits of checklists. But those who use them regularly at work know that they can be lifesavers. From aviation to medicine, construction to professional diving, checklists outline best practices, capture mission-critical processes, and improve outcomes. Explore the myriad benefits of utilising checklists in this article.

When we hear the word “checklist” in our productivity-driven society, what comes to mind tends to look like a to-do list. Busy, organised people would be very familiar with it. A column of tasks, possibly listed by priority, deadlines in the next column, and maybe checkboxes to accompany each item on the list.

While a to-do list is a type of checklist, what we’d like to talk about in this article is more of a process or procedures list. It is more targeted to a specific objective or project and requires a lot more thought than a simple to-do list. It should also be tested in real-world situations. If done right, a process/procedures checklist provides many benefits, including reducing the likelihood of errors that can cost lives.

Why checklists?

In his acclaimed book, The Checklist Manifesto, author and surgeon Atul Gawande talks about the necessity of checklists in fields as diverse as construction, aviation, medicine, and running a restaurant. And he should know. Gawande, along with other experts, was invited by the World Health Organization (WHO) to come up with solutions to reduce errors caused by surgeries.

After much discussion, the proposed answer was a checklist. It was deceptively simple, yet the 19-item surgical safety checklist went on to significantly lower morbidity and mortality. It is now being used around the world. (Have a look at the checklist here.)

It’s a complicated, messy world

Due to advances in technology and knowledge, our world has become a lot more complicated and complex. In centuries past, the surgeon, dentist, and barber were one and the same person. His tools of the trade may have been pliers and a blade. Today, our medical specialties have their subspecialties. We have all kinds of drugs, devices, and lasers. To become a qualified medical practitioner could take a decade of study and training. When electricity was first put to use, it was the pinnacle of human achievement. Today, we have the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, automation, and big data analytics.

Production and processes have gotten so complicated that things are slipping between the cracks. There is only so much information that one person can retain. No matter how specialised he or she is or how many years of study they put in.

Humans will be humans

And, let’s face it, people make mistakes. According to Gawande, mistakes are frighteningly routine in the field of medicine. At least 30 percent of patients with stroke, 45 percent of patients with asthma, and 60 percent of patients with pneumonia receive incomplete or inappropriate care from their doctors. Any complex endeavour – banking, manufacturing, disaster relief, construction, and many others – is littered with mistakes and errors, both large and small.

Hence, the checklist. To-do lists are straightforward and often used as a means of personal organisation. Checklists, on the other hand, are more structured and detailed. They are designed to ensure that all necessary steps or items are completed or included. Checklists are commonly used in professional settings to standardise processes and reduce the likelihood of errors or omissions.

Improves consistency and reduces errors

Some people bristle at the idea of using a checklist. They may believe they have no need for it as they are experts or highly trained professionals, or they may feel that checklists inhibit creativity and exploration.

Indeed, one of the key benefits of using checklists is to ensure consistency and completeness. The fact remains that there are situations in which creativity and untested methods will lead to disaster. You may deviate from a recipe for baking a fancy confectionary. The worst that will happen is having to clean up an inedible mess in your kitchen. However, if you were in a mission control room for a spaceship launch, your “creativity” and pushing the envelope will lead to a very costly catastrophe.

In situations where precision and accuracy are paramount, the specificity of checklists enables users to complete tasks in a particular order to achieve a specific outcome.

Enhances productivity and efficiency

A checklist helps to improve efficiency and productivity. It streamlines processes by making complex tasks more manageable by breaking them down into smaller steps. It saves time by outlining all necessary steps so that a user doesn’t have to figure out what to do next.

Serving as a clear roadmap for a project that involves many steps or people, a structured checklist helps teams work efficiently and minimise time spent on unnecessary or redundant activities. It also prevents team members from repeating tasks that have been completed by others.

Reduces cognitive load

Additionally, a checklist reduces the cognitive load of the user by simplifying decision-making. By providing a predefined list of steps, a checklist reduces the mental effort needed to remember and decide on actions. They allow individuals to focus on the execution of tasks rather than on remembering what needs to be done next. This also frees up the mental capacity for deep thinking, analysis, and creativity to be used where and when it’s truly needed.

One area where checklists are frequently used is before any plane takes to the skies. The pre-flight checklist is one of the best-known examples of ensuring safety and making sure critical items are not overlooked. Within aviation, checklists are also used for maintenance protocols, and emergency procedures, and by the cabin crew for their numerous tasks. Imagine having to recall the numerous steps in the correct order, the timeline at which they have to be executed, the equipment involved, and all other details, without the benefit of a clearly written checklist.

Facilitates coordination and continuity

Checklists promote clear communication and collaboration within teams. By standardising processes and expectations, checklists ensure that all team members are aligned and working towards the same goals. This is particularly crucial in industries where safety and compliance are key.

When processes are documented in checklists, it also allows for continuity between the people working on a project. For example, when handling customers, a good checklist allows any member of the team to step in and liaise with customers at whichever stage of the customer journey. We can look at healthcare again for another example. Treating a critically ill patient can involve teams of up to 20 people. They all have different skills and goals, and come in at different stages of the patient’s treatment journey. Without top-notch coordination, the patient’s well-being will almost certainly be compromised. 

Try checklists for your next project

Contrary to perceptions that they stifle creativity, discovery, or better ways of working, checklists actually set a higher standard of baseline performance. When projects are complex or complicated as they often are in our modern world, it’s a boon when processes and procedures are clearly laid out so that nothing is missed. 

Keep in mind that a checklist is not a magic bullet or one-size-fits-all solution. It may not be suitable in all settings. The root causes of problems or bottlenecks need to be tackled, and in some scenarios, this may require an overhaul of systems or culture.

However, the benefits and advantages of using checklists are tangible and have been proven across different industries and professional settings. Give it a try for your organisation.

Call us if you need help with your own checklist.