“Good checklists are precise,” writes Atul Gawande in his terrific book, The Checklist Manifesto. “They are efficient, to the point, and easy to use even in the most difficult situations.” One hopes the summary below does justice to the best-selling author’s guidelines.
- Safety first. They say flying is safer than driving and for good reason. If drivers were required to carefully review a safety-and-standards checklist before “takeoff,” you would hardly ever find yourself sitting in the maddening traffic caused by chowderheads. Likewise in business, we should have procedural checklists to keep us from t-boning all those poor, unsuspecting souls we approach when prospecting.
- Less is more. Aviation checklists came into fashion in the 1930’s. The original versions were short and sweet – fitting neatly on an index card – covering takeoff, flight, landing, and taxiing. While modern flight checklists are of course far more complex, yours need not be. Just fancy yourself a Depression-era pilot with a four-step process that addresses the basics of not plunging headlong into the side of a mountain and you’ll surely see some marked improvement.
- Ask your subordinates. Egomaniacal surgeons worldwide will fight the need for checklists, what with their not-in-my-OR-like arrogance that speaks to being too experienced to need such simplistic accountability. Thankfully, for decades nurses have clearly demonstrated the value in checking crucial details, starting with “vitals charts” which have been utilized in the West since the 60’s. We should tap our subordinates to discover what minutiae they monitor, taking a literal page out of their book.
- Skate a lane. The professional world is becoming more and more specialized. Take Gawande’s chosen field of medicine; with nursing increasingly “sub-specialized,” it’s too general to refer to an operating room nurse because there are now several categories thereof. One assumes the author would likewise advise anyone who reads his book – or hell, even this list here – to become known for an in-demand specialty lest they be lumped in with generalists and rendered expendable.
- Flap thy gums. The construction industry makes vast use of checklists beyond what toilet goes in which restroom. Indeed, Gawande spells out for the reader the common practice of builders’ and subs’ communication tasks, noting that the way project managers he interviewed dealt with “the unexpected and the uncertain was by making sure the experts spoke to one another – on X date regarding Y process.” Raise your hand if you over-rely on technology, guilty of not using the spoken word as often as you used to.
- Keep at it. It takes commitment and discipline to pull this all together. The author says discipline is harder to develop than trustworthiness, skill, or even selflessness. Because “we are built for novelty and excitement, not for careful attention to detail,” it’s vital that we stop winging what we do and get down deep where the devil himself resides (and hey, if you’re not going to do it for yourself, do it for Satan). Checklists force us to admit “yes or no” with the use of simple tick marks.
- Size matters. Checklists should be five-to-nine items long. We’re at seven here. Time to put a sock in it.
Baby bear – out.
A good read. If you’re like most people, as you age, more and more you are affected by CRS disease. You know what I mean – you “Can’t Remember Sh*t.” But don’t be depressed by this. It may not be entirely the fault of our aging, plaque encrusted neurons. Gawande says, “The volume and complexity of what we know (or I might add ‘should know’) has exceeded our individual ability to deliver its benefits correctly, safely or reliably. Knowledge has both saved us and burdened us.” So the next time you can’t remember something, say it’s because simply you know too much… and begin working on your checklist.
Spot on, Mark. This reminds me of my favorite line from “Broadcast News,” namely Holly Hunter’s retort when the network exec chided her by saying it must be nice to always be the smartest person in the room. “No,” replied Hunter’s character, Jane. “It’s awful.” 🙂
Chris — good review, I love Gawande’s work. You might like to read more Gwande, he’s such a wonderful writer. I’d suggest his book “Better, a Surgeon’s Notes on Performance”. In a series of essays, he discusses the challenges of putting forth your best performance when its needed most, and as a surgeon, that’s most every day. It’s a fascinating read, whether you’re a doctor, an athlete or just someone who wants to consistently do a good job.
Bill
Bill, I will order that book today for sure. It sounds terrific and I completely agree how wonderful a writer he is. Many thanks!
For some reason reason these comments lead me to the book “Essentialism,” living with less. There is so much choice everywhere you look it is hard to keep it manageable without a checklist. This naturally leads me to managing all the choice by deciding what is crucial and cutting out the rest. Like Gawande says, the discipline that takes is difficult but worth it.
Love it, Georgia. “Essentialism” rocked my world and changed me permanently. You’re reminding me of the central concept – being core – and how checklists will help us get there. Terrific comments – thanks!
Hi Chris, as always a job well done on Gawande’s book. I was well aware of the book but have never bought it. I will be ordering on Amazon this morning. Thanks. Bruce
Here’s hoping you enjoy it, Bruce. Much appreciated!