No one likes a checklist. They’re painstaking & aren’t much fun…
Plus, they might show the job you’re doing isn’t as good as you think it is. So, best avoid checklists at all costs. You don’t want to have a chance of getting better. Do you?
There’s something deeper going on if you refuse to use a checklist. It could be a surgeon in an operating theatre, a wealth fund manager or even a chef running a busy restaurant.
Somehow it can feel wrong to use a checklist, it’s sometimes beneath us, even embarrassing.
It’s completely the opposite to some people’s deep beliefs, about how the knowledgeable among us should handle situations of high stakes & complexity.
But ask yourself this question…
If a checklist is beneath the mighty among us. Why do airline pilots swear by them?
Let me tell you why..
Because they help save lives. Not only this. They can help business become more efficient, to save & make more money too.
Think we can all recall the story of pilot Captain Sullenberger landing a Boeing A320 on the Hudson river saving 155 lives, after some Canada geese killed their engines.
Captain Sullenberger was painted as the hero by the press & news channels. But if you listen to what he says in his interviews & delve a little deeper.
You’ll find, it was down to a checklist & all 5 of the airline personnel working together as a team, carrying out the checklist instructions to the letter.
In aviation it’s been proved time and again that checklists save lives. So why can’t they have similar results in other industries too?
Well. I think it comes back to an earlier point. You don’t want to be shown up by a check list. Do you?
Unfortunately, some people have big ego’s and think it’s only their superior knowledge & expertise that’s required to get the best results.
The example I used earlier was a surgeon. But it quite easily could be an investment fund manager, a venture capitalist or even a vet.
By putting a checklist in place, it can save both human & animal lives, saves stacks of cash & drastically increase the returns for fund manager clients & VC stake holders.
As a final fitting example. I draw your attention to a World Health Organisation initiative carried out by a team of world recognised experts in their fields.
They designed a surgical safety checklist to reduce morbidity and mortality in the global population. The results were extraordinary. Read it here
I think a checklist can have a positive effect on any business or organisation. Including ours. If they are simple & easy to use. Whilst still covering the critical stages of the given activity.
