THE POWER OF A CHECKLIST

Want to make sure an important task is done correctly every single time? Create a checklist. A Checklist is an Externalized, predefined Standard Operating Procedure for completing a specific task. Creating a Checklist is enormously valuable for two reasons:

FIRST, Checklisting will help you define a System for a process that hasn’t yet been formalized—once the Checklist has been created, it’s easier to see how to improve or Automate the system. 

SECOND, using Checklists as a normal part of working can help ensure that you don’t forget to handle important steps that are easily overlooked when things get busy. 

Even simple processes can benefit from Systemization and the use of Checklists. In 2001, a study on the effects of Checklisting was conducted by Dr. Peter Pronovost, which was described in detail in Atul Gawande’s The Checklist Manifesto and in an article Gawande published in the New Yorker. The study was conducted in a hospital in Detroit that had the highest rate of ten-day IV line infections (a costly and life-threatening condition) in the country. Pronovost’s objective was to determine whether or not using Checklists would reduce the rate of infections. Here’s the entirety of the intervention: whenever a doctor inserted an IV line, they were instructed to use the following Checklist. 

• Step 1: Wash hands with soap. 
• Step 2: Clean the patient’s skin with antiseptic. 
• Step 3: Put sterile drapes over the entire patient. 
• Step 4: Wear a sterile hat, mask, gloves, and gown. 
• Step 5: Put a sterile dressing over the catheter site once the IV line is in. 

None of these steps is particularly complicated. In fact, many doctors resisted the study, since they felt that being forced to use a Checklist for such a simple procedure was insulting, given their status as highly trained specialists. Nevertheless, the results of this study over two years were astounding: the ten-day IV line infection rate dropped from 11 percent to 0 percent  and saved the hospital over $2 million in related costs (Wildly Important Goal). 

As it turns out, forgetting even basic, commonsense procedures (Lead Measures) is easy in a busy, stressful environment. Checklisting (Scoreboard) can produce major improvements in your ability to do quality work, as well as your ability to delegate work effectively. By taking the time to explicitly describe and track your progress, you reduce the likelihood of major errors and oversights, as well as prevent Willpower Depletion associated with figuring out how to complete the same task over and over again. In addition, once your Checklist is complete you can use it as the basis for full or partial Automation of the system, which will allow you to spend time doing more important things. For best results, create explicit Checklists (Compelling Scoreboards) for your Business, then make sure they’re followed every single day/week.