Checklists : a higher standard

In 1935, at the Wright Field in Ohio, the Army Air Force held a tryout among aircraft companies for its new bomber. Boeing entered its B-17. The plane was a complicated one and even though the pilot was highly trained and experienced after the plane took off, it stalled, crashed and burst into flames. This was all due to a simple routine step that had been forgotten. Due to this tragedy, pilots began to adopt the use of checklists and the Checklist Manifesto.

I recently experienced the intricate process of a pre-flight checklist firsthand. It brought to mind how often we go through the motions in our daily lives on auto pilot. Failing at times to realize the value of following the process, the checklist per se, and the impact that can have.

Too often procedures, simple or complex are underestimated. Why? Possibly because of ego or just simple naivety. The cause doesn’t really matter. What DOES matter is assessing these complexities accurately and recognizing that steps need to be followed to ensure they are being carried out effectively.

“Just ticking boxes is not the ultimate goal here. Embracing a culture of teamwork and discipline is.”

Checklists provide the ability to be more disciplined and more creative. A weird combination? Maybe so, but it’s true. We innately aren’t good at discipline. For most of us it doesn't come natural so we have to make an effort if we want to improve. And it is essential to improve discipline because without it we can miss critical steps and opportunities to reach our growth potential. If a pilot forgets to flip a switch, lives are at stake. The same goes for a doctor who forgets to wash his hands. In business, money, and reputation is at stake.

As companies develop new and innovative products, they need to make sure that every aspect of the development, production, and distribution are detailed out. If something is overlooked, lawsuits may happen, people could get hurt, reputations would be damaged and money likely would be lost. Building or trying anything new requires thinking on your feet and adapting and altering a process, but this under no circumstances indicates that a checklist is pointless. A checklist serves as a safety net that provides better outcomes.

Checklists establish a higher standard of baseline performance.