Do you need to delegate tasks? Do you need to ensure they are done correctly? If one step is missed in the process does it affect the outcome of your work?

Did you answer yes to any of these? I’ve repeatedly faced these problems and one way to solve them is to use a checklist.

Any repeatable task can and should be done having a checklist as a guide. Also using a checklist ensures all the steps are followed as outlined. And be careful that your checklist is accurate otherwise you will have people repeating the same mistake or missed step over and over again.

Here’s what to think about before writing up a checklist:

• Before you start think about the purpose of the checklist. Is it clearly identified and concisely written.
• Have you considered each step in the process?
• Are there any critical steps in the process that might be missed?
• Is the step an action? As in do x.
• Can you add steps that will improve communication?
• Can it easily be read out loud?

 Here’s some tips for writing up a checklist:

• The title of the checklist should reflect the objective at hand.
• Did you break it up thinking about the natural flow of the work?
• Is it written using a simple directive sentence? It needs to be clear & direct.
• It should look clean and simple. Even more so for safety checklist.
• Does it fit on 1 page?
• Did you limit the use of color?
• Is the font consistent and easy to read?
• Did you note when the list was created? It’s nice to know if you are using a checklist that is 10 years old.

Here’s some tips for validating a checklist:

• The author of the checklist should verify the checklist by personally testing it out step by step. Once complete then you can move on to the next step.
• Have an end user test the list.
• Can the checklist be completed in a reasonable amount of time for the task at hand?
• Correct any errors that were detected.
• Periodically review your checklist so they stay current and don’t get stale.

For more information you can read “The checklist manifesto” by Atul Gawande. This book is an excellent resource.

Where could you use a checklist to streamline things?