The Power of Checklists
Did you know checklists (as we know them) have only been around for the past 90 years or so? It’s true. The first recorded use of a checklist was in 1935 by Boeing, shortly after a prototype aircraft crashed. They realized that using a concise list of items they could “check off” – quite literally a “check list” – would not only save them money, but could save lives. Who knew a checklist could be so powerful?
We’ve come a long way since then, but checklists are still widely used. Pilots and mechanics use pre-flight checklists to make sure that everything is functioning on a plane before passengers are allowed on board. Doctors use checklists to make sure they don’t a possible cause of a symptom that could lead them to a diagnosis. Engineers use them to make sure that they don’t miss a step in their process.
Checklists are also essential for small business owners. Lives may not be on the line for many of us, and we’re not likely to crash a prototype, but checklists can save you time, money, and even lost customers and sales. (And for those who have to carry malpractice, they can also help you avoid or defend against claims!)
The Benefits of Using Checklists
In the day to day hustle of running a business, creating checklists for various tasks might seem like it would be a lower priority.
If you’d ever like to be able to hand things over, however, checklists might be a good thing to consider!
Once a team member understands a process, they probably won’t have to review a video or read a detailed SOP with screenshots every time they set about a certain task. Having a quick list of the steps could be very helpful for them though – and could prevent them from making a significant mistake.
How significant? Let’s take a look.
Imagine your Marketing Assistant is setting up a new payment link for a service or product you offer. It’s something they do every month or two, so they’re familiar with the process, but there are a lot of steps to cover.
If they happen to miss one, you could end up sending new clients to a link that doesn’t work – and if someone is unable to pay you right away, chances are they’ll just move on with their day. That could cost you thousands of dollars.
Or imagine your Bookkeeper is running the reports you’ll use to forecast your next quarter’s action plan, but they forget to include a set of numbers. Working off of incomplete data could be disastrous for your budget and hiring ability.
Human error will always be a factor, but a lot of it can be mitigated by taking a moment to create a quick checklist.
Implementing Checklists Successfully
Of course, in order to benefit from checklists, your team will actually need to use them. There are a couple of tips that often go into this.
- Make sure your team understands that the checklists you give them are there to make their lives easier. It’s not because you think they’re incapable of doing their job, but because you know how fast-paced their job is. When we can scale back on the number of decisions that need to be made, we can preserve our mental bandwidth and accomplish more.
- Make them easy to use! When you send checklists randomly and have them scattered all over the place, it’s unlikely that your team will search them down and use them. When you have them ready to go in your project management system or in a small manual in their desk drawer, you’ll find that their use will increase.
However you present them, make sure it’s in a positive manner. If all your team hears are complaints about why they’re not being used, they’re not likely to get on board with implementation. Positive comments can go a long way!
Of course, you also want to stay away from over-reliance on checklists. They’re a tool, not the ultimate last word in a process. They’re a way to make sure that everything has been completed, even if a bit of flexibility is needed in the task.
Checklist Best Practices
It is possible to overuse or over-rely on checklists, so having some “best practice” guidelines is important.
First, use the KISS principle. Keep it simple! Unless you’re dealing with a highly technical process (like a pre-flight checklist), it should be short and sweet. (Even the highly technical checklists are as concise as they can be!)
This should be something that a team member can just run their finger down to make sure nothing was forgotten.
Second, empower your team to keep your checklists updated, especially when they’re related to a tech platform. SaaS products and other tech platforms change things about their workflows all the time – and when you’re stepping in to help on something you don’t work with very often, having an out of date checklist can cost a lot of time and cause errors.
Third, often a great last step of the checklist is to say, confirm that you did all of the steps above and Celebrate! This encourages the brain to get excited about completing checklists and want to use them even more. 😊
Finally, consider keeping your checklists in a digital format that all of your team members can easily access. That way, you won’t have to deal with the inevitable confusion and loss of time!
Checklists don’t have to be complicated – actually, they shouldn’t be complicated – but by spending just a few minutes to create them, you can empower your team to excel!