From Astronauts to CEOs: Why Checklists Are the Secret to Effectiveness
The checklist is a humble tool that can significantly improve your effectiveness, and I’m always surprised at how hesitant people are to embrace it as a productivity tool.
You might be wondering why I’m advocating for something as simple as checklists. While some may feel reluctant to use them, assuming they’re outdated or unnecessary, I want to emphasize their importance. High-stress professions, such as astronauts, pilots, and surgeons, frequently rely on checklists to ensure accuracy and thoroughness. If these professionals can benefit from checklists, so can we.
I watch a lot of astronaut movies….Mostly Star Wars. And even Han and Chewie use a checklist. ~ Jon Stewart
When we coach people through their career success journey at Uvaro, a large part of our work involves helping people experience work they enjoy. For many, this means helping them advance from learning a role, to feeling productive and competent, to becoming an expert. We’ve found that checklists can play a critical role in accelerating this progression.
Tackling the productivity challenge
Productivity isn’t just about getting more things done; it’s about finding the sweet spot between efficiency and effectiveness.
Productivity = Efficiency × Effectiveness
Efficiency is all about accomplishing tasks in the least amount of time, with the least amount of resources, and with minimal wasted effort. Effectiveness is about achieving desired outcomes, ensuring that the tasks we complete contribute to our overarching goals and objectives.
Now, there are countless technologies and techniques out there that can help improve our efficiency. Tools like task management apps, time tracking software, and communication platforms all have their place in helping us streamline our work processes. Even generative AI tools are ultimately designed to help us accomplish tasks faster.
However, when it comes to directly impacting effectiveness, the options are a bit more limited. And that’s where checklists come in. As I’ve mentioned before, checklists are an incredibly powerful tool that can help us achieve greater effectiveness in our work.
By creating a checklist, we force ourselves to break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. This process helps us focus on the essential components of a task, ensuring that we complete each step thoroughly and accurately. As a result, we’re able to achieve our desired outcomes more consistently.
Additionally, checklists can help us avoid cognitive overload by offloading some of the mental burden of keeping track of every task detail. By having a clear and concise list of steps to follow, we’re able to concentrate on the task at hand, resulting in higher quality work.
When considering the balance between efficiency and effectiveness, some may argue that checklists slow them down. However, it’s vital to prioritize effectiveness first. By ensuring tasks are done correctly, you create a strong foundation for mastering your task and optimizing efficiency later on. Checklists play an essential role in achieving this balance.
Other Effectiveness Tools
Although I’m primarily here to advocate the use of checklists, it’s also worth a small detour to learn about the methodology of “pointing and calling” that originates from Japan. This technique is all about improving effectiveness, especially in high-stakes environments.
In the “pointing and calling” methodology, workers physically point at specific objects or actions while verbally calling out the associated task or status. For example, a train conductor might point at the train’s speedometer and call out the current speed. This method is commonly used in Japanese industries like railway systems and manufacturing plants to reduce errors and ensure the accuracy of each task.
By engaging both visual and auditory senses, the “pointing and calling” method reinforces the focus on each step of a task. It helps workers to stay mindful and present, thereby reducing the likelihood of mistakes and improving overall effectiveness.
Under conditions of complexity, not only are checklists a help, they are required for success. ~ Atul Gawande
In a sense, this methodology shares similarities with checklists, as both aim to enhance effectiveness by promoting attentiveness and accuracy in task completion. So whether you’re using checklists or adopting techniques like “pointing and calling,” the key takeaway is that focusing on effectiveness is crucial for achieving greater productivity and success in your work.
Practicing effectiveness to achieve efficiency
Earlier I mentioned that checklists provide a helpful tool for improving effectiveness, and indicated other tools play a role in efficiency. That wasn’t entirely accurate. Checklists also serve a valuable purpose in developing optimizing efficiency.
Beyond offloading cognitive overload by documenting essential steps, checklists also serve as a skills development tool. When learning a new task, breaking it down into smaller steps and documenting them in a checklist can help solidify understanding and memorization. Over time, as you master the task, the checklist acts as a reference, reinforcing muscle memory for each step.
I can personally attest to the power of checklists. Before starting to live stream Uvaro’s Demo Days, I use a checklist to ensure that everything runs smoothly. As someone who only streams infrequently, this checklist has made a significant difference in my ability to manage the event without feeling overwhelmed or forgetting crucial details.
As you can see from the screenshot above, there was a long set of details we had to juggle, to ensure we hit our quality goals. Over time, as we produced more and more Demo Days, completing the checklist became faster and easier, and I was able to complete whole sections without reference.
How to build great checklists
When developing a checklist, it’s essential to make sure you’ve covered all the necessary facets of a task. Here are some helpful questions you can ask yourself to ensure your checklist is comprehensive and effective:
- What are the primary objectives or goals of this task?
Understanding the main objectives will help you focus on the most critical steps required to achieve the desired outcome. It will also help you visualize the end state, and any work that needs to be “just right” for things to be complete. - Are the steps sufficiently broken down into smaller steps?
Dividing the task into smaller steps can make it easier to follow and ensure each part is completed thoroughly. However it can be a challenge to decide how far to subdivide your steps. I’ve found it helpful to imagine asking a co-worker to fill in for me when I’m sick, and considering whether the checklist has sufficient detail that they could accomplish the task. - Are the steps in my checklist in a logical and sequential order?
Organizing your checklist in a logical order will help streamline the process and reduce the risk of errors or missed steps. This is particularly true when someone is new to the task and completing it for the first time. Identifying dependencies will help you avoid potential roadblocks and ensure that each step can be completed when it’s supposed to. - Have I assumed the situation is in a “baseline” setup?
Particularly when building a checklist that someone else may use, it’s entirely possible that their situation may have a different default state than yours. This could mean steps like setting dials to default safety settings, or clearing preferences in software that others may have toggled. - Is my checklist clearly formatted and easy to follow?
Keeping your checklist clear and straightforward will make it more user-friendly and reduce the risk of misunderstandings or confusion. Moreover, an approachable layout and design will ensure others can use the checklist in a pinch. - Have I consulted with others who have experience with this task?
Gaining input from colleagues or experts can help you identify any missing steps, best practices, or potential improvements to your checklist.
By asking yourself these questions and refining your checklist accordingly, you can create an effective tool that helps improve the overall execution and success of any task.
Of course, not all tasks need to be broken down into a detailed checklist. If you’re considering your own work, and are uncertain about what work would benefit from a checklist treatment, here are a few processes where I’ve built and use checklists on a regular basis:
- Preparing to host a live stream
- Weekly Strategic Leadership Team agenda
- New employee onboarding
- Daily fitness and health routines
- New product launches
For those interested in learning more about the benefits of checklists, I recommend Atul Gawande’s book “The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right.” As a surgeon and writer, Gawande explores the use of checklists across various industries and professions, demonstrating their wide-ranging applicability and benefits.
If you’re looking to develop as a professional, no matter the field, I encourage you to embrace the use of checklists. Leave any hesitations behind and recognize the value they bring in offloading cognitive overload, improving effectiveness, and fostering skills development. If checklists can guide astronauts, pilots, and surgeons through their critical work, they can undoubtedly assist you in achieving career success and enhancing your work experience.
Remember, the path to mastery begins with small, consistent steps. Give checklists a try and witness the positive impact they have on your effectiveness. Happy list-making!
