Growth tips 30 seconds to business enlightenment.

In praise of checklists

10-Feb-2011

We strongly recommend that business leaders follow a disciplined strategic thinking process, a disciplined strategic decision making process, and a disciplined execution process – that is, if you really want to maximize your chances of business success.

However, when we look closely at failures and mistakes, we start to recognize patterns.  Failures happen for 2 main reasons:

1. Ignorance - we don't know enough.
2. Ineptitude - we failed to follow what we know to be correct.

In order to reduce failures due to ignorance - we must never stop learning.  However, according to The Checklist Manifesto, most failures and mistakes occur for the second reason - ineptitude.

The author states that using humblest of quality control devices "the checklist" - is the key to taming a high-tech world.

The use of proven checklists, protocols, and processes to ensure the right things are done in the right order is nothing new.  Would you fly on an airplane if you knew the pilot decided to fly the plane using their experience, memory, and gut instinct - rather than follow a detailed checklist of everything necessary to conduct a safe and successful flight?

Protocols and checklists have been proven to save lives in hospitals, but despite showing this evidence to doctors and nurses, many still resist using them.  Yet, when they are asked - would you want a checklist to be used if you personally were having an operation - invariably they say yes.

In our high stress, high speed lives – it is all too easy for a doctor to miss a step in a surgical procedure – just as it is for a CEO to fail to ask a key question before making a strategic decision that will profoundly impact the future of the firm - or a hiring manager to skip a step in a Topgrading hiring process that is designed to ensure they only employ people who destined to be “A” Players in the role.

The problem is that it can feel beneath us to use a checklist, an embarrassment.  Aren't great leaders supposed to have great intuition - and be able to handle situations of high stakes and complexity?   

Resistance to following a proven process has two core themes:

1. The hero mentality (Over confidence; I trust my gut; I know what I am doing)
2. Process is beneath me (Arrogance: I know what I am doing; I am experienced; I don’t need a checklist; I feel restricted when I follow a process; My work is too complicated to be reduced to a process)

We need to get away from the notion that a checklist is an affront to our intelligence and ability. 

Realize that having the discipline to follow a proven process will not only increase your likelihood of success - but also enable you to delegate with confidence to others when they are required to carry out key activities.

Discipline can set you free – but only if you have the discipline to be disciplined.

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