413. Power of Checklist

Most people use a simple checklist before travelling or purchasing something. The grocery list is a good example of a checklist we use repeatedly. However, because we are only used to using it in non-critical settings, we often forget how powerful a checklist actually is.

A few years ago, I read “The Checklist Manifesto”, written by Atul Gawande. In this book, the author, who is a surgeon, argues that simple checklists dramatically reduce human error in managing complex and mission-critical tasks in various fields. He highlights how checklists not only prevent errors in routine tasks but also foster better teamwork and communication. A key example is his work with the WHO (World Health Organization) to develop a 19-item Safe Surgery Checklist. When tested globally, it was reported that it reduced surgical complications by 36% and deaths by 47%.

And this wasn’t surprising. Many of these fatal mistakes happen not through “ignorance” (not having enough knowledge) but “ineptitude” (failing to apply known knowledge). It wasn’t a secret that in many hospital settings, doctors kept ignoring and downplaying nurses’ comments or feedback even though they were skipping important sanitary and routine protocols. In this hierarchical atmosphere, doctors were not held accountable even when making obvious mistakes. By establishing a simple checklist for critical tasks (some to be checked after performed from memory and some to be executed as listed, like a recipe), everyone knew what had to be done, and anyone could raise concern or give feedback if the checklist is not kept. Everyone was accountable. Consequently, the rate of surgery-related complications and death dropped dramatically. The author listed many examples of its benefit in industries like aviation and construction as well.

This book left a powerful impression on me, so I immediately searched for ways to implement this in my ministry. That led me to the decision of using “Basecamp”, a collaboration software that makes creating checklists easy for repeating tasks and projects (through different templates) and allows conversation under every checklist. After creating checklists (tasks) for every team and team leader, I realized that it prevents repeating errors and fosters better teamwork and communication, as the author argued. It keeps everyone accountable and makes delegation easier. I put many of my tasks in there, too, so I can be held accountable as well. Each task has an assigned person, deadline, and details of the task. It makes it easy for a new member or team leader to know what to do immediately, reducing training time.

I also use checklists when preparing the sermon. They really help me reorient my message when it goes off the rails or when I am distracted by too much information.

• What do they need to know?
• Why do they need to know it?
• What do they need to do?
• Why do they need to do it?