A Reminder About Checklists

One of the simplest and easiest tools to use in business is a check list. Once you have identified a 'best practice' in your place of work then use of a check list to help people ensure they review / complete key items is a very logical outcome.

A common difficulty with checklists is getting people to consistently use them. Building them into other processes (top of a meeting agenda, adding to a standard form etc...) is one of the more effective ways to get people to use them. Of course, there is the importance placed upon checklists by the organisation, but that is a whole other conversation about getting changes to stick!

The reason that I felt it was worth blogging briefly about this particular topic was that I was reading an interesting article in a local newspaper. At the top of the article was a headline, and then underneath it was a section that said something like 'put in a short brief about the overall story, head, head, head, head, he' and 'put your name here'. It looks like the article was written using a standard template (I like that) but hadn't been completed, or checked, prior to being sent for printing.

I realise that mistakes do happen, that is part of life, but I am not entirely sure about the checks and balances that took place (or didn't) prior to submission for printing in this particular case.

Anyway, and the point of this blog, check lists are a great way to capture the best practice we have developed in our businesses and finding creative ways to incorporate them into our normal working activities is a challenge that I think more of us should embrace.

Over to you.

Giles Johnston
...optimising MRP systems and re-engineering business processes

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