by Jennie Ruby
Last week I wrote an article about checklists. As I finish reading The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande, I have learned that in fields where the individual expert is seen as the key to success, resistance to the idea of using a checklist is rampant.
Surgery and financial management are two fields where adoption of checklists has been slow, despite the fact that checklists work. In one study, the use of a pre-surgery checklist decreased the number of patients suffering complications by 50%. Nevertheless, surgeons have been slow to adopt the use of checklists.
Are there ways that the job of writing, or developing training materials, or creating videos is seen as one done by an expert who needs no help and no checklist? That is exactly a sign that a checklist might be needed!
A checklist does not need to be a static printout either. Fellow skills and drills reader Stephanie L. Carrigg says that she "LIVES by checklists." Task lists have helped her finish night school while working full time in a busy law firm. She adds that using electronic tools also helps. For example, a daily calendar reminder that automatically sounds the alert near the end of the day helps her remember a crucial task that she must complete before leaving work.
I am seeking new ways to use checklists. I have one for updating a publication website when the new issue comes out. I have one for changing the filter in my reverse osmosis water filter. Do you have a checklist about writing, editing, creating training materials, or other tasks that you can share?
About the Author: Jennie Ruby is a veteran IconLogic trainer and author with titles such as "Editing with Word 2003 and Acrobat 7" and "Editing with MS Word 2007" to her credit. She is a publishing professional with more than 20 years of experience in writing, editing and desktop publishing.