Checklists

Checklists are the unsung heroes of productivity. They prevent errors in repeated tasks. Plain and simple.

When used in hospitals, checklists resulted in 36% fewer major complications and 47% fewer deaths. That is not a marginal improvement -- that is a transformative one.

Why Checklists Work

We like to think we can rely on our memory and expertise to get things right every time. But the reality is that even experts make errors, especially when tasks are complex and repetitive. Checklists work because they:

• Reduce cognitive load -- you do not need to remember every step because the checklist remembers for you.
• Catch the easy-to-miss steps -- it is usually the simple, "obvious" steps that get skipped, and those are often the ones that cause the biggest problems.
• Create consistency -- every time the task is performed, it is done the same way, regardless of who is doing it.
• Enable accountability -- when there is a checklist, it is easy to verify whether each step was completed.

DO then CONFIRM

One effective approach is the DO-CONFIRM method: everything is done from memory, but after completing the task, the checklist is used to confirm that nothing was missed.

This approach works well for experienced practitioners who know the process but want a safety net. You are not slowing yourself down by referencing the checklist at every step -- you are using it as a verification tool at the end.

But it only works if there is a checker process with a second person who checks whether those points are actually covered.

Checklists in Practice

Freelance Writing Quality

We had a checklist for all our freelance resume writers to ensure that rework was reduced and mistakes were avoided. This led to improved quality across the board. The checklist also served as a constant guide to the writer to cross-verify against the guides and training documents.

Software Releases

Before releasing a version to production, we use a production release checklist to make sure all points are covered and nothing is missed. The impact of any small step being missed can be huge -- a missed database migration, an unupdated environment variable, a forgotten feature flag. That is why it warrants the checklist.

Writing and Publishing

When writing a newsletter, I send a test email to myself and check for any missed errors before publishing. Once the article is ready, the checklist ensures the publish process is complete -- from formatting to metadata to distribution.

Building Good Checklists

Not all checklists are created equal. A good checklist:

• Is short and focused. Include items that are often skipped or missed, not every single step.
• Uses simple language. Each item should be clear and unambiguous.
• Is easy to read. Formatting matters -- if your checklist is a wall of text, nobody will use it.
• Evolves over time. Update your checklists as processes change and new failure modes are discovered.

Templates as an Extension

Even tasks that require higher-order thinking can benefit from templates, which are really just checklists for complex work. If you are a product manager, you will regularly do competitor analysis, user research, sprint planning, and more. You can create templates that take some of the thinking out of the work and save you time.

In Notion, you can create reusable template blocks, and these checklists can be collapsed when not required, reducing the space they occupy. A checklist "changes things and makes the advice in your face."

Checklists are not glamorous. They are not sexy. But they work. And in a world where the cost of errors can be enormous -- whether in healthcare, software, or everyday work -- the humble checklist is one of the most powerful tools you can use.