A surprisingly interesting and useful book: The Checklist Manifesto

[South VA]

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This book was published in 2009 and was a NYT best seller. Somehow I missed it back then, only to discover it about a month ago. It’s quite a read.

The topic sounds pretty boring and maybe a bit nerdy. I mean, how tough is it to make and use a checklist, right? We use them all that time.

That’s what I thought before opening it for the first time. However, the author does a pretty fine job of discussing the development of the concept and its effective application in a wide variety of settings; and why checklists are literally saving lives and many, many dollars. I found it to be engaging and thought-provoking.

Most importantly, the book is not just about checklists. It’s really about our behavior, especially how we communicate, and why checklists are fundamentally important to getting even seemingly simple things right.

Of course most of us here use and have used checklists to varying degrees. Probably none moreso than @Spareparts, @Erik the Awful, and @Road Trip, in one of the most vital roles in aviation: making sure that an aircraft is actually ready for safe flight, before it leaves the ground. And that’s one of the contexts that the author uses to support his thesis.

How does this apply to those of us who drive, maintain, and rely upon our older vehicles? My response is that it got me to look anew at the whole process of developing and using checklists in my daily life, including working on and troubleshooting my GMT400s. An effective checklist is a proven way of saving time, money, and aggravation.

My brief review doesn’t do this book justice; but I strongly recommend reading it, even if you’re a seasoned user of checklists. There’s a lot more to the process than I had imagined. I’ll never look at a checklist in quite the same way again.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I don't just use checklists, I make them. When I supervised airmen building maintenance schedules, I had detailed checklists that had to be initialed. They loved it because they didn't have to memorize task steps, they could just follow the list and know that everything was good.

If you build processes, keep it simple and easy to follow. Always remember, the world is run by "C" students.

 

[xXxPARAGONxXx]

I don't just use checklists, I make them.

You probably used a checklist to make your checklist.

 

[GoToGuy]

One of the original users of checklist was in the US Navy Submarine Fleet. Ensuring procedures completed, in the correct order, and in the " challenge and response " when two or more are completing a checklist.
Many in Aviation industry if happen to fly are familiar with Emergency checklist that have " bold print items " . You must know these items verbatim, exactly as they are written in granite in your brain. And can be asked to repeat them or write them exactly as in the checklist anytime. They are the do it now, save your ass type things. The ones that get exciting real fast, Eng fire, Apu fire, Eng fluid loss, Any zone fire indication. Got the T shirt.

 

[someotherguy]

17 years in IT, I wrote, and then followed, a lot of checklists - to make reliably repeatable processes for myself, and others. Mostly for me - but for others to take my place once I boogied. Then I quit the field completely and have spent longer snatching cars which is easy to do, but complex to do correctly.

Richard

 

[South VA]

You probably used a checklist to make your checklist.

There is actually such a checklist in the appendix of the book.

Makes sense.

 

[62barsoom]

Thanks for sharing this title. The older I get, the worse my crs gets. I'll have to get a copy.

 

[PorriTotteti213]

If you build processes, keep it simple and easy to follow. Always remember, the world is run by "C" students.