3/23/2010

Quotes: Atul Gawande again

(From "The checklist manifesto. How to get things right" Atul Gawande Metropolitan Press 2010)

Good checklist:
Precise
Efficient
Easy to use even in difficult situations
(Do not spell out everything, check lists can not fly planes).
Provides reminders only in most critical and important steps
Practical
Words should be simple and exact
Should use usual language used in profession
Should fit in 1 page, free of clutter and unnecessary colors
Use of upper case and lower case letters (to make it easy to read)
San serif is better (Helvetica)!

Bad checklist:
Vague and imprecise
Too long
Hard to use
Impractical
Treats people using them as dumb and try to spell out every single step
Turns people's brain off, rather than turning them on

Checklist contents should not exceed 5-7 points (that are "killer points")
Should not exceed 60-90 sec for a "pause point". After this, the check list becomes a distraction. People start to "shotcut" steps.

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