The one we tend to most often think of is a list that spells out every little detail of every critical step. That may be true but there’s more than one type of checklist. Often, we think our jobs require a lot of judgement or creativity or adaptation and just can’t be reduced to a list. It certainly made me look at the checklist in a different light. The book deep dives into examples ranging from healthcare to investment banking, skyscraper construction, airlines, restaurants and a rock band. There are scribbled modifications on the margins, suggestions by the staff and sometimes this leads to a wholesale revamp of the recipe. However, that doesn’t mean things stay static. There’s also an example of a chef who has her kitchen staff follow the checklist for recipes consistently, even if they feel they know it by heart. The team members working on this used a ‘communication checklist.’ Given the complexity of the project, managers dealt with uncertainty and ambiguity by making sure the experts spoke to each other regularly on specific topics. He illustrates with an example from the world of architecture and large scale construction projects. This is where things start to get interesting, because the author goes on to explain that checklists can help with empowering people rather than centralizing decisions at the top. Have studied the science of complexity and argues that checklists can be usefulĮven while dealing with complex problems. He speaks of checklists as a ‘cognitive net’ to catch flaws What takes this book beyond being a run of the mill productivity or efficiency book is Gawande’s style of writing, his attention to detail and flair for storytelling. ‘The Checklist Manifesto’ by Atul Gawande talks about using that humble tool- the checklist, to tackle all sorts of complex problems. When I finally got around to reading, I didn’t regret it. That's the real beauty of this book-it gets the reader thinking about ways to improve life.I confess the title of this book put me off reading it for ages! I bought it because the author’s earlier book is one of my all time favourites, but a book on ‘checklists’ seemed doomed to boredom. Tenth, as I read this book, my mind frequently reflected on how a checklist approach could be applied in some of the business and academic practices that I am familiar with. Indeed, one of the most important things Sully Sullenberger did was to maintain his composure and discipline, even while the gravity of his situation must have been racing through his mind. Ninth, practice comes from commitment and personal discipline. Eighth, like anything else, it takes practice to produce and use checklists effectively. Seventh, the mere act of creating a checklist focuses the mind on the most important characteristics of our tasks. Checklist usage is important when the potential cost of human mistakes is great. Sixth, humans being human, mistakes will inevitably occur. His candor in discussing that episode is laudable. (You can read Captain Sully Sullenberger's excellent book for more details.) Fifth, checklist usage has saved numerous lives, including one of Dr. The first thing they did was to get out their checklists. Indeed, when the cockpit crew of US Airways flight 1549 lost both engines over New York City, they had only three minutes of airtime remaining. Fourth, checklists are important regardless of the time available. Checklists help people communicate and work together better, especially when the unexpected occurs. Third, checklists are not just for simple, straightforward tasks. By the way, in reading this book I have developed a newfound appreciation of how complex the construction business can be. Second, the value of using checklists springs directly from the complexity of modern life, whether we're talking about surgery (the author is a surgeon), flying an airplane or building a skyscraper. It is interesting enough to make you want to read the book and serious enough to deliver important messages. I'll bet that you will find it hard to put down. Gawande's book: First, this is an easy-to-read, engaging book. Although what follows isn't a checklist, I'll try to focus on the most essential characteristics of Dr. Gawande points out, a checklist can't be too long (people won't use it), yet it must succinctly cover the most essential considerations of the situation at hand. I looked over the other reviews of this interesting book, and there are many of them that you will find very useful-so I'll just try to list some highlights.
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