Simple documentation that works.
WHY THEY WORK
Memory fails predictably under pressure and familiarity.
WHERE THEY HELP MOST
Complex tasks with many steps Tasks performed infrequently Handovers Tasks where omission has consequences
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CHECKLIST
Short Only the steps actually forgotten Phrased as confirmations Used at a defined moment
WHY SHORT
Long checklists are completed without reading.
HOW LONG
Few enough to fit on one page or screen.
WHAT TO INCLUDE
The critical steps and the ones people miss.
HOW TO IDENTIFY THOSE
From what has actually gone wrong.
WHAT THE TWO TYPES ARE
Read and do: followed while working
Confirm: work completed, then verified
WHICH TO USE
Confirm for familiar work; read-and-do for unfamiliar or critical work.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Who uses it and at what point.
WHAT TO AVOID
Listing every step Checklists nobody was consulted about Requiring signature without use
WHY SIGNATURE WITHOUT USE
It becomes a formality and it evidences nothing.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT RESISTANCE
Acknowledge that it feels unnecessary, and point to what has gone wrong.
WHAT TO REVIEW
Whether each item still earns its place.
WHAT TO REMOVE
Anything that has never caught anything.
WHAT TO ADD
Anything that has been missed.
WHERE CHECKLISTS BEAT PROCEDURES
Where the person knows how, and only needs to not forget.
