I am a firm believer in checklists. Four of the key Communication tools we discuss in the Cause Mapping workshop are: Training Programs, Procedures, Checklists, and Work Processes.
Checklists are wonderful tools when used effectively. The checklist must be clear and simple to use. AND the checklist must be used diligently. Shortcutting the checklist invalidates the philosophy and effectiveness.
Pilots are an excellent example of the effectiveness of checklists. There are more than four checklists that the cockpit crew goes through before any flight on a Boeing 737. Ask any pilot if they use their checklist… There is a saying; “There are old pilots, and bold pilots. But there are no old/bold pilots”.
So here’s Loyd’s checklist issue. My packing checklist for a workshop has over 108 items. Some things range from putting a fresh package of post-it notes in my bag, pre-printing my boarding pass, or checking that I have aspirin.
On a recent workshop that also involved my Scuba gear I left my wallet at home. Between my two packing lists there are over 200 checklist items. So here’s what did not go so well… I left my wallet at home. My wallet is not on my checklist… It’s just too simple right?
The last time I remember leaving my wallet at home was in 2000 when my wife was 9 months pregnant. Assuming I put my wallet in my pocket once per day that is approx. 3,000 tasks. Failure rate of 1/3000 is not so bad, right?
In Root Cause Analysis we must also think about the impact to the goals. In this particular case it almost impacted the diving portion of my trip… (I was flying in a day before the workshop – going diving with decompression and air travel considerations can be tricky).
The Cause Map outline would look something like this:
…not the end of the world.
Divers must be patient people and getting in a hurry or stressing out about a dive is not a good starting place. The potential impact of missing a workshop was significantly reduced as the morning dive was scheduled for the day before the workshop.
This event did make me think about consequence of missing a workshop, including the hassle of rescheduling a workshop or adjusting the schedule from the client’s perspective. The Customer Service impact could be significant.
Someone might look at the Cause Map above or hear me discuss this and say, “You were not paying attention… “ I would suggest that you NOT say this.
Such a statement will probably put people on the defensive. Instead, identify the things that may have affected the person’s attention. Then corrective actions can be explored.
So here’s the dilemma: do I add another item to the checklist for my wallet?
P.S. This was a happy ending. My system for traveling is to get to the airport well in advance of the flight. My wife was able to bring my wallet and Loyd plus gear got onto the airplane. …and the Dive was GREAT! And all my gear had been packed correctly…
Cheers,
Loyd
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