Checklists are a list of items for consideration, and we use them in many different aspects of our daily life. You might use one for a simple task such as packing for a vacation or creating a grocery list.
However, they’re not used quite as often as a tool for increasing efficiency and productivity in the workplace. We’d like to help change this because workplace checklists have been proven to be potent tools across various industries and professions.Hopefully, this article will help to show you “why are checklists useful in the workplace?”
How and Why are Checklists Useful in the Workplace?
Whatever your profession, there are going to be tasks for you to perform, and no matter how much experience or training you have, there is a likelihood you might overlook important tasks or steps. A checklist can help you reduce the chance of this happening.
It has been a proven form of improving continuity, efficiency and increased productivity across a variety of professions and industries.
But this isn’t the only reason why checklists are useful in the workplace.
Benefits of Workplace Checklists
There are many benefits why are checklists useful in the workplace:
Help You Stay More Organised
When you create a checklist, it helps you stay more organised because it makes sure you don’t miss any steps. A checklist is straightforward to use, and when used correctly, it can be a handy tool.
Basically, it’s a to-do list that allows you to manage your various tasks quickly and efficiently. Using a list, you can keep all the tasks and items you need to complete in one easy to access place.
Anyone and everyone in the workplace can use this great tool, from top executives to those on the production line. You use a checklist to schedule activities and make sure nothing falls between the cracks.
Acts as a Memory
Decision fatigue is a real-life problem and it can be reduced with the help of checklists. If checklists are in place, you’re not forced to remember every little thing that needs to be done.
The checklist acts as your memory or reminder of what tasks need to be done and the order they should be completed to reduce mistakes and errors in the process and get the best possible results.
Increase Motivation
When you have a checklist to follow, it can be a great motivator. A checklist encourages you to take action and complete different tasks.
This then leads to you being more successful as we all know that amazing feeling every time you tick off a task as complete. These positive results motivate you to accomplish even more.
Improve Productivity
You can complete repetitive tasks quickly and efficiently when you have a workplace checklist. This frees up more time in your day and allows you to become more productive and accomplish more every day.
Be More Creative
A workplace checklist is also handy when it comes to repetitive tasks. They help to ensure you forget none of the steps in a process, but at the same time, they free up more brainpower that you can then use for creative activities.
A bonus is that you can think more clearly.
Training and Knowledge Sharing
Documenting business process in the form of checklists offers a guide to how a task or process is completed. This offers a great way to train new team members and the ability for others to cover that role in certain situations.
Tacit knowledge within your business and team members knowledge gained from individual skills, experience and expertise. Leveraging the power of business knowledge by documenting business processes with checklists so that knowledge stays within the business forever.
Business planning for sickness, staff leaving and new team members onboarding or the dreaded scenario of hit by a bus planning or a significant event business continuity planning.
Opportunities for Delegation
This works in two ways increased confidence to delegate a task and the person being given the task has increased confidence that they’ve completed the work expertly.
Delegation becomes easier to do because the process has been documented in the best possible way. Breaking down specific tasks into smaller, simpler steps, increasing confidence in the delegation process. Becoming more comfortable at delegating tasks, because you know the task will be done correctly.
Help to Save Lives
Checklists have been able to help save lives countless times throughout history, as well as today. During WWII, for example, the Army introduced a pre-flight checklist. The same type is used by pilots today to help avoid crashes. Also, NASA Checklist was used to launch rockets safely.
Checklists have an important place in hospitals and medical checklists. When they were introduced to surgical teams after the checklist manifesto was published the death rate was reduced by 40%. Similarly, checklists introduced for doctors decreased the number of infections in sick patients who needed to have a central line inserted.
Continuity of Service
With checklists in place, you can make sure nothing gets forgotten. A documented “best practice” of how each process in the business should be performed.
Documenting business processes in checklists allows almost anyone to step into a breach as there is a full guide for them to follow to perform that task the best possible way with the best outcomes.
This makes a way to provide a more consistent and effective level of service, thereby keeping the customers happy and always receiving the best outcomes.
Checklist Software: Efficiency and Productivity Tool
Now you see what benefits checklists and checklist software can offer and why are checklists useful in the workplace?
Many of today’s task management software and productivity tools include checklists in one form or another. They have been proven time and time again to help to prevent failures and promote productivity.
Checklists offer businesses so many benefits and that’s why at Checkify we love them and want to share our passion for checklists with you.
Imagine checklists you can launch and know who is doing the task by assigning to the best person for the job, track the task from beginning to end and automate checklists that can trigger other checklists. I hope this has answered, “why are Checklists Useful in the Workplace?”
Business Process Checklist
Why are Checklists Useful in the Workplace? Let us help you find out the benefits for yourself. Try Checkify for free and see how it change help your business