Simple step to reduce mistakes at work

 Have you ever missed out on small detail in your work and you have to redo it all over again? Or perhaps being scolded by your boss because of the small mistake? When you face a situation that overburdens you, you need an effective tool to help you get through it. The tool turns out to be a checklist or a to-do list. 

 Some of us may think the idea of a checklist is troublesome or impractical. But in some cases especially when under pressure, a checklist is proven to be of valuable help. It helps in keeping our tasks and process manageable. 

 Checklists are so powerful that it is able to help to restructure impossible tasks into a feasible outcome. It also assisting you to complete one task at a time. 

Also read: 8 Online apps that can help you increase your productivity.

"Checklists not only offer the possibility of verification but also instil a kind of discipline of higher performance.” – Atul Gawande

 Dr Atul Gawande is a surgeon and the author of the book The Checklist Manifesto. When the World Health Organization(WHO) came to his team and asked for help on a project to reduce death in surgery. His solution is, of course, a checklist.

 Gawande's 19-items 2-minute checklist for surgical teams is first implemented in 8 hospitals around the world. After they adopted it, the complication rates fell 35% and the death rates fell 47%.

 How to create a useful checklist:-

• Pause Point - Every checklist must have a clear trigger – a location, moment or action that reminds you to pause and complete the checklist. Usually, the pause point is before you are going to hit the "ON" or "SEND" button.
• Speedy - Each checklist item should be less than 60 seconds to complete.
• Short and Concise Items - A checklist is NOT a how-to guide. Each item on a checklist should be a  reminder of a routine that you are familiar with.
• Field-Tested and Revised - Checklists must be practical and based on actual experience. We need to update the items with the latest discoveries and lessons learned.

 We hope you are able to implement a useful checklist with these tips and ultimately helping you to reduce small and avoidable mistakes at work. 

"Life's simplest answers are often the easiest to overlook." - Stephen King