Not long ago, a friend of mine turned me on to an interesting book entitled ‘The Checklist Manifesto’ by Dr. Atul Gawande.
Although Dr. Gawande hails from the medical field, I found his book interesting because he explores, in great detail, a topic that spans almost every aspect of our lives: how to get things done. But rather than focus exclusively on the medical profession, Gawande explores the tools that other professions use to manage complexity. He examines a wide range of specialties, including architects, pilots and chefs, to learn their technique.
What he finds is that, across the board, these industries rely heavily on checklists to succeed, even when the task at hand seems too complex for a simple recipe. He examines how the checklist can be implemented in operating rooms to eliminate human errors, reduce infections and ultimately save lives. But you don’t have to take my word for it. You can read Malcolm Gladwell’s review of the book over at Amazon.
By Garett for www.agencynet.com June 3 2010