The book, Checklist Manifesto says checklists only buttress the skills of professionals (pilots, surgeons, military officers, etc.)
- Lean calls it standard work
- Military examples include Troop Leading Procedures and Military Decision Making Process
I write such notes to my future self so I don’t spin my wheels relearning something I have already solved previously.
- If you will do something frequently, memorization works
- If infrequent, references like standard work checklists aid consistent performance
When things begin to change frequently (whether the process, or the new technology tools, or even when the people turnover frequently), having such standard work can be really helpful.
Aim for the 80% solution, not perfection. Iterate and continually improve it.
The goal is not 100% coverage in checklists, but applying the Pareto 80/20 Rule to only create checklists for the 20% of the work that creates 80% of the value results. To do otherwise risks increasing bureaucratic friction.
In standard work, especially for Leader standard work, the leader’s scope of control affects the goal for standard work. Team leaders may have a higher percentage of their work repeating. The same for mid-level leaders with some drop in percentage, and with senior leaders they have the least that can be standardized.