What is an Effective Checklist, and why should I make one?
When looking to improve our workflow, we often start with a checklist going through each detail. The problem is that how many of those fancy checklists ever stick around?
Through numerous tests, I've put together a very simple checklist that condenses the information down to what actually matters and helps us stay focused without getting lost in the weeds.
The basic idea behind this process is finding what information you actually need to follow through with the task without error. In a perfect world, we would put all the information in this checklist, but too many details will quickly overwhelm the user.
What software do you use?
I use Google Calendar for my checklist creation as it's got a clean and visual interface that many people are familiar with.
Using Google Calendars also has the added benefit of being sharable, so anyone within the same custom calendar can make changes that update the rest of the team automatically.
Additionally, you can hide/show the tasks separate from your normal calendar information.
How do I know what to put in my checklist?
Finding what information to input into the simplified checklist is easier than you might think and doesn't take long. Perform your task as you would normally, and as you're going through the steps, take notes of the most important things to be aware of. Keep in mind you don't need to know the reasons behind certain actions, only that they are made.
For example, in a blog uploading workflow, you may need to change the author, it's easy, but very important. Condense that information down into as few words as possible while still making sense. No need to be grammatically correct. A condensed version would look like "Change author"
You can also use your new simple checklist as a hub for finding links to information relating to the task.
As an example, I can find the new blog content and website admin embedded into the words of the checklist, making it easy to follow through.
I also highlight details in the simple checklist to make sure I don't make the same mistake twice. For example, I uploaded the first image to a blog as an imbeded image when it should have been set as a featured image. In my workflow checklist I highlighted the area I made a mistake on.
We so easily get caught up in making beautiful systems that only work in theory, but theory doesn't mean it's effective. We think and see things visually, so keep words to a minimum and just go with the flow of how you do the task right now. It's about reminding yourself of the important details, not every detail.