Check!

September 17, 2009

Almost everyone has heard of and used checklists. The most common image in many minds is the pilot’s checklist that must be completed prior to takeoff. Checklists are also incorporated into many medical protocols to prevent error in critical and complex procedures. Even church services in larger churches like ours often employ checklists for audio or lighting settings or for following a complex order of service that involves many different elements.

I often use a checklist when I have errands to run or as a way to keep track of multiple tasks. Some people use a 3X5 card or scrap of paper. I use a nifty little bit of software called Remember the Milk that syncs with my PC and my BB.

Does anyone out there know the origin of the checklist? It is a fascinating bit of history that my friend Tina recently dug up. Check out her research here. Here’s a hint – it all has to do with B-17′s.

So, do you use checklists? If you do, what for? And, what type of checklist? A 3X5 card or something more sophisticated? Any helpful hints for the rest of us?

Tom Rigot Sr

I use checklist’s for everything. Home maintenance, write a list and when I get time, repair & fix from the top of the list down. Shopping, write down my list of items I’m looking for and start hunting. I so forgetfull that this is the only way to get things started and more importantly, FINISHED! I went to the link in your blog, interesting story about the start of checklist’s. Most WW II movies show the B-17′s in them and it was the dominant heavy bomber in the beginning of the war. Late in the war the B-24 Consolodated Liberator was the bomber of choice in the European theater and was produced in twice the total numbers as the B-17. The Liberator was very difficult to fly and had a series of pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight checklists. The B-29 Super Fortress was developed late in the war strictly for the Pacific theatre because of it’s ability to pressurize the interior and fly at the higher altitudes needed to traverse the long distances to reach targets in Japan. Operations of the B-29 required extensive use of checklist’s also.
Ninette

Well, I’m an old fashion one in this topic, I keep check lists just on little papers from my paper cube, I use them almost every night to make sure I have everything I need to take with me the next day, I usually leave everything ready at night just to be grabbed in my way to the door, if I don’t do that I usually forget something! Also and definitely I use a check list for grocery shopping, I keep writing on it during the week, I keep it in the paper cube so I don’t loose it!! and put it in my purse the grocery shopping day, by the way…the fact of putitng this list in my purse is written in my “get things ready for tomorrow” list!!!
Paula

I love checklists! My biggest problem is I keep them on sicky notes and not all in the same place… Sometimes I lose them, I bury them under other papers and find them a week after I have done whatever is on the list, etc… I think you can see that my system is not that great. I like electronic lists and have done much better with those in the past, when I have had some kind of portable electronic something to keep it on. Since I will be getting a laptop for work in the next few weeks I will have to check out this “remember the milk” software. My memory has been my saving grace so far, but I am getting older and my memory is too. :~) Thanks for sharing Jeff.
http://t-rave.com T-Rave

Brilliant! I was looking at that app the other day so I could have it on my phone and computer. It’s all about the synchronization these days. Testing it out now!

Jeff Adams

Check!