“The volume and complexity of what we know has exceeded our individual ability to deliver its benefits correctly, safely or reliably.” Atul Gawande
At Navigate, we are long-time believers in checklists and documented processes – not only are they a help, they are required for success. As the integration industry becomes increasingly complex how do you ensure that all steps and processes, no matter how big or small, are completed?
The Checklist Manifesto shows that using a checklist is the simplest solution to remembering all the steps necessary to get things right. It’s not only that so many processes today are complex, but the sheer number of tasks most of us have to complete makes it easy to overlook one.
Our favorite part of this book deals with why we don’t like checklists and the resistance so many people have to using them. They can be painstaking. They’re not much fun. But the issue here is not mere laziness or lack of discipline. There’s something deeper, more visceral going on when people walk away from making money.
It somehow feels beneath us to use a checklist, an embarrassment. It runs counter to our deeply held beliefs about how the truly great among us – those we aspire to be – handle situations of high stakes and complexity. The truly great are daring. They improvise. They do not have protocols and checklists.
Maybe our idea of heroism needs updating.
Heroism is a common theme in the integration industry. It feels good to be a hero and save the day. But if we reward heroism, aren’t we really rewarding poor planning?
